PragmatiQ Solutions is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partner based in Milton Keynes, specialising in designing and developing Bespoke CRM Systems and Custom Databases. But what is the difference between a CRM and Custom Database? How does it fit in under the Microsoft eco-system? What value does it bring?
Over the years, businesses have become increasingly familiar with applications such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint and the rest of the Office 365 suite and, more recently, gaining exposure to Microsoft Teams, which has grown hugely as businesses have adopted this collaboration technology while working remotely. To put this into perspective, in November 2019, Microsoft Teams had 20 million users. By April 2020, users had surpassed 75 million!
It is for this reason, among many others, that vendors such as Microsoft have taken market share during unprecedented times, as now, more than ever, we need our systems to be plugging gaps and picking up the heavy lifting.
So, where does Microsoft Dynamics 365 fit in?
As mentioned, most people are familiar with Microsoft Office, but a part of the Microsoft eco-system that some people may not be familiar with is Microsoft Dynamics 365. Here at PragmatiQ Solutions, we specialise in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) element to Dynamics; designing and developing solutions built on the cloud platform.
When businesses hear the term CRM, it is traditionally associated with Sales, Customer Service and Marketing. Whilst many of our client projects do have requirements that include these traditional elements, there is a large majority that do not. Without understanding this, businesses may be ruling themselves out of a solution that does, in fact, suit their business.
By leveraging other applications within the Microsoft platform, such as Microsoft Power Apps, we have the tools to develop systems and databases which often do not include any functionality relating to traditional CRM and can be leveraged to build a completely bespoke solution for any organisation.
Is a Custom Database right for you?
A common reoccurrence we see among many businesses is that their existing processes rely heavily on complex spreadsheets, old disparate systems, and more than one piece of software. At times we see customers attempting to take these complex processes and data and fit it into an off-the-shelf solution. However, this brings challenges as the system is not designed in the way that suits individual business needs. A bespoke solution is able to mould itself around a business and its processes and requirements, as opposed to having to mould your processes and requirements around a more rigid system. Once that system has been implemented successfully within a business, the overall impact and value will result in justifying any outlay. To give a few examples of the benefits:
- Increase efficiency
- Improve visibility of data
- Automate business processes
- Ability to work anywhere, at any time
- Enhance employee productivity
To touch upon costs, it is often thought that a Bespoke CRM / Custom Database is going to cost tens of thousands of pounds, and whilst there are certainly clients that have a need to spend that amount (due to size, complexity of the project, etc) there are lots of examples of building and developing a database that is bespoke, allows businesses to work more efficiently and in a more systemised way, but doesn’t have to cost the world.
The rate at which this technology is advancing is, at times, staggering and what wasn’t possible yesterday could very well be possible tomorrow. In these times, more than ever, the world is changing so quickly, as are businesses, and as does the need for our technology to evolve with us. This is as apparent as anywhere when we look at Microsoft and the advancements they are making with applications within their eco-system. When you put this altogether and everything is interconnected, from Outlook to Excel, Dynamics to Power BI, and so on, you can really start to transform how you work within your business and keep pace with what is possible.
If you would like to find out about PragmatiQ Solutions and how we can support your organisation, visit www.pragmatiqsolutions.co.uk or email info@pragmatiqsolutions.co.uk
