Preact CRM Development

The CRM applications that we work with offer a wide array of features as standard but where those features cannot meet the requirements of our customers, we can tap into the vast expertise of our team of software developers to either create standalone or integrated applications that fulfil the most complex of requirements.

Our team of developers work with customers to develop systems that wrap around their business processes and deliver the functionality that their people need to perform.

We offer bespoke development solutions across our product range to address even the most demanding of business requirements.

Preact Development Solutions There is virtually no limit to how we can develop our CRM systems, including Microsoft CRM and Sage CRM, and developing standalone applications. For advice and to arrange a quotation please call us on 0800 381 1000.

Survey web portal with CRM integration

A further web portal development undertaken by Preact has enabled our client to collate survey responses from its agents working overseas with ethical tea growers.

This portal is fully multi-lingual and applies our clients defined rules using dynamic survey questions that are driven based on the answers provided to earlier questions so the questions asked on two surveys are seldom identical. Following their agents early usage of the portal our client immediately reported quicker survey responses that reflected over twice the relevance and depth of information compared with their previous manual survey processes.

With integration between the web portal and Sage CRM, survey responses are automatically imported into CRM and filed against the corresponding record. Each survey response is also stored in CRM as a separate entity so our client can easily access reports and analyse multiple completed surveys from one screen.  

Bespoke CRM development including barcode scanning integration, advanced security controls & audit tracking

Our developers have recently completed a multi-faceted CRM project that included several critical needs that required bespoke development to fulfil.

This featured the integration of Sage CRM with our client's barcode reader technology to automatically update CRM status and tracking fields upon barcode scanning prior to shipment and upon delivery of couriered packages.

As part of this workflow we also developed a dynamic link enabling CRM users to track shipped packages using the websites of leading courier firms including DHL and TNT. This link reads the unique shipping barcode that's scanned into CRM thereby giving our client a seamless process for tracking shipped items without the need for any manual data entry in CRM!

The packages being shipped are umbilical cord blood samples and upon testing their results are stored within CRM. We have created a 'decision' calculation field that uses a table script to populate a decision field including multiple outcomes based on the test results and other data entered to apply consistent decision making.

Because of the confidential and sensitive nature of this information our team have developed extra security controls including the enforcement of a separate log-in process within CRM to restrict access to specific screens that contain this data so it can only be accessed and updated by senior team members.

As a further control we have developed a bespoke audit trail that tracks user actions within these CRM screens. The audit detail includes timed log-in access by user and a record of every field update so all new entries and amendments can be traced back to a CRM user.

This project also involved applying complex territory controls across 12 overseas teams so to ensure that access permissions for every CRM user are consistent with their role and location.

Developing customised entities in CRM

Advanced CRM systems enable separate entities to be tracked beyond just people, companies and sales information. The CRM projects we deliver can include up to as many as 6 different types of entity. Some diverse examples of the different entities our team have developed in CRM include:

• Films - enabling our client to track the production of their films in CRM including budgetary costs, production process stages, timescales and link all the parties involved
• Events - several of our clients use CRM to manage their events which are as diverse as training workshops, corporate events and stag party weekends
• Surveys - to manage the distribution and analysis of patient surveys that are carried out on behalf of NHS healthcare trusts
• Venues - to manage training centres and their respective booking capacities
• Grant applications - enabling our client to manage to progress of grant funding applications from government bodies and agencies within CRM

Importing / Exporting Data

Many of our clients need to integrate their CRM system with their website or another database so that information can be shared between the two.

As well as improving the accessibility of information from a single CRM interface this also enables improvements in efficiencies to be achieved through better processes and avoiding duplication of entry. Specific examples of the work our team have completed include:

• Developing an automated process that extracts and imports data from our clients web form when a prospect requests a quote online. After duplicate checking this process automatically creates a new company and contact record in Sage CRM including an accompanying sales opportunity that is assigned to the correct franchise team using defined territory rules.

• Integration between CRM and Sage accounting systems is commonplace. However, we've creating automated import processes that transfer financial data between CRM and other accounts packages including Exchequer and Opera so its easily accessible within CRM.

• Automating the import of new CRM records from our client's internal emails that are sent by their laboratory processing team. Our development reads their HTML emails to create new contact and company CRM records with duplicate checking controls throughout.

• Developing a solution that reads from a PHP website and displays this data in CRM.

• We've also developed an automated data transfer process to imports data from an ERP system into CRM with allocated record matching. This also includes an automated export back to the ERP system with updated information.

Extending & Automating CRM functionality

Niche development work that we have carried out includes:

• Developing a GoldMine add-on application to extend its opportunity management functionality with new modules for tracking wider detail on each sales prospect to provide forecast analysis.

• CRM sales forecasts are written to follow calendar years. However, we've re-programmed applications to develop advanced sales forecast functionality that enable month by month forecasts to made throughout a financial year.

• Our developers have create an application to embed address management tools within CRM so users can easily populate address fields based on postcode.

• Creating a process to generate a sequential ID upon adding a new CRM company record. Each unique ID includes a 3 digit specific to the country team with responsibility for the account.

• Applying an automated process in Microsoft Dynamics CRM to email notifications to account managers upon the creation of new accounts in CRM and sending a daily email to our client's sales manager summarising the news accounts added.

• Applying complex workflow routines to assist CRM users entering data and enforce consistency whereby on-screen the fields and drop-down list shown are dependent on earlier field entries. For example, for one client the mandatory fields on CRM prospect records automatically change depending on the product of interest selected.

More Information Call our consultants on 0800 381 1000 to discuss your customer relationship management requirements with one of our CRM experts including any bespoke development needs.

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