CRM Frequently Asked Questions

SuperOffice – the most Flexible CRM Solution in Business today

  • Who are CDSoft and where does SuperOffice CRM have its origins?CDSoft has been delivering high level IT business services to SME, large corporates and government bodies throughout Ireland for over 16 years. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a HP Gold Preferred Partner, our competitive edge lies with our total commitment to our clients and our focus on solving their IT & business solutions promptly and efficiently.SuperOffice CRM (which has been in development since 1990) is delivered and implemented by resellers in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, UK, Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, USA, Australia and Japan. In addition to providing software solutions, SuperOffice also delivers consulting services related to strategic CRM issues, implementation, integration and user education. SuperOffice ASA is a publicly traded company, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. SuperOffice CRM has been developed since 1990.
  • Is CRM particularly suited to the SME sector?All companies regardless of market size or industry can benefit from implementing CRM to efficiently manage their resources and keep a competitive advantage.
  • How does the use of CRM for SMEs differ from its use among larger corporates/multinationals?In implementing a CRM solution, company motivations tend to be similar in the SME and Enterprise market sectors. Companies want to share information, documents and business workflows between departments and individuals. Where the market sectors differ is in the level of customisation and integration into other applications that large enterprise organizations demand.
  • Are there particular CRM products aimed at the SME market? How have these developed in recent years?Yes, there are products specific for the SME market. In recent years, CDSoft have seen a large influx of web based solutions that aim to initially reduce the IT infrastructure investment required, by providing a solely based solution over the internet. This service was initially developed to attract SME’s to CRM.However, CDSoft prefer the approach taken by SuperOffice CRM (established in 1990) in developing a 3 prong approach to SME CRM deployment by providing a Server/LAN, Laptop travel/PDA and Web installation option to meet the growing demands of the SME sector. Web solutions alone no longer provide the flexibility that is now increasingly required.
  • Are the CRM systems used by larger organisations too complex and expensive for a typical SME?Some CRM packages used by large Enterprise Company’s are complex in nature and unfortunately don’t have the flexibility to be streamlined to meet the needs of the SME’s market. SuperOffice CRM has the innate ability to cater for both market sectors, by its very design and constant development over the past 18 years (it can scale from 5 users to 1000).
  • Irish SMEs have been quick to implement CRM solutions. Have they been ahead of or have they lagged international markets?Irish SME’s have been slower in implementing CRM solutions than their European counterparts, CDSoft feel this is due to all the bad press associated with many failed installations over the past decade. This situation will only and is gradually being overcome by demonstrating properly tailored systems to illustrate the true potential of CRM deployment.The simple but effective philosophy the CDSoft solutions department follow is “diagnose before prescribing the CRM solution”. With correct business analysis the project goals can be achieved much more effectively.
  • Does implementing a CRM solution impact on SME business processes and staff productivity?The main objective of any CRM implementation should be to increase organisational efficiency and boost staff productivity. This is achieved be defining current business processes and replacing the manual time consuming tasks with effective work flows. Increasing productivity is the very essence of CRM and CDSoft would class any other outcome as a failed project. There must be a return on investment or a CRM installation is just not a success.
  • Do Irish SMEs typically use tailored or ‘out of the box’ CRM solutions?Traditionally, SME’s would have implemented “Out of the Box” solutions with little or no business analysis. This approach has given CRM bad press and has in many cases resulted in the CRM software becoming an expensive box, that sits on the top shelf of a store room. Today “Out of the Box” solutions are simply just too restrictive and this is why a well defined process is required to tailor the CRM to the direct business needs and goals, SuperOffice CRM have developed over the last 18 years a well structured implementation program that all its world wide partners follow.CDSoft (Irelands exclusive SuperOffice reseller Partner) are not only focused on providing your company with a modern and professional software solution, but with the aid of “SIM” (SuperOffice Implementation Method), can help you analyse your needs and goals, determining the optimal IT environment and defining the steps to take in order to reach a successful result. This method consists of four phases; Plan, Design, Implement and Operate. The method is a “superset” of services that cover the complete process. The implementation method supports all projects, from the most challenging large-scale implementations, to smaller scale efforts. It applies across all industries and business processes. The methodology is flexible and easy to customize to suit each project in a way that is appropriate. The SIM method allows us to live up to our vision of simplicity and cost effective implementations.
  • What are the costs involved in implementing a CRM solution for a typical SME?The price of any CRM project varies on the size of the business, required customization and integration with 3rd party software applications.
  • How does CDSoft see the CRM solutions implemented by SMEs developing in the coming years?CDSoft see the future focus of CRM development in the coming years to be based around mobility. The ability to share information across multiple geographic locations using varied technologies e.g. Laptops, PDA’s, home VPN’s and web portals) and the introduction of Microsoft Unified Communications will see the demand for information availability increasing rapidly over the coming months and years. For CRM solutions to survive, they will need to adapt to this demand of constant mobile information requirements.
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