CRM Specifications: What Are the Functional Requirements?

Knowing the needs of your company is essential before embarking on the deployment of a CRM project.

Are you looking for ideas to write your specifications?

Find more than 50 functional requirements requested by our customers, in addition to the basic functionality of a CRM software. Our advice: read the whole article (even if it is long!) as It can give you ideas to improve your Customer Relationship. And, a quick glance at other industries than yours is usually quite informative.

The most common functional requirements in CRM software focus sector by sector.

CRM for banks, insurances, and more.

Attracting new customers and customers with high potential:

• Increase sales through sharper customer segmentation, up-selling and cross-selling opportunities, customised offerings and VIP management.
• Manage and store all its data in a single solution (customer and historical knowledge).
• Track KPIs and dashboards to facilitate reporting and decision making.
• Manage billing and refillable hours to third parties (external services).
• Have a collaborative tool to simplify information sharing and the business process.
• Create support tickets (also called “incidents”) for each call received by the call center or each email sent from the website to track customer requests.

CRM for the medias and the actors of the events.

In addition to the most outstanding features such as full task management:

• Optimise the customer portfolio via a 360 ° vision and the creation of an Extranet.
• Interface with other existing software (ERP for example).
• Improve the monitoring of the sales force.
• Plan sales visits effectively.
• Facilitate exchange between regional and national sales channels (radio, TV, etc.).

CRM for the construction and the engineering.

Besides the need to provide answers to very specific projects and to have a clean and up-to-date database:

• Centralise all information related to orders as the purpose is to better track them.
• Conduct an online survey.
• Follow the project from A to Z, from the invitation to tender to the quote, then to the order, etc.
• Facilitate documentary research by linking the elements together (companies, projects, tasks, agenda, etc.) to better communicate with its partners and suppliers.

CRM for the education sector (universities, colleges, high schools).

Beside the administrative management of students and the automation of the steps related to their schooling:

• Manage the planning of the speakers and the lessons according to the educational program.
• Assume the training needs of faculty.
• Have reminders and notifications directly in the CRM tool.

CRM for the industry.

Beside the permanent desire to take share of the market:

• Facilitate the generation of quotes and the following of commercial opportunities.
• Break silos between services by facilitating information sharing.
• Motivate the sales force by using gamification solutions.

CRM for public institutions (finances, social security).

In addition to improving customer service and reducing costs:

• Manage omnichannel: retrieve information from multiple communication channels.
• Identify gaps in the Customer Relationship and correct them.

CRM for the health sector.

Beside the mobility and confidentiality of data:

• Have a unique view on the patients.
• Communicate more easily with doctors.
• Keep a patient's treatment history.

CRM for the associations, NGOs, museums.

Beside the management of a large number of different interlocutors (visitors, members, patrons)_

• Manage events, from promotion to operational management
• Segment the database
• Detect new opportunities with patrons

Of course, although this list is extremely long, it is not exhaustive. It simply highlights the features and benefits of a CRM software that fits your industry. To be sure to make the right choice, compare the editors of CRM and make sure they are able to support you in your issues, your issues, while respecting your technical jargon.

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Learn more about: The most important sales KPIs for a salesperson and your company