The Dynamics CRM team at Microsoft have been busy promoting the XRM theme. xRM means using CRM as a platform for line-of-business applications that either extend the traditional functionality of CRM or add new functionality completely unrelated to sales, marketing and service.
Whether we call it CRM or XRM, Dynamics CRM is an ideal platform for line-of-business for two fundamental reasons.
First, LOB applications are intended to make business processes more efficient. Because the primary business processes of an organization are those that serve its customers, it makes sense to build those processes into a tool that already contains customer data. I’m now working on a project that incorporates certain project management information into CRM. Building the functionality in CRM saves time because it is easy to relate the data to customers and opportunities. It also enhances the value of CRM because the CRM system can display more of a 360 degree view of the customer.
Second, Dynamics CRM offers tremendous technical advantages as a development platform for LOB applications. I find the easiest way to think of the difference between what you get when you create a custom entity without any custom development.
- Consistent user interface
- Data model with SQL views filtered for security
- Web Services Interface (both strongly typed and dynamic)
- Event framework
- Workflow Workflow Framework with easy-to-use interface and monitoring
- End-user search and reporting with Advanced Find and a Reporting Wizard
- Office integration (Outlook, Excel, Word)
- Offline synchronization
- Notes and Activities easily associated with records
- Role-based Security
- Import wizard for user's to easily import data from .csv files
Just click a button to create a new entity and the platform automatically generates what would have taken several months of development. And Dynamics CRM provides all of these additional features without limiting the developer’s ability to extend the solution through .Net coding.
So whether you call it CRM or XRM, the key point is not to limit the potential of the platform by staying with the traditional bounds of marketing, sales and service.