Move over spreadsheets, the CRM software is the most popular thing in town, especially if your organization has a huge customer base. Gone are the days where you would use spreadsheets for maintaining your pipeline data or use call software for maintaining call logs. Your sticky notes with essential customer information and the digital or physical calendar you used to keep track of the client calls and appointments are sadly outdated. You can heave a sigh of relief here; as time-sensitive your job is, you cannot make the customer wait till you ransack the clutter on your desk to arrive at the required piece of information. This is where the CRM software steps in.
The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a path-breaking innovation that has helped many organizations widen and strengthen their customer base. Instead of wreaking your cubicle to look for the required information, you can choose the best CRM software of the year that will bring all the required information into a single cohesive unit. This would be the perfect solution for all your nagging issues; the customer’s complete history with your company, your notes, emails, and appointments will be live one interface.
To ensure that your entrepreneurial ship sails smoothly, you can choose the right CRM from the best CRM software of 2018. They are as follows:
Salesforce
Think CRM, think Salesforce; it is one of the best CRM software of 2018 and is a comprehensive, all-in-one, cloud-based solution which consists of everything that a top-ranked CRM software should have. It offers its users customizable dashboards, project management tools, advanced analytics and plenty of other collaboration tools; in short, you have everything that will ensure customer loyalty. Salesforce is usually used by larger, established companies, but Salesforce’s small business edition allows smaller business to reap the benefits of this CRM’s tools and resources at an affordable price. Salesforce is priced at around $25 per user, per month.
Pipedrive
Irrespective of how big your team or organization is, Pipedrive is compatible with teams of all sizes. It is one of the best CRM software of 2018 that has more than 70,000 paying customer spanning across 155 countries. One of the major features of Pipedrive that appeals to the teams is the simple and powerful design that emphasizes utility over anything else. If you wish to ensure that this is the right CRM software for your team, you can make use of the free trial option. It is a top-ranked CRM software that has improved the efficiency of the teams using it; it reduces the time spent on filing the information and increases the chances of selling your company’s product with this information. This CRM software is priced at $15 per user, per month approximately.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is one of the best CRM software of 2018, especially if you have budget constraints. Moreover, it is a genuine CRM software that pays attention to its customers’ requirements since instead of offering the “light” version companies offer for a free trial, Zoho CRM offers the actual software for customers to use, and gauge whether it is suitable for their team. It is quite intuitive and easy to implement. Also, there are no-code third-party integrations and is equipped with advanced analytics, forecasting, and real-time notifications. Zoho CRM software is available at $12, per user, per month approximately.
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM software that is highly compatible with all types of businesses, especially if you have started your new business venture. It offers the users access to an extensive online library that includes learning guides, email signature generators, invoice template generators, and marketing plan template generators. The key features of this CRM software are that it offers automatic sales logging, email syncing, and sales pipeline management tools. You can even avail of the free version, and this CRM is priced around $50 per user, per month.
Less Annoying CRM
The interesting name implies that this CRM software does away with the paraphernalia on the dashboard which makes it easier for first-time users. Less Annoying CRM is one of the best CRMs of 2018 since it is highly affordable and eliminates the complexity quotient and adopts a simpler customer relationship management solution. It is equipped with easy import/export options, email logging, and shared and individual calendars. It is one of the most affordable, top-ranked CRM software that is priced around $10 per user, per month.
Similar to ERP, Material Requirements Planning or MRP is one of the most important aspects of manufacturing. It is a way for manufacturers to connect their inventory forecasting with their accounting department. It is required to streamline the process of manufacturing right from raw materials to the finished products. For efficient streamlining, an MRP software has multiple features. They are:
However, there are certain features of a manufacturer software that are more in demand than others.
Manufacturer software include the most essential tools and resources used for business planning in production, operations, and inventory management. An MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) software takes care of a project from the initial planning and production phase to the final sales and inventory tally. Small businesses can benefit from these software as they eliminate the need for additional manpower to track the processes and offer automation.
Here are the popular choices for manufacturer software trending in the market today.
MRPeasy
MRPeasy is an affordable option for small business owners. The self-sufficient tool offers excellent management of production, purchasing, finance, stock, customer, and team resources to seamlessly keep track of everything from one place. The key features include production planning and accurate reporting of utilization, real-time inventory analysis, and excellent customer relationship management to improve sales. Their starter bundle with support for ticket system is priced at a measly $49/user/month for the first 10 users. It’s a truly affordable cloud-based MRP software that gives your business a competitive edge.
Katana
Katana definitely goes beyond your average business resource planning. This manufacturer software features an easy-to-use drag and drop interface for production planning with real-time inventory tracking, optimization, and control. You also get dedicated dashboard tools for sales order management, right from tracking the availability of the products to coordinating sales from across different platforms. Dedicated floor-level production employee and production line task lists also keep track of all the current work orders. Additionally, you get finance tools for purchasing and making accurate pricing decisions. Katana can also seamlessly integrate with popular eCommerce and online accounting platforms, including Shopify, QuickBooks, Xero, and WooCommerce. You get a free 14-day trial to test all features and pay only $99/month afterward, with add-ons for essential tools sold separately.
IQMS
Enjoy the best of both worlds with MRP and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) functions embedded in a single software providing all-round solutions at an affordable price. This software can cater to small businesses, medium enterprises, and large-scale organizations alike. IQMS features an array of resources for material requirements planning, labor capacity planning, auxiliary equipment planning, work center capacity planning, and rough cut capacity planning, all of which are essential units of a manufacturing facility. You can get a direct quote from the vendor based on the business size and requirements.