How SIX ERP Turns Customer Relationships into Business Growth

“The purpose of business technology is to make life easier for customers, employees, and decision-makers—not to create more administration.”

Many companies still think of CRM as a digital address book: a place to store customer names, telephone numbers, emails, and meeting notes.

A modern CRM should do much more.

It should help a company understand its customers, manage sales opportunities, coordinate teams, automate follow-up activities, improve service quality, and convert commercial information into measurable business results.

However, CRM reaches its full potential only when it is connected to the rest of the organization.

That is where SIX ERP creates a significant advantage.

SIX ERP does not treat customer relationship management as an isolated sales tool. It connects CRM with quotations, contracts, orders, inventory, purchasing, projects, service activities, invoicing, finance, and business intelligence.

The result is not simply better contact management.

It is a complete and transparent customer-to-cash process.

What Is CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.

A CRM system helps businesses organize and manage relationships with potential and existing customers. It records customer information, commercial activities, communication history, sales opportunities, tasks, documents, and other relevant business data.

A well-implemented CRM gives sales, marketing, management, and customer-service teams access to a shared and structured view of the customer.

This may include:

• Contact persons and company information
• Emails, telephone calls, meetings, and notes
• Leads and sales opportunities
• Quotations and proposals
• Contracts and agreed conditions
• Customer orders
• Open activities and responsibilities
• Products and services of interest
• Purchase history
• Complaints, service requests, and support cases
• Revenue, margins, and outstanding receivables

Instead of storing this information across spreadsheets, inboxes, notebooks, and individual employee devices, the CRM provides one controlled source of truth.

With SIX ERP, this customer information is not separated from operations. It becomes part of the complete business process.

Why CRM Matters

Companies often lose opportunities not because their products are unsuitable, but because information is incomplete, follow-ups are missed, responsibilities are unclear, or customer communication is not coordinated.

Typical problems include:

• Leads are stored in personal spreadsheets.
• Salespeople keep important information in their email inboxes.
• Customer history disappears when an employee leaves.
• Management cannot accurately forecast future revenue.
• Marketing does not know which leads became customers.
• Sales cannot see stock availability or delivery capacity.
• Customer service cannot access previous orders or agreements.
• Quotations are prepared manually and inconsistently.
• Different departments maintain duplicate customer records.
• Follow-up activities depend on individual memory.

A structured CRM process replaces this uncertainty with visibility, accountability, and control.

The Benefits of CRM within SIX ERP

1. A Complete View of Every Customer

A CRM should make it possible to understand the complete relationship with a customer at a glance.

SIX ERP can centralize customer-related information such as:

• Company and contact details
• Communication history
• Meetings and activities
• Leads and opportunities
• Quotations and contracts
• Sales orders
• Deliveries
• Invoices and payments
• Service cases
• Projects
• Documents
• Customer-specific prices and conditions

This gives authorized employees a reliable overview of what has happened, what is currently happening, and what should happen next.

The customer no longer needs to repeat the same information to different departments. Employees can communicate with greater confidence because they have access to the relevant context.

2. Better Customer Understanding

Every interaction provides valuable information.

A properly used CRM helps businesses identify:

• Which products customers are interested in
• Which communication channels they prefer
• How frequently they purchase
• Which offers they accept or reject
• Which customer segments are most profitable
• Which customers require more attention
• Which customers may be at risk of leaving
• Which additional products or services may be relevant

SIX ERP combines this commercial information with operational and financial data.

This means that customer analysis does not stop at activity counts. Management can also evaluate revenue, profitability, payment behavior, order frequency, product mix, service requirements, and long-term customer value.

This creates a much more realistic picture of the customer relationship.

3. More Structured Lead Management

A lead represents a potential business opportunity.

Without a structured system, leads can easily be forgotten, duplicated, contacted too late, or assigned to the wrong person.

SIX ERP supports a controlled lead-management process in which businesses can:

• Capture leads from different sources
• Record the origin of each lead
• Assign leads to responsible employees
• Classify leads by product, region, industry, or potential
• Schedule calls, meetings, and follow-ups
• Record communication and notes
• Qualify leads according to defined criteria
• Convert qualified leads into opportunities
• Track the progression from first contact to customer

This provides transparency across the complete sales funnel.

Management can see how many leads enter the organization, how quickly they are contacted, how many become opportunities, and how many ultimately result in revenue.

4. Better Sales Prioritization

Not every opportunity has the same value or probability.

A CRM helps sales teams focus their time on the opportunities that matter most.

SIX ERP can support opportunity prioritization based on factors such as:

• Estimated sales value
• Expected profitability
• Probability of success
• Planned closing date
• Strategic importance
• Customer segment
• Product interest
• Previous customer history
• Required sales effort
• Current pipeline stage

This allows sales representatives to manage their workload more effectively.

It also helps management identify where support, intervention, or additional resources may be required.

5. Higher Sales Productivity

Salespeople should spend their time building relationships, understanding customer needs, and closing business.

They should not spend most of their day searching for information, updating disconnected spreadsheets, copying customer data between systems, or manually preparing repetitive documents.

SIX ERP can reduce administrative work by supporting:

• Structured activities and reminders
• Reusable quotation templates
• Automated document creation
• Centralized customer information
• Product and price selection
• Customer-specific pricing
• Follow-up workflows
• Approval processes
• Task assignment
• Sales dashboards
• Reporting and forecasting

The objective is not to replace the salesperson.

It is to give the salesperson better information, clearer priorities, and more time for customer-facing activities.

6. A More Reliable Sales Pipeline

A sales pipeline shows the commercial opportunities currently being developed by the company.

It should provide more than a simple list of open deals.

A professional pipeline should help answer questions such as:

• How much potential revenue is currently open?
• Which opportunities are expected to close this month?
• Which opportunities have not been updated recently?
• Which sales stages create the most delays?
• What is the weighted forecast?
• Which salespeople require support?
• Which products generate the most interest?
• Why are opportunities being lost?
• How long does an average sales cycle take?
• How reliable are sales forecasts?

SIX ERP provides a structured environment in which opportunities can be monitored according to value, probability, stage, expected closing date, responsible person, customer, product, and other relevant criteria.

This gives management a more realistic view of future business.

7. Stronger Coordination between Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing often work with the same target audience but use different systems, terminology, and performance indicators.

This creates gaps.

Marketing may generate leads without knowing whether they become customers. Sales may receive leads without understanding their origin or context.

A shared CRM process helps both teams work from the same information.

SIX ERP can connect:

• Lead sources
• Campaigns
• Target groups
• Customer segments
• Product interests
• Follow-up activities
• Opportunities
• Quotations
• Orders
• Revenue

This makes it possible to evaluate not only how many leads a campaign generated, but also which campaigns created qualified opportunities, actual orders, and profitable customers.

Marketing therefore becomes more measurable and commercially relevant.

8. Better Customer Service

Customer service improves when employees have immediate access to reliable information.

Before responding to a customer, an employee may need to know:

• What the customer ordered
• What was delivered
• Which prices were agreed
• Whether invoices are outstanding
• What previous complaints were recorded
• Which warranties apply
• Which employee is responsible
• Which service activities have already been completed
• What was promised during earlier communication

SIX ERP can provide this information within a connected business environment.

The result is faster response times, fewer misunderstandings, and more consistent communication.

Customers experience the company as one coordinated organization rather than a collection of disconnected departments.

9. Improved Customer Retention

Acquiring a new customer is often more expensive than retaining an existing one.

CRM supports customer retention by helping companies recognize changes in customer behavior.

For example, a business may identify:

• Reduced order frequency
• Declining order value
• Unresolved complaints
• Missed follow-up activities
• Contracts approaching expiration
• Products requiring replacement or renewal
• Customers who have not been contacted recently
• Customers with repeated service issues

SIX ERP can combine customer communication with sales, service, contract, and transaction data.

This allows the company to identify risks earlier and take action before the customer relationship is lost.

Retention becomes a managed process rather than a reaction after the customer has already left.

10. Better Collaboration across Departments

Customer relationships are not managed by sales alone.

A customer may interact with:

• Marketing
• Sales
• Project teams
• Purchasing
• Warehouse personnel
• Logistics
• Finance
• Customer service
• Field-service technicians
• Management

When these teams use different systems, important information is easily lost.

SIX ERP connects departments through shared data and structured workflows.

For example, a confirmed sales opportunity may lead to:

1. A quotation
2. An approval
3. A customer order
4. A stock check
5. A purchasing request
6. A manufacturing order
7. A project
8. A delivery
9. An invoice
10. A service or support process

Each department works within its own responsibilities while remaining connected to the same business transaction.

This improves coordination and reduces duplicated work.

11. Greater Data Ownership and Continuity

Customer information belongs to the company, not to an individual employee.

When customer data is stored in personal inboxes, local spreadsheets, notebooks, or private mobile phones, the business is exposed to significant operational risk.

If an employee leaves, the company may lose:

• Contact information
• Communication history
• Negotiation details
• Follow-up commitments
• Price agreements
• Opportunity status
• Important documents
• Customer-specific knowledge

SIX ERP stores customer information centrally and makes it available according to defined roles and permissions.

This supports continuity, accountability, data governance, and long-term organizational knowledge.

12. Fewer Errors and Duplicate Records

Disconnected systems often create multiple versions of the same customer.

The customer name may be spelled differently in CRM, accounting, invoicing, and warehouse software. Addresses may be outdated. Contact persons may be duplicated. Commercial terms may not match the latest agreement.

A connected ERP approach reduces these inconsistencies.

With SIX ERP, customer data can be used throughout the complete business process.

The same controlled record can support:

• CRM
• Quotations
• Orders
• Deliveries
• Invoices
• Contracts
• Projects
• Service
• Reporting

This reduces duplicate data entry and improves overall data quality.

13. Better Reporting and Decision-Making

A CRM should not only record activities. It should provide information that supports decisions.

SIX ERP can help businesses analyze:

• New leads
• Lead conversion rates
• Opportunities by stage
• Sales performance by employee
• Expected revenue
• Won and lost opportunities
• Reasons for lost sales
• Customer acquisition sources
• Sales-cycle duration
• Revenue by customer
• Revenue by product
• Customer profitability
• Repeat-purchase behavior
• Outstanding quotations
• Customer-service performance

Because the CRM is connected to operational and financial processes, reports can reflect actual business outcomes rather than isolated sales activities.

This improves planning, forecasting, and management control.

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Important CRM Terms

Lead

A lead is a person or company that may have an interest in the products or services offered by the business.

A lead may originate from:

• A website inquiry
• A referral
• A trade fair
• A marketing campaign
• A telephone call
• A social-media interaction
• An imported contact list
• A direct sales approach

A lead has not necessarily been qualified as a realistic sales opportunity.

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Contact

A contact is an individual person recorded in the system.

A contact may work for a customer, supplier, partner, prospect, or other organization.

The contact record may include:

• Name
• Position
• Department
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Preferred language
• Communication preferences
• Relationship to one or more companies
• Notes and activities

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Company or Account

A company record represents the legal or commercial organization with which the business interacts.

It may include:

• Company name
• Registration information
• Tax information
• Addresses
• Contact persons
• Industry
• Customer classification
• Payment terms
• Credit limits
• Price lists
• Contracts
• Orders
• Revenue
• Outstanding balances

In B2B sales, the company record usually represents the central account, while individual employees are stored as contacts.

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Opportunity

An opportunity is a qualified potential sale.

It usually contains information such as:

• Customer
• Responsible salesperson
• Expected value
• Product or service
• Sales stage
• Probability
• Expected closing date
• Next action
• Competitors
• Commercial requirements
• Notes and documents

An opportunity allows the business to manage a potential sale in a structured way.

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Deal Stage

A deal stage represents the current position of an opportunity within the sales process.

Typical stages may include:

• New inquiry
• Qualification
• Needs analysis
• Solution presentation
• Quotation submitted
• Negotiation
• Decision pending
• Won
• Lost

The stages should reflect the company’s actual sales methodology rather than generic software terminology.

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Pipeline

The pipeline is the structured overview of active sales opportunities.

It helps salespeople and managers understand:

• Current sales potential
• Expected closing dates
• Opportunity progress
• Sales-stage distribution
• Forecasted revenue
• Sales bottlenecks
• Individual and team performance

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Activity

An activity is an action related to a customer, contact, lead, or opportunity.

Examples include:

• Telephone call
• Email
• Meeting
• Demonstration
• Follow-up
• Site visit
• Proposal preparation
• Contract review

Activities should have a responsible person, due date, status, and relationship to the relevant business record.

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Task

A task is a specific action that must be completed.

Tasks may be created manually or automatically as part of a workflow.

Examples include:

• Call the customer
• Prepare a quotation
• Send technical documentation
• Request management approval
• Confirm delivery capacity
• Follow up after a demonstration

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Note

A note records relevant information that may not belong in a structured field.

Notes can document:

• Meeting outcomes
• Customer preferences
• Internal observations
• Negotiation details
• Risks
• Commitments
• Next steps

Notes should be professional, factual, and relevant to the business relationship.

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Product or Service

A product or service record defines what the company sells.

It may contain:

• Description
• Product code
• Category
• Standard price
• Customer-specific price
• Cost
• Tax treatment
• Unit of measure
• Availability
• Technical information
• Related documents

In SIX ERP, products used in CRM and quotations can remain connected to inventory, purchasing, production, delivery, and financial processes.

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Quotation

A quotation is a formal commercial proposal provided to a customer.

It may include:

• Products or services
• Quantities
• Prices
• Discounts
• Taxes
• Payment terms
• Delivery conditions
• Validity period
• Commercial notes
• Attached documents

A quotation should be connected to the relevant customer and opportunity.

When accepted, it may be converted into an order or contract without unnecessary re-entry of data.

How to Implement CRM Successfully

Installing CRM software does not automatically improve sales.

Success depends on how the system is configured, adopted, and integrated into the business.

Step 1: Define the Sales Process

Before configuring the CRM, the company should define how sales actually works.

Important questions include:

• How are leads created?
• Who qualifies them?
• When does a lead become an opportunity?
• Which sales stages are required?
• Which information must be recorded?
• Who may approve discounts?
• How are quotations created?
• When is an opportunity considered won or lost?
• What happens after the sale?
• Which reports does management require?

The CRM should support the company’s sales process, not force employees into an unsuitable generic model.

Step 2: Configure the Organization

The system should reflect the company structure.

This may include:

• Companies and legal entities
• Branches
• Sales regions
• Teams
• Employees
• Roles
• Access rights
• Approval responsibilities
• Product groups
• Customer segments

SIX ERP can be configured around the operational reality of the organization.

Step 3: Clean and Import Existing Data

Importing poor-quality data creates poor-quality results.

Before migration, businesses should review:

• Duplicate companies
• Duplicate contacts
• Incomplete addresses
• Invalid email addresses
• Outdated contact persons
• Inconsistent customer names
• Missing classifications
• Unclear opportunity statuses
• Unstructured notes

Data should be cleaned, mapped, validated, and imported according to an agreed structure.

SIX ERP implementation can include controlled data migration and validation to reduce disruption and improve adoption.

Step 4: Configure Roles and Permissions

Not every user should see or edit every record.

Access may depend on:

• Department
• Position
• Sales region
• Customer ownership
• Legal entity
• Data sensitivity
• Management responsibility

A properly configured permission model protects business information while ensuring that employees can access the data required for their work.

Step 5: Build the Sales Pipeline

The pipeline should reflect the actual customer journey.

Each stage should have:

• A clear meaning
• Defined entry criteria
• Defined exit criteria
• Required information
• Responsible roles
• Expected actions
• Reporting logic

For example, an opportunity should not move to “Quotation Submitted” unless a quotation has actually been created and sent.

This improves pipeline accuracy and forecasting reliability.

Step 6: Configure Activities and Automation

Automation should support discipline without creating unnecessary complexity.

Useful automations may include:

• Follow-up reminders
• Activity creation after a new lead
• Notifications for overdue opportunities
• Approval requests for discounts
• Escalations for inactive opportunities
• Contract-renewal reminders
• Customer follow-up after delivery
• Notifications for expiring quotations
• Task creation after a lost opportunity
• Management alerts for high-value deals

SIX ERP can connect these CRM activities with wider operational workflows.

Step 7: Create Dashboards and Reports

Different users require different information.

A salesperson may need:

• Open activities
• Personal pipeline
• Opportunities closing soon
• Overdue follow-ups
• Recently contacted customers

A sales manager may need:

• Team pipeline
• Conversion rates
• Forecast accuracy
• Sales performance
• Lost-opportunity reasons
• Opportunity aging

Senior management may require:

• Expected revenue
• Actual sales
• Margin
• Customer profitability
• Sales trends
• Strategic accounts
• Market performance

SIX ERP dashboards can present information according to role and responsibility.

Step 8: Train Employees around Processes

CRM training should not be limited to explaining which buttons to click.

Employees must understand:

• Why the system is being introduced
• What information must be recorded
• How the sales stages are defined
• Which activities are mandatory
• How responsibilities are assigned
• How data quality affects the entire company
• How the system helps employees perform better

Adoption improves when employees see practical value in the system.

Step 9: Measure Usage and Improve Continuously

CRM implementation is not a one-time project.

Management should regularly review:

• Data completeness
• User adoption
• Overdue activities
• Pipeline accuracy
• Lead response times
• Conversion rates
• Sales-cycle duration
• Forecast quality
• Reporting usefulness
• Process bottlenecks

The system should evolve together with the business.

CRM versus ERP

CRM and ERP are often presented as separate categories.

A CRM focuses primarily on relationships with potential and existing customers.

An ERP manages the wider organization, including areas such as:

• Sales
• Purchasing
• Inventory
• Warehousing
• Production
• Projects
• Finance
• Accounting
• Human resources
• Service management
• Logistics
• Reporting

The distinction is useful, but it can also create a problem.

When CRM operates as a separate system, the business may still face disconnected processes.

For example:

• Sales may create a quotation without seeing current stock.
• The warehouse may not know which opportunities are likely to become orders.
• Purchasing may not see upcoming demand.
• Production may receive incomplete sales information.
• Finance may need to recreate customer data.
• Management may compare reports from several systems.
• Customer service may not see the complete commercial history.

A standalone CRM may manage the front of the customer relationship while leaving the rest of the organization disconnected.

SIX ERP removes this separation.

Conclusion

CRM is not simply a database of contacts.

It is the foundation for managing customer relationships, sales opportunities, communication, commercial activities, and future revenue.

However, the greatest value is created when CRM is connected to the complete business process.

SIX ERP combines customer relationship management with sales, quotations, contracts, orders, inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, projects, service, invoicing, finance, and business intelligence.

This enables companies to move from fragmented customer information to a controlled, transparent, and measurable customer-to-cash process.

With SIX ERP, businesses do not only know their customers better.

They can serve them better, sell more effectively, deliver more reliably, and manage the entire organization with greater confidence.

SIX ERP

Integrated business management—from the first customer contact to the final business result.

Efficiency³ = SIX ERP² × Simplicity

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