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Considerations for CRM Software Purchase and Implementation

If your charity is thinking about implementing CRM software to make accepting donations and other tasks easier, then you already realise all or at least most of the benefits. But in addition to the advantages that CRM software can bring to your charity, there are also several considerations to ponder before doing so.

Consider before you Customise

Before trying to make a particular software fit with your current systems and processes, it may benefit you to reconsider those systems. Perhaps an overhaul of systems would be of far more benefit to your organisation than attempting to customise the software to fit systems and processes that are perhaps outdated. As well, it’s important to consider that any attempts to customise software require special skills.

Understand what you Need

The question of functionality is what tends to stump many organisations looking for CRM software. But really, it doesn’t have to be a difficult question to answer. All that’s needed is to identify the business processes that the purchase of software could improve. And then, search for a solution that can improve them.

In the same token, scalability is another crucial question to answer. The solution you choose should be able to grow as you do, and as such, be able to handle varying numbers of records and users. Not choosing a scalable system could mean having to purchase new software in a few years’ time in order to meet the demands of your organisation.

Ease of Use

Your CRM software may be able to do everything short of running a space programme, but it also needs to be usable by those who work for your organisation. And so the next question is how well that software money will be spent. Because if your employees won’t adopt it, the software will hold no value to your organisation. But one way to encourage adoption of software is to train your employees how to use it.

In or Out of the Cloud?

There are two options with regard to CRM software; in-cloud or on-premise.

The Cloud

Cloud based options allow all software to be stored remotely and used via the internet. This has some benefits for example if you don’t have a central office and all staff work remotely.

Of course, there are disadvantages with this option. If you don’t have a reliable internet connection, this can result it a lot of downtime.

On the Premises

Using this type of software means that it is installed at your organisation’s location on your own servers. There are many advantages to this, one being that there is much more control over the security of the software, as well as the data that’s stored within it.

Your organisation invests a lot of resources and time to their projects. That’s why it’s important to think about as much as possible before choosing the CRM software that your charity will use.