Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, is generally defined as a company-wide strategy designed to decrease company costs while increasing company profits. This is achieved by bringing together customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and advocacy. The best CRM combines information from every data source in a company to give a complete view of each customer in real time. Any department on the front lines of customer management can benefit from CRM.

There is a huge market for CRM management tools. There are several companies that promote products for small to medium size businesses to improve their CRM skills. None are perfect, but many have the capability for customization or offer add-ons to integrate all departments into the system. Here are three (3) that were recommended by posters on destinationcrm.com.

Capsule

Capsule utilizes Amazon's data centers to store the users' data. Capsule tracks all types of sales functions, including bids, deals, and proposals. Its contacts page is an overview of all the data on acustomer from all departments. While it has several preprogrammed tasks, lists, and reports, it also allows users to create and manage their own categories and reports. There is a mobile app available for iPhone 4+, Android 2.1+, and Blackberry 6+ phones. Aside from Google apps, Capsule also offers Xero, KashFlow, FreeAgent, and FreshBooks accounting systems, RightSignature for on-line document signing, and Zendesk and Freshdesk for help desk features. There are several e-mail marketing add-ons including MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, and Tout. The data is backed up in real time and is upgraded automatically. In addition to being Window and Mac compatible, it is also compatible with Linux.

SageAct

SageAct considers itself the number one Contact and Customer Management choice of small businesses and sales teams. This package allows users to manage contacts and calendars from Outlook,Google, LinkedIn, and Gmail. There are two basic packages: Pro and Premium Plus. The Pro package is a basic package that is a good choice for businesses just beginning CRM. It manages contacts, groups, companies, and the activities related to each. In addition to pre-loaded dashboards and reports, it also interacts with desktop, web based productivity, and social media sites. The premium package offers more flexibility for those who need more flexibility for have a large base of customers. SageAct also allows for real time accounting integration that syncs to the rest of the system, allowing for data to be entered a single time and be populated in multiple areas. Mobile and fax apps are available as add-ons. SageAct is unique in that it can be maintained by a firm's in-house IT department or by SageAct's technical staff.

Goldmine

Goldmine boasts over one million users and makes several claims on its website regarding increased sales and productivity. The system integrates with Outlook by using either prebuilt dashboards orthose customized by the user. Goldmine is based on a relationship management profile between sales, campaign management, and customer sales and service. Goldmine provides consistency between the modules by integrating the data to provide effective management tools. Goldmine offers amobile app and iGoldmine, which is a web based management system. iGoldmine allows users access from anywhere without synching to the system, allowing real time access. Goldmine Voice Solutions uses IP protocols to drive every customer interaction. Unlike Capsule, it is only Windows and Mac compatible.

All three systems provide free demos on-line. Prior to purchase, businesses should decide exactly what they are looking for in a CRM system and then investigate whether the CRM package will meettheir needs.