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Put yourself in James, the project manager’s shoes for a minute:
James is working on a project involving a new website for a client. He’s sitting at his computer, trying to tackle the pressing tasks of the day, which include creating a project schedule.
James opens his trusty project management software and begins arranging when everything is going to get done so that the project can be delivered on time. Mid-way, he checks his emails and sees that the client has sent him a number of concerning questions. He sends a reply, then goes back to the PM software to continue scheduling. He then opens his emails and sees that the client has responded with another question. He replies. He reopens the PM software and continues scheduling. He then opens his emails and sends yet another response. He closes his emails. He opens the PM software. He closes the PM software. He opens his emails. He goes back to the PM software. He has a headache.
What’s going on here? Does anything strike you as inefficient about the way James is working?
I’ll tell you what I’d tell James:
“You gotta get yourself a combined CRM and Project Management software, man!”
In this blog, we're going to see why CRM and PM software are a power duo and how the combination of the two can help your business grow faster.
But first, back to basics:
What is CRM?
CRM stands for client relationship management and refers to the processes that produce and nurture client relationships. Examples of CRM include client communication, updating clients on a project’s status, or even sending nurture emails to prospective clients. The goal of effective CRM is to keep clients happy and attract new ones.
Now:
What is CRM with project management?
CRM project management refers to the combination of CRM and PM tools. When CRM tools work in tandem with project management tools, you get a more wholesome view of projects, and so do your clients. Our friend James is a case in point. If he would get himself a combination project management CRM software, he wouldn’t have to keep switching tools to juggle his tasks. He also wouldn’t have to answer so many client emails because clients could simply look in the CRM and project management software to find their answers.
Thus, having a tool that seamlessly combines project management with CRM makes handling projects easier, more straightforward, and quicker.
What are the differences between CRM and project management software?
CRM focuses on the client.
Project management focuses on the project.
A CRM tool includes things like:
- Customer support channels
- Customer data collection
- Mass email capabilities
- Sales tracking
- Leaderboards
- Real-time data
- Third-party integrations
A PM tool includes things like:
- Resource scheduling
- Project planning
- Time tracking
- Collaboration tools
- Budgeting tools
- Invoicing
- Task management
What are the benefits of combining CRM and project management?
1. Everything in one place
The amount of time saved when team members do not have to constantly switch between apps is nothing to sneeze at. Imagine the difference between having team communication, project plans, and customer data all in one place, or having to open a different app for each one - annoying!
2. Time-saving
When there is clear visibility into a project and the clients involved, a lot of unnecessary communication, and therefore time, is saved. If team members and clients can see all the data they need before their eyes, less time is wasted trying to gather information.
3. Saves money
Obviously, saving time is saving money, but in addition to that, you save money by not having to pay for multiple licenses for multiple tools.
4. Everyone on the same page
When you have your CRM folk working on a separate software from your project management folk, collaboration can be complex and information can easily get lost. But when everyone has visibility into all aspects of the business, information is shared successfully.
How can Workamajig help you with your CRM in project management?
Workamajig is a fully integrated project management + CRM tool.
With Workamajig, you can forget about scheduling resources with one hand while sifting through client emails with another. Get Workamajig’s project management and CRM software and get all your data in one place.
- Easy convert leads into contact & company records with full conversation history
- Get full pipeline visibility & see opportunities by stage, status & probability to close
- Set goals for the team & track performance against target revenue
- Sync your Outlook, Google, or iCal Calendar in Workamajig and keep everything in one place