Is Sage CRM a good fit for small enterprises?
Well, It depends on how we quantify small enterprise. Sage CRM is ideal for companies that need to streamline processes between departments or provide customer-facing staff with financial information, including the ability to create orders through the Sage CRM interface that pass through to the Sage accounting system. Sage CRM’s workflow engine and ability to integrate with accounting are both very powerful.
However, you can’t just turn on Sage CRM and start using it. Sage CRM requires professional services in order to be deployed properly. And adequate training must be provided to the receiving company. Deployment is typically rolled out over a 60 to 120-day period. Deploying Sage CRM is a serious undertaking that requires much more than just a credit card.
While companies that use Sage CRM come in different shapes and sizes, the sweet spot for Sage CRM seems to be with businesses that require:
- 5 to 25+ staff to access the system
- A minimum of 3 million in annual gross revenue
- Have new members within their leadership team
Where do you get the 5 to 25+ users from?
Sage CRM is different from a contact management system. It can be set up to manage processes. The need to manage a process increases as we add staff into the mix. The threshold for when systematizing seems to make sense is around 6 or 7 people.
If there are less than 6 or 7 people involved in the process, management typically does not need to be so systematic. There are many CRM systems at the lower end of the pricing spectrum that could make more sense for those organizations.
Why a Baseline of 3 Million in Revenue?
Investing in Sage CRM only makes sense if there is an expensive problem with the existing information system. Smaller organizations, (less than 3m) have a much harder time justifying the investment required for an application as sophisticated as Sage CRM.
Check out the infographic below for more details on investment requirements.
Why New Members within the Leadership Team?
Deploying a CRM strategy requires a company to change their organizational behavior, which takes time and effort. Established leadership rarely has enough bandwidth to take on a CRM implementation project. In practice, the opportunity to deploy a CRM is best when a new employee has been brought in to help manage the change.
Keep In Mind
Sage CRM is not for all companies in the SME market. The reality is, smaller organizations simply can’t justify something as advanced as Sage CRM.
Managing Sage CRM projects are the exclusive focus of My CRM Manager. This singular focus over the past 16+ years gives us a unique and experienced perspective. We’re happy to help with any questions you may have. Contact us today!