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Chapter 08 - Enterprise Business Systems 8- PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 16 8 Enterprise Business Systems CHAPTER OVERVIEW Chapter 8: Enterprise Business Systems outlines the goals and components of customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and supply chain management, and discusses the benefits and challenges of these major enterprise applications. LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Identify and give examples to illustrate the following aspects of customer relationship management, enterprise resource management, and supply chain management systems: a. Business processes supported b. Customer and business value provided c. Potential challenges and trends 2. Understand the importance of managing at the enterprise level to achieve maximum efficiencies and benefits. SUMMARY ? Customer Relationship Management: The Business Focus . Customer relationship management is a cross-functional enterprise system that integrates and automates many of the customer-serving processes in sales, marketing, and customer services that interact with a company’s customers. CRM systems use information technology to support the many companies that are reorienting themselves into customer-focused businesses as a top business strategy. The major application components of CRM include contact and account management; sales, marketing, and fulfillment; customer service and support; and retention and loyalty programs, all aimed at helping a company acquire, enhance, and retain profitable relationships with its customers as a primary business goal. However, many companies have found CRM systems difficult to implement properly due to lack of adequate understanding and preparation by management and affected employees. Finally, many companies are moving toward collaborative CRM systems that support the collaboration of employees, business partners, and the customers themselves in enhancing profitable customer relationships.