The document discusses the roles of IT systems in organizations. It describes transaction processing (TP) systems like point-of-sale and order processing that organizations use. It also discusses customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The document outlines roles of IT systems like operational support, collaboration, knowledge management, product development, and service delivery. It provides details about operational support systems, collaboration systems, and knowledge management systems. It also discusses the product development process.

1. Topic 14: Using IT systems n
organizations

2. Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
• Describe each of the different roles that people play in the design,
development, and use of information systems
• Understand the concept of transaction processing (TP) and how and why
organizations use TP systems: a. electronic point of sale (EPOS) b. order
processing c. financial d. Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs).
• Understand the concept of customer relationship management (CRM), and
how and why organisations use CRM systems:

3. The network society
Data and information:
Data is a representation of information so that it can be conveyed,
manipulated or stored. Information is the meaning that people give
to data in particular contexts. So data can't really be considered
information until it is given meaning and is interpreted.

4. What is IT?
Information technology (IT) is the technologies used in the conveying,
manipulation and storage of data by electronic means.
There are three primary pillars of responsibility for an IT department:
1. IT governance: This refers to the combination of policies and processes that ensure
IT systems are effectively run and in alignment with the organization’s needs.
2. IT operations: This is a catchall category for the daily work of an IT department. This
includes providing tech support, network maintenance, security testing and device
management duties.
3. Hardware and infrastructure: This focus area refers to all the physical components
of IT infrastructure. This pillar of IT includes the setup and maintenance of equipment
like routers, servers, phone systems and individual devices like laptops.

5. Role played in IT as:
Understand the role of IT systems in organizations. Roles include:
operational support
collaboration
knowledge management
product development
service delivery

6. OPERATIONAL SYSTEM:
• An operations support system (OSS) is a software component that enables a service
provider to monitor, control, analyze, and manage the services on its network.
• OS emerged in the traditional voice telephone systems as a way to manage voice
connections
• 24x7 single point of contact available:
By phone
• Online through My Service Space
A range of customized services
Maintenance services
Software maintenance
Onsite support
Transition management
Investigation and diagnostics

7. The role of IT systems.
The following is a list of what IT Operations
deals with that fall into these three sub-areas.
Infrastructure: All networking functions for internal and
external IT communications (router, hubs, firewalls, DNS
servers, file servers, load balancing, etc.)
Telecommunications: Managing and configuring all
internal and external communication lines so that
customers, employees, vendors, and other interested
parties can access applications.
Port management: Opening and closing ports on the firewall
to allow the network to communicate with outside servers.
Security: Ensuring the network is secured only to authorized
users and to prevent/counter attacks from outside sources

8. Server & Device Management
Server management for applications and infrastructure: Set up configuration,
maintenance, upgrades, patching, repair, etc.
Network and individual storage management to insure that all applications have
access to the storage requirements they need for disk, memory, backup, and archiving
Email and file server configuration and folder setup and authorization: This is
classified as a separate area because outside of order taking & fulfillment and
customer service, email and file server management are two of the most important IT
functions in a company
• Mobile device and cell phone telecommunications management: Provisioning,
assigning, managing, cell phone contracts, and phone numbers. Provisioning for
mobile device approved by the organization. Providing for BYOD access to the
network.
• Desktop, laptop, and mobile device software application licensing and management

9. Computer Operations & Help Desk
• Computer Operations & Help Desk Data Center management: Management of the
physical locations where the equipment resides, including floor space, electricity,
cooling, battery backups, etc.
• Help Desk management: Level 1 support for IT Operations with responsibility for
escalating issues to and following up on issues with Level 2 and Level 3 support.
• User provisioning: Creation and authorization of user profiles on all systems. Also
includes changes to user profiles and the procedure for deleting old user profiles
• High availability and disaster recovery: Providing capabilities to insure your
application servers and network can function in the event of a disaster
• Backups management: Instituting and running daily, weekly, monthly, yearly
backups to insure data can be recovered, if needed
• Computer operations: Printing and distributing reports, invoices, checks, other
outputs from a production systems, such as an IBM i
• Maintain, manage, and add to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) for the organization

10. Collaboration system
A collaboration system is an IT based
set of tools that create a workflow of
information to specific teams and the
members.
This allows individual to share ideas
and their talents with other members
so that the task can be finished both
efficiently and effectively.

11. Two types of collaboration :
Unstructured collaboration- chasing answers to the unknown questions, using
IT tools to share information about the problems at stake, increasing personal
productivity
Structured collaboration- sharing common knowledge, written rules,
structured and set workflow that does not change

12. Knowledge management
• Knowledge Management process of creating, using, sharing, and
maintaining an organization's information and knowledge.
• Information Technology Communication plays vital roles in Knowledge
Management which include the following,
• IT plays as a facilitator in Knowledge Management ( facilitates documents
management, data storage, access of information, dissemination, exchange and
sharing of ideas),
• IT provides solutions to Knowledge Management and lastly IT is a tool used to
increase the efficiency and capability of Knowledge Management.

13. Key involvement in KM
1. People
2. Process
3. Content/IT
4. Strategy

14. There are three major categories of
enterprise-wide KMS:
1.Structured knowledge systems
2.Semi-structured knowledge
systems
3.Knowledge networks

15. Structured knowledge systems provide databases and tools for
organizing and storing structured knowledge that exists in
formal documents.
It provides online access to presentations, white papers, best
practice guidelines, methodologies, human resources
information, professional resumes, research reports, and
external news sources.
It also features a tool that permits collaboration among team
members and clients in a secure Web environment.

16. Semi structured knowledge systems
----------------------------------------------
Semi structured knowledge systems provide databases and tools for organizing
and storing semi structured knowledge, such as e-mail, brochures, or rich media,
that is not in a formal document or report. Such systems provide a database and
technical infrastructure that tracks, stores, and organizes semi structured content.

17. A knowledge network maintains a database of firm experts, as
well as accepted solutions to known problems.
The system facilitates the communication between employees looking
for knowledge and internal solution providers, either through the
Web-based system, standard e-mail such as Outlook, and instant
messaging solutions or handheld devices.

18. Product development
A Product Developer manages the process of developing a product or
enhancing existing products in order to meet customer expectations
effectively.
Product Developers conduct research, develop proposals, and
supervise the design process.
The responsibilities of a Product Developer include conducting
market research, collaborating with marketing, technical and
manufacturing specialists, and developing prototypes.

19. Five Phases of the New Product Development
Process
Idea Generation
This is the initial stage where a business sources for ideas regarding a
new product. Some of the sources for new product ideas include the
business customers, competitors, newspapers, journals, employees
and suppliers.
Small businesses may be limited when it comes to technical research-
based idea generation techniques. This stage is crucial as it lays the
foundation for all the other phases, the ideas generated shall guide
the overall process of product development.

20. Phase Two: Screening
The generated ideas have to go through a screening process to filter
out the viable ones. The business seeks opinions from workers,
customers and other businesses to avoid the pursuit of costly
unfeasible ideas.
External industry factors affecting small businesses, such as
competition, legislation and changes in technology, influences the
enterprise's decision criteria. At the end of the screening process,
the firm remains with only a few feasible ideas from the large pool
generated.

21. Phase Three: Concept Development
The enterprise undertakes research to find out the potential costs,
revenues and profits arising from the product. The business
conducts a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weakness
opportunities and threats existing in the market. The market strategy
is set out to identify the product's target group, which facilitates
segmentation of the product’s market. Market segmentation is
important as it enables the firm to identify its niche. The identified
niche influences most of the marketing decisions.

22. Phase Four: Product Development
Product development entails the actual design and manufacture of the
product. Development commences with the manufacture of a
prototype that facilitates market testing. Based upon the results of
the tests, the business owner decides on whether to undertake
large-scale production or not.
Phase Five: Commercialization and Rollout
Favorable results in the development stage precede large-scale
production and commercialization. Here, the business launches its
promotion campaign for the new product. The market research
conducted during the conception stage influences the timing and
location of the product launch.

23. Service Delivery
IT service delivery is the manner in which a corporation provides users
access to IT services, which include applications.
Service Delivery, as the name suggests, is about the delivery of
services to clients of a company. This is done through managing
projects, correcting reliability issues, tracking progress and KPIs,
managing budgets, and ensuring the proper delivery of services by
professionals in charge.

24. The overall duty of a service delivery manager may differ based on
the type of company they work for. For instance, a service
delivery manager in charge of retail logistics may find
themselves dealing with inventory checks and analysis of the
supply chain.
On the other hand, an IT Service Delivery Manager may be
responsible for troubleshooting basic technical issues, assisting
with contracts, and or dealing with service agreements.

25. Responsibilities:
• Providing a service plan to companies that manages and aggregate
all relevant services.
• Leading the services delivery team, managing conflict and ensuring
the teams processes and tasks are carried out efficiently
• Honing and leading improvement team for the delivery infrastructure
• Managing finances and budgets

26. SERVICE DELIVERY

27. Transaction Processing

28. Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
• Performs routine operations and serve as a foundation for other
systems.
Transactions
• The basic business operations such as customer orders, purchase
orders, receipts, time cards, invoices, and payroll checks in an
organization

29. Transaction processing systems(TPS)
Transaction processing systems(TPS) collect, store, modify and
retrieve the transactions
-Transaction is an event that generates or modifies data to be stored in
an information system
-Examples: Point of Sale, credit card payments,
-Designed in conjunction with the organization's procedures
-Main processes are collecting and storing
ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) is a set of
properties of database transactions. In the context of databases, a
single logical operation on the data is called a transaction.

30. Simplified View of a TPS
Document
and
Reports
InternalTransactions
•Shipped Orders
•Purchase Orders
•EmployeeTime Cards
ExternalTransactions
•Customer Orders
•Vender Invoices
•Customer payments
Database
Update
•Customer
orders
•Inventory
•Purchase
Orders
•Suppliers
Documents
•Pick list
•Checks to vendors
•Receiving notices
•Paychecks
Operational Reports
•Finished goods status
•Raw Materials
•Inventory status
•Packing materials
•Spare parts
Processing
Data Input

31. The four important characteristics include
• Rapid response
-Fast performance is critical
-Turnaround time from transaction input to the production output must
be a few seconds or less
• Reliability
-Breakdowns disturb operations
-Failure rates must be low
-If failure occurs, recovery must be quick and accurate
• Controlled processing
-Must support an organization's operations
-If roles and responsibilities are allocated, the TPS should maintain
these requirements

32. Batch Processing
Batch processing
• All transactions are accumulated over a period of time and
processed as a single unit.
• Typical periods: daily, weekly,
biweekly, monthly, etc.
• Examples
•Payroll
•Billing

33. Batch Operating system
Batch Operating system is one of the important type of operating
system.
The users who using a batch operating system do not interact with the
computer directly. Each user prepares its job on an off-line device
like punch cards and submits it to the computer operator.
An example of batch processing is the way that credit card companies
process billing. The customer does not receive a bill for each
separate credit card purchase but one monthly bill for all of that
months purchases. The bill is created through batch processing,
where all of the data are collected and held until the bill is processed
as a batch at the end of the billing cycle.

34. Batch transaction processing
Collects the transaction data as a group and processes it later
-Has a time delay(hours, days)
-low processing costs per transaction
-Used for pay cheques and when a time delay does not decrease the
usefulness of the results
-Disadvantages
• Processing must wait until a set time
• Errors cannot be corrected during processing
• Sorting the data is expensive and time consuming

35. Real-time transaction processing
Immediate processing of data
-Instant confirmation of a transaction but does require access to an
online database
-Uses a terminal or workstation to enter data and display the results of
the TPS
-A network links terminals to mainframe computer
-large number of users simultaneously perform transactions(requests
are also simultaneous)
-Concerns
• Concurrency: Two users cannot change the same data at the same
time
E.g if an airline agent has reserved the last seat, another agent cannot
tell another passenger that seat is available

36. Manual Transaction systems
Business systems that operate without the use of machines
-E.g Manual POS systems have eleven operational steps performed
by a sales assistant to sell product
• These steps allow the system to be easily computerized
-Computerization of a manual TPS provides benefits for businesses
• Increases the rate at which products are sold
• Less time taken for a customer to purchase a product
• Customers aren’t waiting for the manual procedure to be completed
• Provides information on products in demand
• Maximizes profits

37. Components of a transaction processing
systems
Users
• Take the provided data by the TPS and use it in another information
system
• E.g, A Point of ser system provides stock inventory used by an
automated manufacturing system. The users of the other system
belong to the same organization as the TPS. They are not
interacting with the TPS but are using the data provided by the TPS
Participants
• Conduct information processing(People who do the work)
• Need to know what to do, how to do it and when to do it
• Success or failure is dependent on them

38. People
• From the environment are becoming participants in real time
processing as they directly enter transactions and perform validation
• When you withdraw money from an ATM, you are a participant of a
TPS

39. Real-Time Data Processing
Real-time data processing is the execution of data in a short time period,
providing near-instantaneous output.
The processing is done as the data is inputted, so it needs a continuous
stream of input data in order to provide a continuous output.
Good examples of real-time data processing systems are bank ATMs, traffic
control systems and modern computer systems such as the PC and mobile
devices.
A real-time data processing system is able to take input of rapidly changing
data and then provide output near instantaneously so that change over time
is readily seen in such a system.

40. Examples of real time transaction
processing
Reservation systems
• Used in any type of business involved in setting aside a product or
server for a customer(E.g layby, train tickets)
• Require an acceptable response time
Point of sale terminals
•
Used by retail stores to sell goods and services
• Minimizes the cost of batch handling by converting the data to a
form that can be easily transmitted through a communication system
• Correct price of the product is received one the product number is
entered

41. Library loan system
• Used to keep track of borrowed items
• Barcodes are scanned on user's card and the item
• This is recorded on the database
• Similar to reservation systems(involves keeping information on
products, availabilities, usage and maintenance
• Items are often stored in a warehouse

42. Examples of batch transaction processing
Cheque clearance
• Written order asking a bank to transfer an amount of money to an
account
• People deposit them into their account
• Involves checking the person has the correct funds(takes up to 3
days)
• money is withdrawn when cheque has been cleared
Bill generation
• Invoice given to a customer for a supplied goods or service
• Generated at a scheduled time so the user can effectively manage
their time
• Done as a group

43. Credit card sales transactions(Manual)
• Impression of customer's card is taken on a credit slip, to be filled by
a sales clerk
• Impression is sent to the bank as a group
• Not processed immediately
• Customers may view credit card transactions as real time, but the
updating is batch

44. Storing and retrieving
Storing And Retrieving
-TPS (Transaction Processing Systems) require an efficient method for
storage and retrieval of data.
Databases and files
• The information processes in any large organisation are often
unique and complex.
- The storage and retrieval of data must occur accurately many times
each day.
- Database = Organised collection of data.

45. Types of Database
Hierarchical Database
- Organizes data in a series of levels. It uses a top-down structure
consisting of nodes and branches, and each lower-level node (child)
may be into more than one higher-level node (parent).
Network Database

46. Relational Database
- Organize data using a series of related tables. Relationships are built
between the tables to provide a flexible way of manipulating and
combining data.
Five basic file types
• Master file: Contains information about the organization's business
situation. Transaction data is stored in the master file
• Transaction file: Collection of transaction records, serving as audit
trails and history
• Report file: Data that has been formatted for presentation
• Work file: Temporary file used during processing
• Program file:Contains instructions for processing of data using
programming language such as C++ and Visual basic.

48. Data warehousing
A Data Warehouse is a database that collects information from
different data sources, gathered in real time, and provides data in
various formats
Data is organized using consistent naming conventions,
measurements, attributes and semantics, such as a true or false
question could be one/zero or on/off to name some. Data is stored in
one format and allows data to be effectively used across the
organizations

49. Collecting
Collecting data in a TPS involves generating the transaction data
-E.g People using an ATM generate transaction data by entering their
pin and typing requests on a keyboard
Hardware
MICR(Magnetic ink character recognition)
• Used by banks to read account numbers on cheques
• Characters printed using magnetic ink containing magnetised
particles
• Quickly and accurately read prerecorded data on cheque and
deposit slips
• Example of batch transaction processing

50. Barcode readers
• Used in retail industries to collect product information at POS(keeping track
of stock movements)
• Product information is held on a central computer linked to a terminal
• Data about the item is collected quickly and accurately
Forms
• Forms are Documents used to collected data from a person
• Processed in batch or real time
• Paperforms: Person completes a paper form(Batch processing)
• On-screen forms: Computerised data entry purposes, user can view,
enter and change data in real time. Well designed forms provides
information explaining the required data and any particular rules.
• Web forms: typically used to purchase items over the internet. Requests
relevant data such as a delivery address and payment methods. Can be
processes in real time or batch. The requests become data in fields of a
database

51. Sales/Inventory/Order Transactions
UPC from scanner
Price/description of item
Record sale/date/time.
Update inventory.
Shipping
EDI Electronic Data Interchange (Order)

52. Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS)
The Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) is a very commonly used
system in supermarkets, malls, and showrooms (retail stores to be
precise) to enter the sales information, handle customer loyalty
programs, manage stock inventory, etc. It’s basically also known as
the ‘checkout point’ or ‘checkout lane’ where the customer
transactions are done.

53. HOW DO EPOS SYSTEMS WORK?
EPOS systems comprise of computer hardware, peripherals and
software perfectly suited to a point of sales environment. For
example, some of the most common components to an EPOS
system are cash draws, chip and pin, customer displays, keyboards,
printers and weighing scales.
It’s a system that can support data entry through a variety of devices
such as computer keyboards, touchscreen monitors and barcode
scanners.

54. It can be used for –
EPOS systems can also be adapted to suit a variety o different
working environments to ensure that the system is uniquely suited to
a particular business. Recording sales
• Updating stock levels
• Providing accurate pricing information
• Enable fast and efficient customer service
• Keeping track of sales and taxes

55. Components of an EPoS system
EPoS system consists of the below-mentioned components:
• PDQ (Process Data Quickly) or Card Swiping Machine
• Cash Drawers
• Thermal Receipt Printer
• Keyboard and Touch screen monitors (replaced by Tablet nowadays)
• Barcode scanner (for retail environments)
• Scales (for grocery outlets)

56. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING AN
EPOS SYSTEM?
There are a number of long-term benefits to using the system. These
include –
• It ensures accurate pricing
• Faster transactions
• Reduces human error
• Improves data integrity
• Prices can be changed easily for special offers
• Provides accurate sales reporting
• Enables constantly updated inventory for accounting, marketing and
sales

57. Order-Processing System
• Captures data needed to
process
the customer’s order.
• Sources of data:
•Telephone
• EDI
• E-mail
• Internet
• Salesperson
Order processing is the process or work-flow associated
with the picking, packing and delivery of the packed items
to a shipping carrier and is a key element of order
fulfillment.
Sales Configuration System
• Ensures that products/services
ordered will accomplish customer’s
objectives and will work well
together.
• All Sales functions supported,
including Proposals, Orders,
Delivery Notes, Delivery
Returns, Invoices, Invoice
Returns, Point-of-Sales

58. Order-Processing System
• A system that determines
which open orders will be filled
and from which location they
will be shipped.
Shipment Execution System
Shipment Planning System
• A system that coordinates the outflow of all products
and goods
from the organization, with the objective of delivering
quality
products on time to customers.
• Uses a picking list from Shipment Planning.

59. Inventory Control System
Inventory control is the systems and processes that
manage and track a company's goods through a supply
chain, including purchasing, receiving, movement,
transfers, picking and shipping. ... “Inventory control”
can also mean a set of tools and techniques, often
managed through systems, that increase the flow of
business.
• For each item picked during Shipment
Execution, inventory is updated.

60. Inventory List
View all your products as a complete list
or organize by custom filters. Every
product on the list displays stock on
hand (for each location), committed
stock (for each location), cost, moving
average cost (MAC) and stock history.
Product Details
Each product can be edited to include information
such as multiple images, variants, SKU code,
barcode, supplier code, options, weight, buy price,
multiple pricelists such as wholesale and retail,
sellable option, taxable option, description, notes
and pack sizes.
Product History
Each product has a detailed stock
history, making it easy to see a
comprehensive restock log for quantity,
date and assigned team members.
Variants
Each product can contain separate variants
with product options such as weight, size
and color, as well as bundles and pack
sizes.

61. Invoicing System
The process involves receiving an invoice from a
third party, validating it as legitimate, paying the
supplier, and noting the payment in company
records.
•An invoice is a document that maintains a record a
transaction between a buyer and seller, such as a paper
receipt from a store or online record from an e-tailer.
•Invoices are a critical element of accounting internal
controls and audits.
•Charges found on an invoice must be approved by the
responsible management personnel.
•Invoices generally outline payment terms, unit costs,
shipping, handling, and any other terms outlined during the
transaction.
KEY OF INVOICING

62. Invoices are used as a source document for business
accounting. Invoices are helpful for recording all the
sales transactions a business makes with its clients.
Invoices are used by businesses for a variety of
purposes, including: To request timely payment from
clients.
What is the Use of Invoice
•a unique identification number
•your company name, address and contact information
•the company name and address of the customer you’re
invoicing
•a clear description of what you’re charging for
•the date the goods or service were provided (supply date)
•the date of the invoice
•the amount(s) being charged
•VAT amount if applicable
•the total amount owed
INVOICE INCLUDE:

63. Routing System
Determines the best way to get goods from one
location to another.
Scheduling System
• Determines the best time to deliver goods and
services.

64. TP in Financial
Financial transaction processing is more than merely
the capturing of financial data or performing
accounting transactions. ...
These processes are key fundamentals for
a finance department to be cost and time efficient and
able to deliver high quality information.
Within this model, software applications can be
used to simplify the process by:
•Payment posting into a single receivable platform
•Accepting various forms of payments: credit, debit,
mobile, web, check scanning, Remote Deposit Capture
(RDC), etc…
•Monitoring reports / invoice matching
•Using various billing templates that can track your
revenue flow
•Single and recurring credit payments

65. Types of Financial Transactions
•Sales are the transactions in which property is transferred from buyer to seller
for money or credit. Sales transactions are recorded in the accounting journal for
the seller as a debit to cash or accounts receivable and a credit to the sales
account.
•Purchases are the transactions that are required by a business in order to
obtain the goods or services needed to accomplish the goals of the organization.
Purchases made in cash result in a debit to the inventory account and a credit to
cash.
•Receipts refer to refer to a written acknowledgement of having received or
taken into ones possession a specified amount of goods or money.
•Payments are the transactions that refer to a business receiving money for a
good or service. They are recorded in the accounting journal of the business
issuing the payment as a credit to cash and a debit to accounts payable.

66. Who's involved?
Cardholder: The person or entity that receives an account from a card
company or issuer, and is in possession of a credit card.
Merchant: A commercial entity or person authorized to accept cards and
receive payments from its customers pursuant to agreement with the card
brands.
Merchant (or acquiring) bank: The financial institution that has an
agreement with a merchant to accept (acquire) deposits generated by card
transactions.
Credit card network: The entity that facilitates transactions between
merchants and credit card issuers. There are four major credit card
networks, represented by the card brands Visa, Mastercard, Discover,
American Express.
Credit card issuer: A financial institution, bank, credit union, or company
that issues or helps issue cards to cardholders.
Payment processor: The company appointed by the merchant to handle

67. This is an electronic system to make payments directly from
one bank account to another. They're mainly used for Direct
Debits and direct credits from organizations.
The payments take 3 working days to clear, so money paid into
your account on Monday will clear on Wednesday.
Faster Payments
Bank details for online or telephone banking,
Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs).

68. Customer relationship management (CRM): LINK
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your
company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers
A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes,
and improve profitability.
IT is a tool that helps with contact management, sales management, agent
productivity, and more.
CRM tools can now be used to manage customer relationships across the entire
customer lifecycle, spanning marketing, sales, digital commerce, and customer
service interactions.
A CRM solution helps you focus on your organization’s relationships with individual
people — including customers, service users, colleagues, or suppliers — throughout
your lifecycle with them, including finding new customers, winning their business,
and providing support and additional services throughout the relationship.
The goal is simple:
Improve business
relationships to grow
your business.

72. What does a CRM system do?
• A customer relationship management (CRM) solution helps you find
new customers, win their business, and keep them happy by organizing
customer and prospect information in a way that helps you build
stronger relationships with them and grow your business faster.
• CRM systems start by collecting a customer's website, email,
telephone, and social media data — and more — across multiple
sources and channels. It may also automatically pull in other
information, such as recent news about the company's activity, and it
can store personal details, such as a client's personal preferences on
communications.
• The CRM tool organizes this information to give you a complete record
of individuals and companies overall, so you can better understand your
relationship over time.

73. Who uses a CRM system?
Customer relationship management systems can be easily customized to
meet the specific needs of any business type and size.
Start-ups, large enterprises, and verticals like real-estate, healthcare,
insurance, legal, media, restaurants, travel, banking, tax,
freelancers, and non-profits all use a customer relationship management
software for increasing their sales, marketing, and customer support
efforts.

74. B2B
From managing an account's contact information to staying up to date
with business deals, payments, and reports, B2B companies do
best with a sales CRM in place. It helps them create a common
platform to keep their partners, vendors, and other stakeholders of
their business in sync with each other.
B2C
B2C companies have shorter customer life cycles,
and they typically require a solution that is more
direct and less time-consuming. A multi-channel
CRM tool with features like lead management,
sending out instant surveys, marketing automation,
etc. helps B2Cs reach out to their customers more
easily.

75. SMBs
SMBs aren't small and medium businesses but smart and
modern businesses. There's no truth to the
common misconception that cloud CRM is too expensive
and complicated for SMBs. They can always start their
CRM journey with a free CRM system. By being a great
technological leveller, small business CRM
systems provide SMBs with a level playing field and
the ability to compete against the bigger players in their
industry.

76. Key features of CRM system
Lead management
If getting quality leads is one thing, tracking and managing them to
deal closure is another. CRM offers you everything that you need to
know about your leads to convert them into happy, paying customers
Contact management
Contact management features in CRM help you organize your
business contacts in one place. You'll know when and why you
contacted a customer the last time, the best time to reach them,
mentions from social media interactions, and analytics to reach
customers through email and other forms of communication

77. Deal management
A deal once lost is lost forever. The deal management features in CRM
gives you the complete picture of your current and future deals, and
lets you know what went wrong with your past unsuccessful ones.
Email management
Email management is a core function to any business and an online
CRM solution lets you take complete control of it. Any email client that
you use can be integrated with your customer relationship
management tool, which means you save time switching between
tabs to get work done
Sales Automation
As a CRM implementor for your business, you want your sales team to
spend more time selling and less time doing other administrative
work. Here's where automating your sales process will help

78. Customer relationship management (CRM)
a. synchronize marketing events
b. loyalty scheme
c. buying trends
d. customer service
e. customer retention
f. upselling.

79. Synchronize marketing events
Going beyond integrating your
marketing efforts, synchronized
marketing connects your various
platforms.
While this is done easily on digital
platforms, there are still
opportunities to connect your
traditional and digital efforts.

80. Synchronize your marketing by...
Synchronized marketing is centered on your brand's message and
voice. To be successful in synchronized marketing, you must define
what differentiates you from your competition.
• What's your unique selling point?
• What can you provide your audience that others can’t?
• What's your value proposition and how do you convey it?

81. 2) Staying Consistent on Various Platforms
Stay consistent in voice, message, look and feel across ALL platforms -
both traditional and digital.
Whether you visit his website or blog, Facebook or Instagram page,
watch one of his ads on TV or YouTube, or see a print ad in a
magazine, timeless luxury seeps through the page, computer, and
whatever medium you may be on.
3) Connecting your various platforms
4) Participating in and Encouraging Dialogue With Your Customers
Open the lines of communication, encourage and engage in dialogue
with your customers, and provide them with the information they crave.

82. Loyalty scheme
The strategy above definitely works, but the issue with it is that it is
only focusing on acquiring new customers.
Loyalty marketing is a strategy that encourages your customers to do
repeat business with your company again and again. Most often,
these strategies involve incentivizing purchases and building
up customer loyalty—but more of those specifics in a minute.

83. Why loyalty marketing?
Loyalty marketing focuses
bringing back and retaining
existing and past
customers with initiatives
and incentives—which is
better for your business.
Loyalty marketing is
about valuing your
customers

84. How to use customer loyalty to grow your brand
1. Solicit customer feedback
Provide channels for feedback using social media: Nike is one great
example. The company handles customer support and feedback on
Twitter using a separate handle, reacting quickly to queries in real time.
2. Use customer satisfaction surveys
Customer satisfaction surveys are a straightforward way to collect
feedback from your customer base.
3. Ask for a review (especially for mobile apps)
You can also ask for a customer review after a transaction. Unlike most
feedback or survey responses, reviews are public, so they help other
potential customers with their decision making.

85. 4. Celebrate your most loyal customers on social media
After you have given your customers a voice to express their feedback
and experiences, you want to make them feel special for supporting
you!
5. Incentivize repeat business with reward programs
Sometimes customers can be loyal to you but jump over to another
brand that is cheaper or newer. Loyalty is dynamic; you have
to keep giving customers a reason to come back.
6. Encourage loyal customers to spread the love with referral
programs
Loyalty programs incentivize customers to purchase from you
repeatedly, while referral programs incentivize customers who get
their friends to buy from your brand.

86. Buying Trends
Keep Ahead to Keep Up
It’s crucial for marketers of all stripes to stay on top of consumer trends.
Marketing practitioners rely heavily on consumer behavior research to guide
strategic decisions that may range from the most effective way to phrase an
advertisement to the optimal way to configure a store environment or how to
design a public policy campaign to encourage responsible consumption.
Consumer trend forecasting is big business, and many organizations devote huge
resources to monitoring the bleeding edge of consumer behavior.

87. How to identify market trends
1. Keep track of industry influencers and publications
2. Absorb up-to-date industry research and trends reports like a
sponge
3. Make the most of digital tools and analytics to assess industry
behavior
4. Listen to your customers
5. Competitor observation

88. Customer service
Customer service is critical to competing effectively.
Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both
before and after they buy and use your products or services — that
helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you.
Offering amazing customer service is important if you want to
retain customers and grow your business.

89. • Understanding Customer Service
Many companies work hard to increase their customer satisfaction levels.
In customer service, that has led many companies to implement systems
online and by phone that answers as many questions or resolve as many
problems as they can without a human presence.
• Customer service represents your brand image, mission, and
values.
Customer service team, however, is your connection to your customers.
Thus, that team has the responsibility of representing your brand to them
• Customers are willing to pay more to companies who offer better
customer service.
• Good customer service encourages customers to remain loyal.

90. Customer retention basics
Customer retention refers to a company's ability to turn customers into
repeat buyers and prevent them from switching to a competitor.
As a performance metric, it helps provide context around how well a
business is keeping its existing customers satisfied with their product
and the overall quality of service.
The importance of customer retention
Keeping your current customers happy is generally more cost-effective
than acquiring new, first-time customers. Retained customers can be
easier to convert than first-time buyers because they already have a
foundation of trust with the company if they’ve purchased from them
previously.

91. Practices to retain customers:
1. Respond to customer support queries faster
Data shows that speedy first reply times result in higher customer satisfaction. Even if that
reply is just a short message letting the customer know their question was received with
an estimate for the projected time to resolution, these notifications let customers know
you’re actively working toward a solution.
2. Deliver personalized support interactions with context
Customers feel frustrated when they have to explain an issue over and over. Make sure
that your support agents are equipped with the tools they need to elevate the
conversation and provide a more personalized support experience that will make them
feel good about coming back.