Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP solutions can provide a return on investment within the first year through several key strategies: 1) Boosting sales by retaining customers, maximizing revenue opportunities, and streamlining sales processes. 2) Providing business intelligence through real-time visibility, aligning business units, and reporting/tracking capabilities. 3) Offering cloud hosting options that reduce costs while providing flexibility and choice in deployment. 4) Functioning as an all-in-one product that increases existing systems' potential through seamless integration. 5) Giving competitive advantages like improving customer service capabilities.

1. Partnered by
5 Reasons
to Expect ROI from
Microsoft Dynamics CRM & ERP
... in Year 1
Whitepaper
Prepared by Atum Corporation
November 2012
Microsoft Partner

2. Whitepaper Contents
Introduction ... Page 2
5 Key ROI Strategies
1. Boost Sales ... Page 3
Retain and prioritize existing customers
Maximize revenue opportunity
Streamline the sales process
2. Business Intelligence ... Page 4
Anytime visibility
Align all Business units
Reporting and Tracking Capabilities
3. Cloud Hosting Options ... Page 5
Power of Choice
Reduce operational costs
Consolidate hardware and IT
4. All-in-One Product ... Page 6
Increase the potential of existing systems
A seamless layer
... Page 7
5. Your Competitive Edge
Improve Customer Service capabilities
Conclusion ... Page 8
About Microsoft Dynamics ... Page 9
Atum Corporation contacts
Appendix ... Page 10

3. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
Introduction
As the economic environment continues to fluctuate, many organizations are asking themselves what
strategies they can pursue to produce tangible business benefits and meet market demands while
taking stock of the economic conditions.
It is not uncommon for corporate decision makers to be resistant to change largely due to the initial
investment required to roll out a brand new system of business technologies. To address these market
concerns, the leading CRM and ERP partners and solution providers have developed a flexible cost
structure with quicker ways for users to see a return on their investment.
The Microsoft Dynamics suite of business systems include the class-leading CRM and ERP technologies
designed to fit small business, mid-sized and enterprise markets. Microsoft has established a large stake
in the in the market for advanced business applications, recognizing the demand for more choice,
improved usability and seamless integration. From a cost perspective, Microsoft Dynamics products are
positioned conservatively in the middle of the market, and have introduced scalable Cloud options that
significantly reduce upfront hosting costs. The Microsoft Dynamics user base has grown quickly as a result
of offering buyers the 'power of choice' for the application's deployment (on-premises, on-demand, or
partner-hosted), payment (license, subscription, or financing), and use (Outlook client, browser, SharePoint
site, or other interfaces). Microsoft Dynamics was designed with the Microsoft user in mind. Not only does
the CRM and ERP interface integrate natively with the Microsoft Outlook and Office client, the familiar
technology compliments these systems and provides intuitive ‘out of the box’ functionality for the user.
Microsoft offers the unique advantage of a worldwide partner community that connects every customer
with an accessible network of support and extensive resources.
These competitive improvements have resulted in greater value for the buyer, and a rapid acceleration
of ROI. Where it has long been standard to anticipate a 3-5 year results roadmap, Microsoft Dynamics
is making it realistic to expect ROI benefits in year one.
Adopting a CRM and ERP solution can provide the foundation for sustainable growth and enable
organizations to survive and thrive even in uncertain economic times.
5 Key ROI Strategies:
Boost Sales
Business Intelligence
Cloud Hosting Options
All-in-One Product
Your Competitive Edge
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4. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
1. Boost Sales
With a 360-degree customer view, insightful analytics, and streamlined customer service capabilities,
Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows organizations to better identify, service, and retain customers.
Retain and Prioritize Existing Customers
Business is sustained by the loyalty of an existing client base, as a result, retaining current customers and managing
your reputation is just as important as acquiring new business. Customer service agents are the front lines of
business and need to be empowered to resolve issues with ease and accuracy. First responders equipped
with a complete customer profile that includes history and a full view of service incidents, can provide the
appropriate service, recommendation or product. Additionally, complete access to order and invoice information
within the CRM system gives agents the ability to quickly answer billing questions without numerous transfers
between departments.
Maximize Revenue Opportunities
The advantage of having customer profiles available across the organization is that it allows users to
evaluate demographic data, interactions, previous communications, and a history of purchases made. This
information, combined with intelligent segmentation and analysis tools, facilitates a process of determining the
profitability of each customer. Organizations can then create programs and policies that correspond with the
customer’s measure of profitability. For example, call routing systems can be configured in CRM to automatically
identify high-value customers and route them to premium customer service representatives or second levels.
With access to key client metrics, service and sales teams can provide on-the-spot discounts or promotions
proportionate to each customer’s value and sales history.
Streamline the Sales Process
The main goal of a CRM is to help people do their jobs better. Improving end-user productivity should be the
foremost consideration when determining the value of a CRM solution. An agile sales process can be achieved
by taking advantage of automated capabilities in a CRM system.
Build a Pipeline - input leads, convert opportunities
Define strategic goals - using analytic reports and predictive forecasting
Track critical tasks/KPIs - using accurate metrics and project details
Nurture leads - automate consistent follow up campaigns
Empower a mobile workforce - online, offline and mobile capabilities
Reduce training time - integrated interface with Outlook, native functionality with Microsoft Excel and Word
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5. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
2. Business Intelligence
As more CIOs begin to recognize that pervasive BI and analytics tools will have a direct impact on competitiveness, CRM and
ERP adoptation is rapidly increasing, reaching all time highs in every market. There are more players, which means there are
more choices for the consumer to consider. It is customary to simply compare each product based on functionality and/or
pricing model, but most companies are going a step further by investigating the potential for ROI and benefits to their business.
The benefits cannot be quantified merely by the amount of data a system can capture, but rather the by the quality of data and
how it is used. Particularly given the current economic uncertainty, it is crucial for projects to executed within the long-term
strategic plan of organization-wide decision management.
Anytime Visibility
Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides users with a multitude of business
intelligence and data visualisation capabilities that they can use to
instantly get accurate, up-to-date information on sales forecasts, targets,
quotas, customer buying patterns and promotions to drive sales growth.
ERP systems offer automated tools and bestpractices to manage all areas
of business including: HR, Manufacturing, Billing and Project Mangement.
The native integration of the Microsoft Dynamics interface with Outlook
means that Dynamics is accessible in the same window as email.
- Run real-time reports
- View predictive analysis, forecasts and revenue trends
- Track leads and conversions
- Access HR self-service tools ... In one click
Align All Business Units
It is important that the technology is capable of providing a seamless user experience regardless of device, browser
or location, with access to the same information across all business units. This will enable faster communication, reduce
the amount of steps it takes to resolve issues and develop consistent business acumen from the front line responders
to executive management
Reporting and Tracking Capabilities
Directly from an Outlook client, Microsoft Dynamics can instantly run reports, track issues, orders, costs/revenue,
and pull up custom views of comprehensive customer data profiles.
CRM Modules Key Capabilities
Sales Measure KPIs, automate workflow, analyze pipelines, track leads and conversions
Customer Service Complete customer data profiles, case management tools, call/issue routing
Marketing Plan, distribute and track the success of marketing campaigns and activities
GP Modules
Financial Management Streamline expense managment, automate payables/receivables, manage cashflow
Human Resources Manage payroll, implement benefit programs, track and report incidents
Manufacturing Track production costs, review and manage work orders, control quality assurance
Project Management Capture, review, and approve project time and expense data
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6. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
3. Cloud Hosting Options
Introducing flexible pricing models and brand new Cloud capabilities are helping organizations execute
on their business vision and technology roadmap by delivering services on their terms—whether it be it online,
on-premises, or in a hybrid environment.
Power of Choice
Business demands vary, so Microsoft offers customers 3 deployment methods:
1. On Premise - Utilize your own server environment
2. In the Public Cloud - Sign up with Microsoft CRM Online
3. Partner Hosted (Private Cloud)- For example, Atum’s Managed VPS solution
Reduce operational costs
According to a Gartner report, “Cloud-Computing Budgets Are Growing
and Shifting”... Energy Savings
Businesses that choose to
39% of IT budget managers indicated that cloud computing is a key initiative run business applications
for their organization. in the cloud can help
reduce energy costs by
46% plan to increase the use of Cloud services. 30–90 percent compared
76% of respondents fully expected that CRM and productivity workloads would be with inhouse, on-premises
procured from the Cloud. infrastructure.
The rapid adoption of cloud computing is driven by the promise of benefits
in the form of mobility, performance and cost effectiveness for consumers,
businesses, and also for the environment.
For businesses, the Cloud promises new economic and technical benefits:
– Better control over budgets (Pay-as-you-go or fixed monthly rates)
– Eliminating the need to invest in and maintain large, costly datacenters.
– Remote IT handles monitoring, software upgrades, and application
maintenance (often included as an added-value service)
Consolidate Hardware and IT
Pay-as-you-go pricing combined with cloud deployments allow customers to avoid capital investments in hardware
and datacenter management, freeing up budgeted dollars for business operations. In many cases, a hybrid solution of
using on-site infrastructure in addition to Cloud services is the most logical and cost-effective alternative. Microsoft
Cloud options allow customers the flexibility to increase or decrease the number of users, and add additional online
storage as the needs arise.
* Source: Gartner Inc. Research, July 2010 5

7. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
4. All-in-One Product
Increase the Potential of Existing Systems
Many companies invest significant resources to build and maintain mission-critical custom solutions but
often have difficulty converting data into useful information and creating processes that connect people across
disparate systems.
Integrating a CRM solution with an enterprise resource planning (ERP), billing, and inventory management
systems can add value to customer-facing activities. For example, giving sales representatives visibility into
inventory data through a CRM solution allows the sales person to tell customers directly when an order will be
filled, thereby cutting out a timely step in the process and increasing customer satisfaction. Integration to billing
systems in Microsoft Dynamics GP (ERP) can allow managers to instantly identify and follow up on negligent
accounts, improving alignment between the sales and accounting business units.
Microsoft Dynamics is an enterprise level CRM solution that is designed to enable workflows not only within the
base application but also across multiple systems. For example, manufacturing companies can create a process so
that when a high-probability large deal is forecast in the CRM system, a workflow automatically takes that
information and inserts it into a capacity planning system. Any changes to the probability of the deal are
automatically updated in the capacity planning system and when the deal closes it sends a process in the
inventory management system to ensure capacity is aligned with demand.
Success Story
A Seamless Layer
National Air Cargo
Modern workflow tools should be intuitive and graphical or wizard-driven, allowing Global freight forwarder
the sales organization to easily create, track and re-use workflows and rules.
A primary concern among CIOs is the ease and user adoptability of a CRM or ERP Used Microsoft Dynamics
system. In fact, a recent CustomerThink Corp. survey*, when people were asked to CRM collaboration tools to
rate the important factors in determining whether a sales automation solution was give employees fast access
right for their organizations, “easy to learn and use for end users” was the top choice, to customer information,
scoring an average of 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 62 percent of respondents rating increasing productivity by
it as “extremely important.” Re-training and in some case, restructuring an entire 25% and reducing the time
workforce around new business process and technology can amount to a large to submit invoices and
investment in time and expense. receive payment from
120 days to 36 hours.
The strength of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an interface with a consistent view
of the customer across the organization and its seamless integration with familiar
Microsoft technologies. CIOs credit high usage and rapid adoptability to the fact
that Microsoft could build on its existing family of products. Users were already
comfortable with Outlook for email, and their native Outlook client provides CRM
functionality within the Outlook interface.
* Source: CustomerThink Corp. 2008 6

8. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
5. Your Competitive Edge
“By delivering on a market vision focused on
simplifying the user experience, increasing
productivity and delivering continuous
innovation for customers, we are able to help
them keep pace with the rapid rate of change in
today’s complex business environment.”
- Crispin Read, General Manager,
Microsoft Dynamics ERP
Improve Customer Service Capabilities
According to a survey of customer service professionals conducted for The Economic Intelligence Unit in 2010,
71% of respondents say their organisation is proactive in using new information sources to enhance customer
service productivity growth*. Nearly half also say that their company does not do enough to leverage new
technology as part of their growth strategy. In the report based on this survey, 4 key findings were identified.
Key Research Findings:
1. Customer service professionals need rapid access to specific customer information to help differentiate
their companies in the minds of consumers.
2. Strategic use of new tools and effective ways to manage people are critical factors in ensuring success.
3. Customer service innovations will not be successful unless they are based on a deep understanding of
consumer needs and expectations.
4. Automation of administrative tasks is an important driver of customer service productivity.
The research is clear. Businesses that respond to these key drivers with the right technology solutions will enhance
the capabilities of their customer service teams and gain an edge over the competition.
Microsoft is proving that positive ROI results start by first achieving greater productivity, enabling sales and
service teams to meet the demands of the market. Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP yields a quicker ROI by
developing better, faster, smarter business principles:
Better - at meeting the expectations of customers and growing your business.
Faster - with a consistent flow of information between departments and totally automated technology.
Smarter - by using one system to manage all business operations and extract business intelligence.
* Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, April 2010 7

9. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
Conclusion...
Return on Investment continues to be a main concern as business looks to invest in a strategy for long-term
productivity and revenue benefits. CRM and ERP business applications are catering to the concerns of the consumer
by upgrading functionality, offering flexible payment and deployment methods, even reducing the amount of
training time necessary to increase user adoptability. Microsoft recognizes that ROI is a priority for business owners,
particularly in a strained economic climate where productivity can often fall behind market demands.
To conclude, Industry analysts at Forrester recently evaluated the ‘Total Economic Impact’ of Microsoft’s CRM product
and produced a report of their findings*. Forrester found that organizations can realize the benefits in the form of:
• Increased sales productivity of 5% with the ease of use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM software and integration with
Outlook leading to higher adoption, improved opportunity and lead tracking, case routing, and a more accurate
picture of its sales pipeline.
• Customer service productivity savings from a better UI and documented processes.
• Productivity savings of 16 man-hours per month due to the better reporting tools in Microsoft Dynamics CRM
with data consolidation, reporting automation, and richer dashboard capabilities.
• Streamlined processes and operations leading to lower cost of sales as Microsoft Dynamics CRM enabled the
composite organization’s technical consultants to shorten time spent on the proposal process by 10%.
• Acceleration of the sales conversion cycle by 50% and corresponding revenue gain as teams worked better
together across different business systems, processes, and geographies.
• Improved cross-sell collaboration within sales and customer service teams by providing access to reporting tools
and other collaboration software such as Microsoft SharePoint® Server 2010.
• Lower upfront costs and effort
The Forrester Total Economic Impact report concludes...
“Microsoft Dynamics CRM users can expect a 243% Return on Investment,
and the solution will pay for itself in 4 months.”
*Source: The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Forester Consulting 2011 8

10. Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1
About Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of easy-to-use, integrated and adaptable ERP and CRM applications that enable
business decision-makers to quickly respond to market shifts, take advantage of new trends, increase their
competitive edge and drive business success. Microsoft Dynamics solutions are delivered through a world-class
network of reselling partners providing specialized services and additional innovation to help customers excel in
their industries.
About Atum Corporation - Microsoft Partner
For over a decade, Atum Corporation has been an Award-Winning Canadian industry leader specializing in
IT Consultation, Virtual IT innovation and premium Cloud (VPS) hosting solutions. Atum Corporation is a fully
certified Microsoft partner offering a complete line of deployment services, including: Licensing, Consultation,
Implementation, Integration and Customization, Support and Training, and Private Cloud hosting options. Offices
and datacentres are all located in Toronto, Canada servicing a broad client base primarily within North America.
Atum Corporation has been recognized by Profit 100 as one of the 50 Companies to Watch (2006),
by CDN Magazine as the Gold Winner for Best Small Business and Mid-Market Solution (2011) and by InfoTech as
a finalist for Canada’s Smartest-IT (2011).
Contacts
John Posan - Director of Business Development
Local: 416 410 8444 ext. 2114
Toll Free: 1 877 893 3266 ext.2114
jposan@atum.com
sales@atum.com
Atum Corporation
#703-5255 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON, Canada
M2N 6P4
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11. Appendix
Sources:
Forrester Consulting. 2011. The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Dynamics 2011.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/dynamics/docs/mstei.pdf
The Economist 2010: Economic Intelligence Unit Survey
http://crmdynamics.blob.core.windows.net/docs/economist_service_productivity_report.pdf
CustomerThink. 2008 Improving Sales Productivity: An Opportunity for Sales and IT Leadership.
http://crmdynamics.blob.core.windows.net/docs/CustomerThink_White_Paper_Sales_Productivity.pdf
Gartner Research. 2010. Cloud-Computing Budgets Are Growing and Shifting
http://www.gartner.com/id=1422528
Additional Resources:
Microsoft Dynamics GP Online Benefits Estimator
Designed to calculate the potential annual savings you could achieve using Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions.
http://www.microsoft.com/global/dynamics/en/us/RichMedia/ErpBenefitsCalc/indexGP.html
Atum Corporation Partner Services
http://www.atum.com/crm-erp/dynamics-solutions/
10

12. Biggest barriers to successful implementation of new initiatives in the sales function
(% of respondents)
Biggest obstacles to productivity growth in the sales function
(% respondents)
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, April 2010.
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