Why Your Business Needs a CRM Project Management Tool Now More Than Ever

Published 9. 8. 2023

The fast-paced rhythm of the modern business world brings with it a multitude of challenges. Among these, managing customer relationships and juggling multiple projects plays an important role in a company's success. So, how can businesses effectively handle these complex tasks more effectively?

CRM project management software holds the key to the solution. This isn't just a useful tool - it's a game-changer. Whether the project is managing ongoing internal processes or a once-off task with a defined purpose, CRM project management significantly simplifies work and minimizes the risk of errors.

In the past, CRM project management tools were viewed as a luxury, seemingly reserved for larger corporations. However, that perspective has shifted dramatically. Today, businesses of all sizes recognize the value of these tools. They are seen as vital assets that not only streamline operations but also drive collaboration and enhance customer satisfaction.

Importance of CRM Project Management Software

There are three key aspects that underscore the rising importance of CRM project management tools, namely:

Their integral role in business management
Evolving customer expectations
The increasing demand for seamless communication and collaboration

Firstly, these tools enhance business operations by automating tasks, organizing customer interactions, and tracking projects. This in turn streamlines the workload, meaning that teams can be more productive. The clear result is time and cost saving for the business as processes are more efficiently executed.

The expectations of customers are also evolving and with plenty of competition, customers have more choice. As a result, there is an increasing demand for swift, personalized responses, seamless experiences, and quality service.

a study by epsilon — A study by Epsilon found that 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with companies that offer personalized experiences.

To meet these heightened expectations, businesses need to focus their efforts on being organized and proactive. CRM project management software provides a solution for this by making the entire relationship with the customer more efficient.

CRM tools make managing customer relationships far easier. This is achieved by centralizing all relevant information which improves intra-team collaboration. As a result, everyone on the team is part of the customer experience, and customer communication is enhanced.

These tools offer flexibility, allowing work to be managed across different devices and locations. This is especially vital in today's flexible and remote working environments.

Did you know?

Research shows that companies can boost revenue by an incremental 10% to 15% when attention is paid to personalization.

Understanding CRM Project Management Tools

CRM project management tools are modules created with a specific purpose: to make the management of customer relationships and projects more efficient. This necessity increases as companies grow: the need to handle a growing number of customer interactions and manage multiple projects simultaneously becomes more pressing.

CRM project management tools meet this need by offering a platform that can automate tasks and organize customer interactions. They are also instrumental in monitoring project progress.

One of the key advantages of these CRM project management tools is their ability to integrate with familiar interfaces, such as Outlook. This integration makes them user-friendly and reduces the learning curve for new users, making adoption easier and quicker.

The components of CRM project management tools should offer several key features:

Task Automation: CRM tools have the ability to automate repetitive tasks. This automation not only saves valuable time but also reduces the potential for human error, increasing the overall accuracy and efficiency of business operations.
Organization of Interactions: CRM tools systematically manage customer interactions by sorting and categorizing them. This organization can be based on various criteria, such as project, date, or type of interaction, making it easy for businesses to track and reference these interactions when needed.
Project Tracking: From initiation to completion, CRM tools monitor every phase of a project. They keep track of every detail, ensuring nothing is overlooked and that projects stay on schedule and within budget. This includes time-tracking for team members.
Team Collaboration: CRM project management software enables projects to be distributed among team members, broken down into individual tasks. The CRM also lets essential elements such as notes, email communications, or documents be easily shareable within the team.

Did you know?

According to GoRemotely, Project Management software usage saves project managers an average of 10 minutes per day.

Integrating CRM Project Management with Outlook

Many businesses of all sizes rely on Outlook for managing emails, scheduling tasks, and organizing calendars. While these features are useful, the increasing complexity of customer relationships has necessitated a more comprehensive tool. Namely, a CRM with project management that integrates with Outlook.

The benefit of integrating a CRM with Outlook is how it enhances and elevates the platform's existing capabilities. It takes the familiar functionalities of Outlook and adds a new level of project management depth to its features.

One remarkable aspect of an Outlook-integrated CRM system is its ability to convert emails into projects. With this feature, every email thread can serve as the foundation for a new project, facilitating a seamless transition from communication to action.

A project management tool integrated with Outlook also ensures seamless synchronization of tasks and calendars. This synchronization provides a comprehensive view of the project's timeline and the tasks at hand. When a project is opened in this setup, it reveals a complete to-do list, offering a bird's eye view of the project's status. And this is accessible to everyone on the team, greatly enhancing collaboration.

With a CRM like eWay-CRM, mobile and web versions make remote project management easy.

Finally, making the transition from using Outlook alone to a CRM that integrates with Outlook is a logical progression for businesses looking to enhance their operational efficiency. They can continue to use the Outlook functions they are accustomed to while gaining advanced capabilities.

Summary of key benefits:

CRM integration enhances Outlook, transforming it into a versatile project management tool.
Integrated CRM systems can convert emails into projects, streamlining workflow.
CRM integration synchronizes tasks and calendars, offering a complete view of project tasks and timelines.
Upgrading to an integrated CRM system helps businesses manage relationships and projects effectively.
Integrated CRM systems support modern, flexible work environments, offering cross-device functionality.

A Paradigm Shift in Project Management

To give an example of the effect of a CRM project management tool we will have a look at GRANTEX. A company that provides grant writing services to various organizations, faced several challenges with its existing project management system. This eventually led to the implementation of a CRM that integrated with their existing Outlook email platform.

Their story provides valuable insights into the practical benefits of using CRM project management tools.

Let’s take a look.

Background and Challenges: As the demand for their services grew, the complexity of managing multiple, long-term grant projects also increased. They were using Excel for contact management and grant requests but found that the tool was limiting their ability to share information and communicate effectively with clients.

The Decision to Implement a CRM: Recognizing these challenges, GRANTEX made the decision to switch to a CRM system. Their key requirements for the CRM included automation capabilities and ease of transition from Excel. In addition, they were also needing multi-platform accessibility, including remote access.

It was crucial for them that the CRM system integrated seamlessly with the Microsoft 365 suite, which they were already using extensively in their operations. The solution they opted for? eWay-CRM offered all of this.

Projects help us keep track of deadlines and manage tasks. And thanks to the workflow mechanisms, which we have customized as needed, we again have a great overview of where the project stands.

Ondrej Horcicka, Partner and Head of Grants Division at GRANTEX

Adoption of eWay-CRM and Benefits: The integration of the eWay-CRM system with their existing email platform addressed GRANTEX's challenges effectively. The system's ability to turn emails into projects streamlined their workflow and enhanced their project-tracking capabilities.

The CRM tool also provided them with valuable insights into the progress of each grant project, which improved their overall project management efficiency.

Additional Features and Outcomes: Beyond improving project management, the CRM system also offered additional advantages. It allowed GRANTEX to generate deals automatically when clients filled out inquiry forms on their website, enhancing their lead management process.

They could also track the time spent on each project and deal, providing crucial data that helped them make more accurate quotations and evaluate employee capacity. Also, this enabled them to make informed decisions about accepting new orders or hiring additional staff.

Ondrej Horcicka, partner and head of the grants division at GRANTEX

Empowering Your Business with CRM Project Management Tools

The integration of CRM project management tools with familiar platforms like Outlook provides a seamless transition for businesses. This integration retains the functionalities they're accustomed to while adding invaluable features like task automation, and systematic organization of interactions. In addition, it offers comprehensive project tracking and data analysis.

As illustrated by the case of GRANTEX, the use of a CRM project management tool can transform the way a company operates.

Adopting CRM project management is more than just a decision to upgrade a system; it is a strategic move towards improved efficiency. If your business is still reliant on basic email clients or spreadsheets for project management, consider making the switch now. The benefits that await are substantial and can make a significant difference in your company's success.