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Partnered by

5 Reasons to Expect ROI fromMicrosoft Dynamics CRM & ERP ... in Year 1

Microsoft Partner

WhitepaperPrepared by Atum CorporationNovember 2012

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Whitepaper Contents

Introduction5 Key ROI Strategies

1. Boost Sales

2. Business Intelligence

Streamline the sales process

Retain and prioritize existing customersMaximize revenue opportunity

Anytime visibilityAlign all Business unitsReporting and Tracking Capabilities

3. Cloud Hosting OptionsPower of ChoiceReduce operational costs

Consolidate hardware and IT

4. All-in-One ProductIncrease the potential of existing systems

A seamless layer

5. Your Competitive EdgeImprove Customer Service capabilities

ConclusionAbout Microsoft Dynamics

Atum Corporation contacts

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Appendix

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Whitepaper: Expect ROI from Microsoft Dynamics in Year 1

IntroductionAs the economic environment continues to �uctuate, many organizations are asking themselves what strategies they can pursue to produce tangible business bene�ts and meet market demands while taking stock of the economic conditions.

It is not uncommon for corporate decision makers to be resistant to change largely due to the initial investment required to roll out a brand new system of business technologies. To address these market concerns, the leading CRM and ERP partners and solution providers have developed a �exible cost structure with quicker ways for users to see a return on their investment.

The Microsoft Dynamics suite of business systems include the class-leading CRM and ERP technologies designed to �t small business, mid-sized and enterprise markets. Microsoft has established a large stake in the in the market for advanced business applications, recognizing the demand for more choice, improved usability and seamless integration. From a cost perspective, Microsoft Dynamics products are positioned conservatively in the middle of the market, and have introduced scalable Cloud options that signi�cantly reduce upfront hosting costs. The Microsoft Dynamics user base has grown quickly as a result of o�ering buyers the 'power of choice' for the application's deployment (on-premises, on-demand, or partner-hosted), payment (license, subscription, or �nancing), and use (Outlook client, browser, SharePoint site, or other interfaces). Microsoft Dynamics was designed with the Microsoft user in mind. Not only does the CRM and ERP interface integrate natively with the Microsoft Outlook and O�ce client, the familiar technology compliments these systems and provides intuitive ‘out of the box’ functionality for the user. Microsoft o�ers the unique advantage of a worldwide partner community that connects every customer with an accessible network of support and extensive resources.

These competitive improvements have resulted in greater value for the buyer, and a rapid acceleration of ROI. Where it has long been standard to anticipate a 3-5 year results roadmap, Microsoft Dynamics is making it realistic to expect ROI bene�ts in year one.

Adopting a CRM and ERP solution can provide the foundation for sustainable growth and enable organizations to survive and thrive even in uncertain economic times.

5 Key ROI Strategies:

Boost SalesBusiness Intelligence

Cloud Hosting OptionsAll-in-One Product

Your Competitive Edge

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Boost Sales1.

www.atum.com 1 877 893 3266

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With a 360-degree customer view, insightful analytics, and streamlined customer service capabilities, Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows organizations to better identify, service, and retain customers.

Retain and Prioritize Existing Customers

Maximize Revenue Opportunities

Business is sustained by the loyalty of an existing client base, as a result, retaining current customers and managingyour reputation is just as important as acquiring new business. Customer service agents are the front lines of business and need to be empowered to resolve issues with ease and accuracy. First responders equipped with a complete customer pro�le that includes history and a full view of service incidents, can provide the appropriate service, recommendation or product. Additionally, complete access to order and invoice information within the CRM system gives agents the ability to quickly answer billing questions without numerous transfers between departments.

The advantage of having customer pro�les available across the organization is that it allows users to evaluate demographic data, interactions, previous communications, and a history of purchases made. This information, combined with intelligent segmentation and analysis tools, facilitates a process of determining the pro�tability of each customer. Organizations can then create programs and policies that correspond with the customer’s measure of pro�tability. For example, call routing systems can be con�gured in CRM to automatically identify high-value customers and route them to premium customer service representatives or second levels. With access to key client metrics, service and sales teams can provide on-the-spot discounts or promotions proportionate to each customer’s value and sales history.

Streamline the Sales Process

The main goal of a CRM is to help people do their jobs better. Improving end-user productivity should be the foremost consideration when determining the value of a CRM solution. An agile sales process can be achieved by taking advantage of automated capabilities in a CRM system.

Build a Pipeline - input leads, convert opportunities De�ne strategic goals - using analytic reports and predictive forecasting Track critical tasks/KPIs - using accurate metrics and project details Nurture leads - automate consistent follow up campaigns Empower a mobile workforce - online, o�ine and mobile capabilities Reduce training time - integrated interface with Outlook, native functionality with Microsoft Excel and Word

Business Intelligence2.

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Anytime Visibility

Align All Business Units

Reporting and Tracking Capabilities

Directly from an Outlook client, Microsoft Dynamics can instantly run reports, track issues, orders, costs/revenue, and pull up custom views of comprehensive customer data pro�les.

It is important that the technology is capable of providing a seamless user experience regardless of device, browseror location, with access to the same information across all business units. This will enable faster communication, reducethe amount of steps it takes to resolve issues and develop consistent business acumen from the front line responders to executive management

As more CIOs begin to recognize that pervasive BI and analytics tools will have a direct impact on competitiveness, CRM andERP adoptation is rapidly increasing, reaching all time highs in every market. There are more players, which means there are more choices for the consumer to consider. It is customary to simply compare each product based on functionality and/or pricing model, but most companies are going a step further by investigating the potential for ROI and bene�ts to their business.The bene�ts cannot be quanti�ed merely by the amount of data a system can capture, but rather the by the quality of data and how it is used. Particularly given the current economic uncertainty, it is crucial for projects to executed within the long-term strategic plan of organization-wide decision management.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides users with a multitude of business intelligence and data visualisation capabilities that they can use to instantly get accurate, up-to-date information on sales forecasts, targets, quotas, customer buying patterns and promotions to drive sales growth. ERP systems o�er automated tools and bestpractices to manage all areas of business including: HR, Manufacturing, Billing and Project Mangement. The native integration of the Microsoft Dynamics interface with Outlook means that Dynamics is accessible in the same window as email.

- Run real-time reports - View predictive analysis, forecasts and revenue trends - Track leads and conversions - Access HR self-service tools

SalesCustomer ServiceMarketing

Key CapabilitiesCRM Modules

Financial ManagementHuman ResourcesManufacturingProject Management

Measure KPIs, automate work�ow, analyze pipelines, track leads and conversionsComplete customer data pro�les, case management tools, call/issue routingPlan, distribute and track the success of marketing campaigns and activities

GP Modules

Streamline expense managment, automate payables/receivables, manage cash�owManage payroll, implement bene�t programs, track and report incidentsTrack production costs, review and manage work orders, control quality assuranceCapture, review, and approve project time and expense data

... In one click

Cloud Hosting Options3.

Energy Savings

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Power of Choice

1. On Premise - Utilize your own server environment2. In the Public Cloud - Sign up with Microsoft CRM Online3. Partner Hosted (Private Cloud)- For example, Atum’s Managed VPS solution

Reduce operational costs

Consolidate Hardware and IT

Businesses that choose to run business applications in the cloud can help reduce energy costs by 30–90 percent comparedwith inhouse, on-premisesinfrastructure.

According to a Gartner report, “Cloud-Computing Budgets Are Growing and Shifting”...

39% of IT budget managers indicated that cloud computing is a key initiative for their organization.

46% plan to increase the use of Cloud services.

76% of respondents fully expected that CRM and productivity workloads would be procured from the Cloud.

The rapid adoption of cloud computing is driven by the promise of bene�tsin the form of mobility, performance and cost e�ectiveness for consumers, businesses, and also for the environment.

For businesses, the Cloud promises new economic and technical bene�ts:

– Better control over budgets (Pay-as-you-go or �xed monthly rates)

– Eliminating the need to invest in and maintain large, costly datacenters.

– Remote IT handles monitoring, software upgrades, and application maintenance (often included as an added-value service)

Introducing �exible pricing models and brand new Cloud capabilities are helping organizations execute on their business vision and technology roadmap by delivering services on their terms—whether it be it online, on-premises, or in a hybrid environment.

Pay-as-you-go pricing combined with cloud deployments allow customers to avoid capital investments in hardware and datacenter management, freeing up budgeted dollars for business operations. In many cases, a hybrid solution ofusing on-site infrastructure in addition to Cloud services is the most logical and cost-e�ective alternative. MicrosoftCloud options allow customers the �exibility to increase or decrease the number of users, and add additional online storage as the needs arise.

Business demands vary, so Microsoft o�ers customers 3 deployment methods:

* Source: Gartner Inc. Research, July 2010


All-in-One Product4.

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Increase the Potential of Existing Systems

A Seamless Layer

Many companies invest signi�cant resources to build and maintain mission-critical custom solutions but often have di�culty converting data into useful information and creating processes that connect people across disparate systems.

Integrating a CRM solution with an enterprise resource planning (ERP), billing, and inventory management systems can add value to customer-facing activities. For example, giving sales representatives visibility into inventory data through a CRM solution allows the sales person to tell customers directly when an order will be�lled, thereby cutting out a timely step in the process and increasing customer satisfaction. Integration to billing systems in Microsoft Dynamics GP (ERP) can allow managers to instantly identify and follow up on negligent accounts, improving alignment between the sales and accounting business units.

Microsoft Dynamics is an enterprise level CRM solution that is designed to enable work�ows not only within the base application but also across multiple systems. For example, manufacturing companies can create a process so that when a high-probability large deal is forecast in the CRM system, a work�ow automatically takes that information and inserts it into a capacity planning system. Any changes to the probability of the deal are automatically updated in the capacity planning system and when the deal closes it sends a process in the inventory management system to ensure capacity is aligned with demand.

National Air CargoGlobal freight forwarder

Used Microsoft Dynamics CRM collaboration tools to give employees fast access to customer information, increasing productivity by 25% and reducing the time to submit invoices and receive payment from 120 days to 36 hours.

Success Story

Modern work�ow tools should be intuitive and graphical or wizard-driven, allowing the sales organization to easily create, track and re-use work�ows and rules. A primary concern among CIOs is the ease and user adoptability of a CRM or ERP system. In fact, a recent CustomerThink Corp. survey*, when people were asked to rate the important factors in determining whether a sales automation solution was right for their organizations, “easy to learn and use for end users” was the top choice, scoring an average of 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 62 percent of respondents rating it as “extremely important.” Re-training and in some case, restructuring an entire workforce around new business process and technology can amount to a large investment in time and expense.

The strength of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an interface with a consistent view of the customer across the organization and its seamless integration with familiarMicrosoft technologies. CIOs credit high usage and rapid adoptability to the fact that Microsoft could build on its existing family of products. Users were already comfortable with Outlook for email, and their native Outlook client provides CRM functionality within the Outlook interface.

* Source: CustomerThink Corp. 2008


Your Competitive Edge5.

Better - at meeting the expectations of customers and growing your business.Faster - with a consistent �ow of information between departments and totally automated technology.Smarter - by using one system to manage all business operations and extract business intelligence.

“By delivering on a market vision focused on simplifying the user experience, increasing productivity and delivering continuous innovation for customers, we are able to help them keep pace with the rapid rate of change in today’s complex business environment.”

- Crispin Read, General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics ERP

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Improve Customer Service Capabilities

Key Research Findings:

1. Customer service professionals need rapid access to speci�c customer information to help di�erentiate their companies in the minds of consumers.

2. Strategic use of new tools and e�ective ways to manage people are critical factors in ensuring success.

3. Customer service innovations will not be successful unless they are based on a deep understanding of consumer needs and expectations.

4. Automation of administrative tasks is an important driver of customer service productivity.

According to a survey of customer service professionals conducted for The Economic Intelligence Unit in 2010, 71% of respondents say their organisation is proactive in using new information sources to enhance customerservice productivity growth*. Nearly half also say that their company does not do enough to leverage new technology as part of their growth strategy. In the report based on this survey, 4 key �ndings were identi�ed.

The research is clear. Businesses that respond to these key drivers with the right technology solutions will enhance the capabilities of their customer service teams and gain an edge over the competition. Microsoft is proving that positive ROI results start by �rst achieving greater productivity, enabling sales and service teams to meet the demands of the market. Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ERP yields a quicker ROI bydeveloping better, faster, smarter business principles:

* Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, April 2010


Return on Investment continues to be a main concern as business looks to invest in a strategy for long-term productivity and revenue bene�ts. CRM and ERP business applications are catering to the concerns of the consumer by upgrading functionality, o�ering �exible payment and deployment methods, even reducing the amount of training time necessary to increase user adoptability. Microsoft recognizes that ROI is a priority for business owners, particularly in a strained economic climate where productivity can often fall behind market demands.

To conclude, Industry analysts at Forrester recently evaluated the ‘Total Economic Impact’ of Microsoft’s CRM product and produced a report of their �ndings*. Forrester found that organizations can realize the bene�ts in the form of:

• Increased sales productivity of 5% with the ease of use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM software and integration with Outlook leading to higher adoption, improved opportunity and lead tracking, case routing, and a more accurate picture of its sales pipeline.

• Customer service productivity savings from a better UI and documented processes.

• Productivity savings of 16 man-hours per month due to the better reporting tools in Microsoft Dynamics CRM with data consolidation, reporting automation, and richer dashboard capabilities.

• Streamlined processes and operations leading to lower cost of sales as Microsoft Dynamics CRM enabled the composite organization’s technical consultants to shorten time spent on the proposal process by 10%.

• Acceleration of the sales conversion cycle by 50% and corresponding revenue gain as teams worked better together across di�erent business systems, processes, and geographies.

• Improved cross-sell collaboration within sales and customer service teams by providing access to reporting tools and other collaboration software such as Microsoft SharePoint® Server 2010.

• Lower upfront costs and e�ort

The Forrester Total Economic Impact report concludes...

Conclusion...

*Source: The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Forester Consulting 2011

“Microsoft Dynamics CRM users can expect a 243% Return on Investment, and the solution will pay for itself in 4 months.”

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About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of easy-to-use, integrated and adaptable ERP and CRM applications that enable business decision-makers to quickly respond to market shifts, take advantage of new trends, increase their competitive edge and drive business success. Microsoft Dynamics solutions are delivered through a world-class network of reselling partners providing specialized services and additional innovation to help customers excel in their industries.

About Atum Corporation - Microsoft PartnerFor over a decade, Atum Corporation has been an Award-Winning Canadian industry leader specializing inIT Consultation, Virtual IT innovation and premium Cloud (VPS) hosting solutions. Atum Corporation is a fullycerti�ed Microsoft partner o�ering a complete line of deployment services, including: Licensing, Consultation,Implementation, Integration and Customization, Support and Training, and Private Cloud hosting options. O�cesand datacentres are all located in Toronto, Canada servicing a broad client base primarily within North America.Atum Corporation has been recognized by Pro�t 100 as one of the 50 Companies to Watch (2006), by CDN Magazine as the Gold Winner for Best Small Business and Mid-Market Solution (2011) and by InfoTech asa �nalist for Canada’s Smartest-IT (2011).

ContactsJohn Posan - Director of Business Development

Local: 416 410 8444 ext. 2114Toll Free: 1 877 893 3266 ext.2114

[email protected]@atum.com

Atum Corporation#703-5255 Yonge St.Toronto, ON, CanadaM2N 6P4

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Appendix

Forrester Consulting. 2011. The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Dynamics 2011. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/dynamics/docs/mstei.pdf

The Economist 2010: Economic Intelligence Unit Surveyhttp://crmdynamics.blob.core.windows.net/docs/economist_service_productivity_report.pdf

Sources:

CustomerThink. 2008 Improving Sales Productivity: An Opportunity for Sales and IT Leadership.http://crmdynamics.blob.core.windows.net/docs/CustomerThink_White_Paper_Sales_Productivity.pdf

Gartner Research. 2010. Cloud-Computing Budgets Are Growing and Shiftinghttp://www.gartner.com/id=1422528

Microsoft Dynamics GP Online Bene�ts EstimatorDesigned to calculate the potential annual savings you could achieve using Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions.http://www.microsoft.com/global/dynamics/en/us/RichMedia/ErpBene�tsCalc/indexGP.html

Atum Corporation Partner Serviceshttp://www.atum.com/crm-erp/dynamics-solutions/

Additional Resources:

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Biggest obstacles to productivity growth in the sales function(% respondents)

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, April 2010.

Biggest barriers to successful implementation of new initiatives in the sales function(% of respondents)

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