ERP to CRM Integration

Objective

Our client is a leader in Hospitality Services and part of an international Group. The Asia Pacific marketing department team selected a CRM package to be used by Sales staff across the business. This CRM package was not affiliated with their ERP software and there was no OOTB integration. It was quickly identified that creating and maintaining two separate customer and customer contact lists was not manageable for staff.

We were asked to build the integration between the CRM package and the ERP system.

Solution Delivery

• This particular CRM package had a set of robust, two-way, APIs and a strong authentication method. This meant the only challenges were from the ERP side.
• We put our standard API management tool into the ERP. We then developed custom APIs, data tables and programs to export the data from the ERP (the Customer source of truth) to the CRM and vice versa.
• We were initially not required to provide any Business Analyst or business process assistance. However, this became an important part of the delivery when the original client Project Lead resigned.
• We ended up delivering the original integration required, but without a strong client-side Project Lead in place there was no impetus in the business to use the CRM package. The project moved very slowly, until it finally stalled. There was no action for around six months.
• A new CRM Business Owner was assigned by our client and progress recommenced. Data needed to be realigned between the systems before testing could happen. At this time, the new Business Owner identified certain parts of the integration that needed to be added or amended. These were part of the process that no one in the business had previously identified or been keen to own.

Achievements

• There were a few lessons learned on this project! The staff initially involved did not want to take ownership of the data or process. This made it tricky to provide the integration they expected – they had assumed that the integration would magically fix business data issues.
• We had to be a lot more actively involved in the business testing, due to the lack of ownership.
• Once new internal owners had been assigned, the project moved along more consistently. We were able to go live and provide the expected environment for the end-users.
• Due to lack of clarity from the original business project lead, this project is still ongoing and in a continuous improvement phase.

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