Behind conventional SAP CRM are several tools and methods for the targeted management and design of customer relationships. On this page, you can find out about the individual applications, functions, features and advantages of SAP CRM.
We also discuss the new CRM solutions from the cloud. As part of its "cloud-first strategy", SAP is now also focusing on cloud-based solutions in the area of CRM with SAP C/4HANA.
Today - especially with C/4HANA - it is no longer just a question of the "classic customer contact" of companies with their customers, but has long since also included in-depth analyses, campaign management, mobile clients, the topic of personalization or the integration of social media.
The classic SAP CRM is a part of the SAP Business Suite. It supports companies in numerous customer-related business processes. These include the
The Business Suite is based on SAP NetWeaver, the SAP platform for business applications.
NetWeaver is the development and runtime environment for SAP applications. NetWeaver can also be used to integrate other applications or non-SAP systems with SAP applications.
Essentially, companies use SAP CRM to stay in touch with customers and support their customer journey. The aim is to identify what customers want and expect, and to meet these expectations through the targeted provision of products and services.
To this end, SAP CRM stores, centralises and processes customer data – from initial contact to customers’ preferences on social media. This data can then be analysed in SAP CRM and used to respond more effectively to customer requirements.
In addition, the SAP component helps companies to implement a consistent customer approach – regardless of the channel through which the customer contacts the company.
This also refers to the so-called ‘One Face to the Customer’ approach, whereby a single employee acts as the customer’s point of contact.
Overall, SAP CRM therefore ensures a comprehensive view of the customer, which goes hand in hand with an optimised customer relationship.
When people talk about SAP CRM, they usually mean the on-premise component of the Business Suite (for information on other solutions, see the "Other CRM solutions from SAP" section).
From a technical point of view, the classic CRM component is detached from SAP modules such as SD, MM, FI and CO.
The exchange of common data takes place via a middleware. Due to this decoupling, however, SAP CRM is also open to integration with third-party software.
Overall, the logic of SAP CRM is based on three key elements:
In addition to products and sales structures, business partners are a key element in SAP CRM. Unlike in traditional ERP modules, these do not consist solely of debtors (customers). With SAP CRM, companies can also manage prospects, competitors and contacts.
When it comes to customer-related processes, SAP CRM goes beyond standard order management in ERP. The component also offers solutions for mapping
Further transaction types can be defined individually as required.
Campaign management, on the other hand, is responsible for managing customer-related campaigns. These include, for example, advertising leaflets and email campaigns. To differentiate between these campaigns, the company can define target groups in advance within SAP CRM.
In principle, SAP CRM is suitable for all business areas that have contact points with customers. This includes in particular sales, marketing and service. Based on these three target groups, SAP has divided its customer relationship management into three core components:
Let us take a closer look at these building blocks in the following.
SAP CRM offers a range of functions for marketing. Among other things, the component supports:
It is also possible to simulate campaigns in advance to predict their effectiveness.
It is also possible to set special prices for the duration of campaigns.
SAP CRM also enables potential customers to be identified using integrated analytics. This can be used, for example, to generate lists of customer data to support the sales team.
Sales staff can also benefit from SAP CRM in a number of ways.
For example, the application helps the sales team to maintain relationships with existing customers, acquire new customers and build customer relationships.
In addition, the software provides forecasts by incorporating market data. These can be carried out both globally and in relation to specific regions and product groups. This simplifies the planning of activities. At the same time, users can optimise their product availability.
Furthermore, the sales component of SAP CRM enables the creation of quotations, orders and contracts.
The pricing process is also supported. With SAP CRM, sales staff also have access to their customers’ current account and receivables details.
Furthermore, the system includes functions for commission settlement as well as for time and travel management.
This component supports businesses throughout the entire service process – from responding to a customer enquiry through to processing and invoicing a service provided.
This area also covers complaints, repairs and installation work. Maintenance contracts and the associated services can also be managed using SAP CRM.
In addition to the three core components mentioned above, there are some "extensions" for SAP CRM.
They are summarized under the term SAP CRM Channels. Via a user-friendly and intuitive interface, companies can improve communication with customers.
In addition to the classic on-premise variant for SAP Business Suite, other products for customer relationship management already exist from SAP.
The new CRM on-premise solution is called "SAP S/4HANA for Customer Management" (short: S4CRM). As part of the new SAP S/4HANA product generation, it uses the same database, so that compared to the previous approach, no middleware is required.
CRM tools from SAP are also available in the cloud area - in particular the SAP C/4HANA solution. Due to the high relevance of the cloud for SAP (cloud first strategy), you will find further information on this solution below.
With C/4HANA, SAP is focusing on optimizing the entire customer experience in addition to customer relationship management. In addition, the e-commerce environment is increasingly supported. The C in C/4HANA stands for Customer and the 4 for a 4th generation CRM system.
Overall, the cloud-based software consists of five interconnected CRM and marketing applications:
SAP Marketing Cloud is an intelligent software for marketing automation. It independently recognizes which products customers want to buy at what time.
Based on this information, employees can then develop omnichannel campaigns that are tailored to the customers' needs. The necessary customer data is brought together from various sources to create a uniform customer view.
Technologies such as Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning are used in this process. Overall, the company gains a much better understanding of customer behavior, moods and intentions.
This is a mobile tool for sales. It helps salespeople build relevant customer relationships and respond more quickly to sales opportunities. The Sales Dashboard ensures transparency.
Predictive analytics is also used to identify prospective customers and leads and to find "influencers" for the conclusion of ongoing negotiations. In addition, the solution provides all relevant information for sales, such as sales KPIs.
SAP Commerce Cloud is an e-commerce application. Its goal is to develop and deliver personalized e-commerce experiences for customers.
To achieve this, the activities of each customer are analyzed. For example, it is possible to show and hide certain elements in an online store based on the customer's search activity.
Customer service is another important CRM element and is therefore also part of SAP C/4HANA. In this context, the SAP Service Cloud provides sales representatives with all relevant functions on a mobile device.
This includes, for example, appointment management, localization of required spare parts, technical documentation, travel routes to the site of operation and travel data entry.
The SAP Customer Data Cloud enables customers to autonomously control and manage their personal data in e-commerce and online applications.
Among other things, the Data Cloud offers a solution to meet the requirements of the EU-DSGVO (basic data protection regulation).
Whilst conventional SAP CRM and many other CRM systems essentially focus on the sales process, SAP C/4HANA places the customer at the centre of the experience even more than before.
SAP C/4HANA offers solutions for a consistent and positive customer journey – a strategy that is of great importance today.
Furthermore, C/4HANA focuses on building trust-based relationships and ensuring secure customer data. This allows for the generation of comprehensive customer insights whilst ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
