CRM UK - the official blog of the CRM specialists at TSG

The Real Reasons UK Businesses are Moving to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the cloud-based version of this leading CRM solution, is rapidly establishing itself as a key player in the cloud CRM market. Considering it was only released in January, here at Concentrix we’re seeing a high level of interest in the product from new and existing clients alike. We already have a number of new clients that signed up for the thirty-day free trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and thought the product was great. They've now incorporated the software into their business strategy and have it actively up, running and delivering productivity and efficiency gains for them.

Cloud-based CRM software is a great choice for businesses that have limited in-house IT resources or don’t want to manage their own hardware and IT infrastructure. There’s usually little or no financial outlay for new computers or equipment, and you just pay a monthly fee per user. In this way you make your CRM system an operational cost rather than capital expenditure.

Once businesses have decided to go down the cloud CRM route, they’re choosing Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online because it’s easy to use, it has a familiar look and feel, it’s quick to get up and running and you don’t need to be a technical expert to understand it. It’s also possible to migrate from Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to the on-premise version of the product Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. The features and functions of the online and on-premise versions of the product are almost identical, and the ability to migrate between the two deployment options is probably unique in the world of CRM software.

As well as its great features, functionality and flexibility, the price of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and some of the current offers around it are key reasons behind its rapid up take among UK organisations.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is available in the UK for just £22.75 per user per month. That price compares extremely favourably with other cloud-based CRM software applications. In June 2011, the price will increase, but not by much (it will still be less than £30 per user per month). The introductory pricing, combined with its power and ease of use, has been enough to convince many companies that Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is the right choice for their business.

In addition to the competitive pricing, back in December 2010 Microsoft published an open letter from Michael Park, the company’s corporate vice president of sales, marketing and operations for Microsoft Business Solutions. In this letter Microsoft announced its “Cloud CRM for Less” offer for Salesforce.com and Oracle customers. This offer is still running. So, for organisations with a minimum of 15 users (and that meet some other basic criteria), Microsoft will give you cash back for each user that makes the switch to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online between now and June 30, 2011. It’s not a small amount of cash either; it’s £134 per user. So, for example, if you switch 30 seats, you get over £4000 back. And you can spend that money on anything you like (there are no restrictions).

Here’s some more news to help get you started with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. If your company is a small business, Microsoft recently announced it’s offering the free trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online extended to 90 days from the usual 30 days. The aim is to help small businesses develop and manage their customer relationships and sales pipeline. This extension of the 30-day trial is worth £370, and part of Microsoft’s initiative to help StartUp Britain. StartUp Britain has been set up by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs to help enterprises in the UK, and has the full support of the current UK Prime Minister and HM Government.

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or On-premise, and the full range of services available from Concentrix, please visit www.concentrix.co.uk or contact us.

Next Concentrix Customer Surgery 12th April

Listening to our customers, and making sure you have a regular chance to talk directly to our business software and IT experts is all part of the Concentrix service.

Our next Customer Surgery is on Tuesday 12th April 2011. If you’re a customer, we would love you to come along! The Customer Surgery gives you the opportunity to spend an hour with one of our CRM software, Accounts, ERP, IT infrastructure or Business Solutions Specialists completely free of charge.

You can ask our team about anything ranging from your existing system, to software upgrades, tips, advice and future developments. Anything you want really. It also gives us a chance to hear your views and listen to your feedback.

Before you attend the surgery, we do ask that you tell us the topic area or areas you would like to talk about in advance. This helps us ensure we allocate the best subject matter expert for you and you get the best out of the appointment.

The Concentrix customer surgeries are really popular. So far this year we’ve had a lot of queries about Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, CRM in the cloud, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. We've also had questions about the latest release of Sage CRM, and we'll be happy to update you on this exciting new release. We’ve only got a few slots left in the customer surgery so please get in touch quickly if you want to book a place this quarter.

Date: 12th April 2011

Location: Concentrix Head Office, 20 Granite Way, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire LE12 7TZ

To book your one hour slot, either email [email protected] or call 01509 410500 by Monday 7th April.

Please note to attend the surgery you have to book a place first. Please don’t just turn up, the surgeries are always fully booked!

If you can’t make this customer surgery, the next one is scheduled in July.

Looking for a New Job in IT? The Latest Job Vacancies at Concentrix and Why You Should Apply!

Here at Concentrix, we’re continuing to grow despite sometimes tough economic conditions. If you take a look at the latest vacancies at Concentrix, you’ll see some new positions are available. Our order book is looking great, and in line with our expansion strategy, we’re still taking on additional staff to meet the increasing demand for our products and the wide range of professional services we offer. In fact, in just the last couple of weeks we’ve had staff join us in our Marketing department, our Cloud Services Team, and our IT Infrastructure Sales Team. We also have an additional CRM Consultant starting with us shortly.

It doesn’t stop there though. Take a look at our website and you’ll see we have a vacancy for a SharePoint Business Development Manager. We’re also looking to recruit in to our extensive development team, and have a number of job vacancies for C#/ASP.NET Developers to join the staff at our head office in Loughborough.

Concentrix is a great place to work. If you have the skills, experience and attitude to work for us, here are some quotes taken directly from a recent Concentrix staff survey which illustrate why you should apply:

“Even though I have only just recently joined the Concentrix team I can already see what a great working environment it is to be in. So far all the staff here at Concentrix have been really considerate and supportive in helping me to land my feet firmly on the ground. In the short time I’ve been here it’s been clear to see that at Concentrix your thoughts and opinions matter.” – Richard, Sales

“I’ve worked in large organisations where you are simply just a number. At Concentrix, people have the opportunity to make a huge contribution to the way the business operates.” – Paul, Operations

“The people within the company are all willing to go the extra mile for one another, and hard work is always recognised. There is a clear strategy for moving both the company, and myself as an individual forwards. The management are always striving to take us forwards, and as a result I am given the opportunity to grow.” Leigh, Sales

“Concentrix has a great 'Team Spirit' and everyone is willing to lend a helping hand to each other. Concentrix also coaxes and allows staff to perform to their best ability as well as a great list of benefits”

“Unlike some employers Concentrix has a good working environment with up to date equipment as well as a good HR/H&S department to ensure staff are well treated and cared for.” – Amanda, Finance and Admin

So, if you’re looking for a job at one of the UK’s leading independent CRM and ERP software and IT specialists,  check our vacancies regularly. We rarely use agencies and have more jobs to come. And if you need more information, don't hesitate to contact Concentrix!

Concentrix Customer Satisfaction Survey - Have You Completed Yours?

If you’re a current Concentrix customer, you should have received an email asking you to complete our 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey. If you haven’t clicked on the link to complete the survey yet we’d be really grateful if you could do so!

Here at Concentrix we regularly review and assess the service we provide and look at ways of improving the experience we offer. And as one of the UK's leading customer relationship management specialists, we do a lot of work to make sure our own customers are happy with the products and services we provide. We think we’re doing OK, but we need your feedback. Whatever you have to say, positive or negative, will help us deliver the best possible service and achieve a great customer experience the next time you use us.

If for some reason you haven’t received the survey request, or if you feel a colleague is better placed to answer the questions, feel free to forward the email to them to allow them to participate. We genuinely value your opinions and use your feedback to develop future strategies, tactics and initiatives.

We look forward to receiving your responses!

Sales and Marketing Apprenticeship with Microsoft at Concentrix

My names Jordan Wheat I’m 17 from Leicestershire. I have recently just left full time education to pursue a career in Sales and Marketing via a Microsoft apprenticeship at Concentrix.

Before I started the Microsoft Apprenticeship with Concentrix I browsed the different options out there for me and attended a number of interviews for different Sales and Marketing roles. I wanted to make sure that I made the right decision that would put me in the best position for a successful career in Sales and Marketing in the future as this is an area of which I have a real raw passion for.

After being interviewed by Concentrix this decision was made easy as they stood out to me as the most attractive option purely because of their professionalism which really merited the company. Although the interview was formal it was far from an interrogation scenario and I gained the impression that Concentrix had my best interests at heart. They explained clearly what the Microsoft course entailed and informed me of what an exciting opportunity it would be.

Since working for Concentrix alongside my Microsoft apprenticeship I have received help, support and advice in abundance. Everyone at the company is pro-active in their selected roles and are always helping each other which creates a great team environment which in my opinion is why the business is successful. My Microsoft course is explained to me clearly and I am always in the loop on the different targets that I need to hit. The team at Concentrix are always willing to sit down and talk me through my work if I don’t understand it and try to incorporate relevant work so that my I increase my knowledge in the workplace.

I realise how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to gain crucial work experience with one of Microsoft’s top partners as well as working towards a nationally recognised qualification with Microsoft accreditations. There’s not a lot more I could ask for in terms of helping me set myself up on successful career path and make myself an attractive prospect to future employers.

Even though I am still in the early stages of my apprenticeship I could definitely see myself staying with Concentrix in the long run as for the short time I have been here I’ve been truly impressed. I would definitely recommend a Microsoft Apprenticeship such as my own to someone who was in my position as I believe it gives you a competitive advantage.

As the Economy Recovers, Organisations are Choosing Microsoft Dynamics When Investing in Business Applications

There’s a great article that’s just been published over on the dynamics community website. It's by Michael Park, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions. Here’s the link: Customers Choose Microsoft Dynamics When Investing in Business Applications.

It's always valuable to get a view from senior Microsoft staff, and Michael’s article gives some interesting figures and market information supporting what we’re finding in the UK and what we’re also hearing anecdotally. This is that the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online followed by the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for on-premise deployment is having a major impact on the CRM market.

Many economies across the world are starting to recover from the downturn and experts have predicted optimistic results for the software industry and business applications, especially in the CRM software sector. Microsoft is experiencing this first-hand, with double-digit growth for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Since the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the new cloud version of the product just a few weeks ago, literally tens of thousands of organisations and individuals from around the world have started using the software.

The article describes how many large organisations have switched to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online from competitor products, such as Salesforce.com. For example, Century Payments switched from Salesforce.com to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to achieve around $300,000 in annual savings. That’s quite a saving! The switch took just two weeks and in only six months, the new system helped the company to triple their number of sales agents, from 50 to 160. And as well as using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for lead management, they found the product so flexible they're now using it to support other business needs.

If you get a chance to read the full article, please let us have your comments and tell us what you think. Many businesses are switching to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and getting 100% user adoption, better lead handling and finding that the solution fits their business processes much better, while at the same time saving up to 50% per month in costs. And of course, the integration with Outlook is unrivalled; Microsoft Dynamics CRM works directly within Outlook!

If you're in the UK, you can trial Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online free for 30 days (it's a no obligation trial). There’s also an introductory price offer of only £22.75 per user per month, and significant cash-back offers for businesses switching from products such as Salesforce.com and Oracle to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. So if you’re using Salesforce.com, Oracle or other cloud-based CRM solution, it’s worth taking a look at Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

Concentrix is one of the UK's leading independent CRM specialists, so if you work for a UK organisation and need more information about  switching to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, how to set up a free trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online or for general help and advice, please contact Concentrix.  

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Now Available for On-Premise Deployment

Following the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online earlier in the year, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is now available for on-premise deployment. This is the first time the cloud version of the product has been released before the on-premise version, but if you feel on-premise suits your business model better, it’s now an option!

Here’s a copy of the official press release from Microsoft. If you need further information on Microsoft Dynamics CRM online or on-premise, or choosing between the two, please don’t hesitate to contact Concentrix.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Released for On-Premises and Partner-Hosted Deployments

Microsoft delivers the Power of Productivity for customers across all deployment models; raises bar for performance and scalability with 150,000-concurrent-user benchmark.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 16, 2011 — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) today announced that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for on-premises and partner-hosted deployments has been completed and released for customer download. This release complements the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, which delivers Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 as an on-demand service from Microsoft’s datacenters and was launched into 40 markets and 41 languages in January. With a single multitenant code base across cloud and on-premises deployment models, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 delivers the Power of Productivity to sales, service and marketing organizations worldwide.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is now globally available and existing customers with active Microsoft Software Assurance agreements can access the new version immediately via the Microsoft Download Center.

In addition, Microsoft announced the new release scaled to 150,000 concurrent users in a single instance while delivering sub-second response times, once again raising the bar for performance and scalability in the CRM industry. The new benchmark results will be detailed in a Microsoft Dynamics CRM performance and scalability white paper that will be delivered in the coming weeks.

“The need to build deeper and more profitable relationships on a global scale remains a CIO top priority,” said Mark Barrett, senior vice president, CRM, Avanade. “The combination of Avanade’s deep experience in solution development and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 enables us to deliver comprehensive CRM capabilities to our clients through on-premises deployments as well as a software-as-a-service offering. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 provides a platform for us to help companies strengthen customer and partner relationships, increase productivity, and collaborate across the organization.”

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 provides customers and partners with a wide range of benefits, including point-and-click configurability, enterprise scalability, and easy interoperability to existing applications and databases. It delivers the Power of Productivity for users in organizations of all sizes through its focus on the following:

• Familiar experiences through a next-generation native Microsoft Outlook client, browser-based and mobile access, RoleTailored design, and advanced user personalization, improving user adoption and giving users easy access to the information they need to be successful.

• Intelligent experiences through guided process dialogs, inline business intelligence for performance and goal management, and real-time dashboards, providing the most up-to-date information critical to enabling sales, service and marketing professionals to do their jobs effectively.

• Connected experiences through flexible cloud development, Windows Azure interoperability, contextual Microsoft SharePoint capabilities and the new Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, making it easy for customers and partners to configure and customize Microsoft Dynamics CRM to meet specific business needs.

“Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 brings a whole new level of productivity to sales, marketing and customer service departments,” said Terje Laugerud, CEO, CIBER International. “The focus on familiar, intelligent and connected experiences appeals to our customers and provides an ideal platform for CIBER to deliver innovative CRM solutions to customers in a range of industries.”

Integrated within Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is available today in 20 markets and currently offers more than 1,400 partner offerings for solutions and services. This online catalog is an easy way for partners to market and distribute solutions to Microsoft Dynamics customers, whether online, on-premises or partner-hosted. The marketplace enables customers to quickly search, discover and apply industry-specific applications and solution extensions from Microsoft and its partners to help them accelerate and extend their CRM and ERP implementations. Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

More information about partners and customers deploying Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 can be found at http://crm.dynamics.com. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM community can do so at @MSDynamicsCRM, #crm2011.

Sage 200 User Group, Partner Seminar and Business Intelligence Events

If you’re a Concentrix customer and you’re using Sage 50, Sage Line 100, MMS or Sage 200, you should have received an invite in the post to our next Sage 200 User Group. The User Group is being held at our head offices in Mountsorrel on Tuesday 15th March, and we'll be joined by a Senior Analyst from Sage, who'll be looking at using Sage 200 for Credit Control. We'll also be showing you a selection of add-on applications from Eureka, and every attendee will get a free Eureka add-ons starter pack!

Our Sage 200 User Groups receive excellent feedback so if you haven’t attended one before, please register and come along. There are of course refreshments and a free buffet lunch.

For members of the  Concentrix Professional Partnership Programme, we’re holding a Business Software Seminar on the 19th April 2011 at Concentrix. The seminar, which is free but exclusive to members of our Professional Partner Programme, will look at a selection of mid-market business software products and solutions which we think will be of interest .

We’re holding the seminar at our head offices near Loughborough, and if you’re a member if the programme, we’d love you to come along!

It will give you a great opportunity to:

- Ask questions about Sage mid-market accounting and ERP software, including the integrated business management suite Sage 200

- Find out about managed IT services and computing ‘in the cloud’

- Take a look at a new intranet solution based on Microsoft SharePoint

- Discuss any aspects of business software, IT or the Concentrix Professional Partnership Programme

A variety of Concentrix staff will be there on the day for help, advice or an informal chat. We’ll also be joined by representatives of Sage.

If you’re interested in Sage 200 Business Intelligence training, please note the February training day is now full. There are still a few places left on the 29th March session but please book soon to ensure a place – we are running it as first-come, first served and are limiting the places each day to make sure everyone gets the very best out of the training. Places are discounted for Concentrix customers already using Sage 200.

For more information about any of the above events, or for any other queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Concentrix.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011: Personalisation Counts

Here's the latest guest post from Concentrix Senior CRM Consultant, John Odell:

It has been some time since I last blogged, mainly because I have been so busy with a wide range of exciting projects and new opportunities. It shows the CRM software market is still incredibly bouyant, despite these days of austerity.

During these past few months the weather has been cold and, at times, challenging. Those Train Operating Companies that use our Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customer Care system have had their work cut out and have done admirably well both keeping the trains running and dealing with traveller’s feedback.

On these icy, dark days my thoughts have often wandered back to the hot days of summer 2010, to the heat wave in Washington DC where I was attending Microsoft’s annual World Partner Conference (WPC) and where I first got my hands on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Eight months on and I haven’t stopped talking about (I get paid to talk about CRM, it’s what I do). The online version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is live and we are three weeks away from the on-premise launch. And people are excited, very excited. Especially us.

Concentrix is one of the UK’s leading CRM Partners and we are heavily involved in the launch of this new version – we’ve got a hat full of projects that we are building on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, both online and on-premise. We’ve been really impressed with the product and it’s a major step-up from Microsoft Dynamics CRM v4, which is an excellent product in its own right.

What I have been particularly impressed with is the “productivity” gains that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is going to deliver to end users. We can do much more to tailor the “user experience” than in other systems and put everything the user needs within a couple of clicks. The users can then take the system and really personalise how they use it – with lots of new features and tweaks to old favourites which makes it much more flexible and personable.

The reason that personalisation is so important is because, as CRM specialists we are interested in providing business process solutions that are successful. In order to be successful the solution has to be adopted by the user – and the more enthusiastically they use it the more successful it will be. The system has to appeal them, fit in with the way they work and make their life easier. I do a lot of work on user adoption and this personalised, role-tailored user experience is going to make my life easier too.

Having spent so much time working with and demonstrating Dynamics CRM 2011 I can’t wait to start using it myself when we upgrade from Dynamics CRM v4 in a few weeks. And I am really looking forward to seeing it in action - starting with our first wave of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online customers.

Concentrix is an independent Business Solutions provider proving CRM software, ERP software, Hardware, IT Infrastructure and Support.

For more information about any of the solutions provided by Concentrix, please contact us on 01509 410500 or email [email protected].  

Sage 200 Business Intelligence Training and Courses at Concentrix

Here’s a topic that crops up during our regular user groups, in casual conversation and as direct enquiries. It’s got to be one of the most frequent requests from our customers that are thinking about implementing, starting out or even those that have been using the product for some time – people want to know more about using business intelligence in Sage 200. This is because, well, business intelligence is a popular feature, and for a mid-market accounting and ERP solutions, something that Sage 200 does extremely well.

Sage 200 Business Intelligence is included as part of the standard Sage 200 suite. It enables you to produce meaningful reports quickly, provides informative dashboards and displays the information you need accurately and understandably. It includes multidimensional analysis, which means you can look at data from different angles, and all this helps you make better, more informed business decisions.

At the last Concentrix Sage 200 User Group we announced that we're running some Business Intelligence training courses, and because there's been a lot of interest we've scheduled two dates:

• 24th February 2011

• 29th March 2011

The Concentrix course will take you through the basics of using Sage 200 Business Intelligence, based around the Sage 200 Commercial modules. Both training days are at our Training Suite in our Mountsorrel, Loughborough, Leicestershire offices. Registration is at 9.30 am and we will finish at 4.30 pm, with an hour for lunch (lunch is included) .

If you’re an existing Concentrix customer using Sage 200, we can offer you the course at a specially discounted rate. Places are limited - we're restricting numbers to eight delegates each day, and are taking bookings on a first come, first served basis.

To book your place, please contact your Concentrix account manager with your preferred date(s) and number of delegates and we’ll be in touch (if you’re not an existing Concentrix customer please email [email protected] and we’ll see if we can fit you in).

We look forward to seeing you on one of our Sage 200 Business Intelligence courses!