Connecting The Dots... CRM To PSA To ERP

By Mark E. Engelberg, founder and CEO of TimeLinx Software, Inc.

As the world moves to browser-based applications (whether hosted on your own server or with a provider such as Amazon), it can mean that some of your applications might be on a local server in your office and others are hosted somewhere else.  For example, you may have a hosted CRM (“Customer Relationship Management”) system, while your accounting or ERP software application stays behind closed doors where it is more difficult for a hacker to gain access.  (By the way, for the purposes of this article, I’ll use “accounting” and “ERP” interchangeably even though they are actually not the same.  ERP (“Enterprise Resource Planning”) has become an everyday acronym that is used to mean accounting, though it’s not accurate.

With the advent of web services technologies, your accounting application can now talk to your CRM application over the internet even though they are separated by great distances.  But why?  What’s the benefit of a CRM application talking to an ERP application until the CRM is providing useful data to the ERP?  Just because they can talk, doesn’t mean there is a good reason to spend the money and time to create or purchase an integration option.

I use CRM and ERP examples here because they are the most common applications that most companies have.  Certainly, everyone has an accounting system, and it is likely that you have a newer method that has replaced your index card system to keep track of your prospects and customers, and the sales opportunities and other relationship information you need to provide proper customer service.