What is our primary use case?
My main use cases include case management and tracking customers.
We integrate CRM into our daily sales processes.
Sales processes are predefined. The choice of CRM depends on how flexible you can make workflows. That's why Salesforce is popular.
How has it helped my organization?
It streamlines customer service and support tasks. A complex challenge was with a large customer who had diverse systems in 17 countries with different local regulations.
This product helped accommodate some of those requirements. We still needed an intermediate system for reporting in two countries, but it tackled 19% of the initial complexity.
The ease of learning and using the interface is important. Moreover, the customization capabilities are good. I haven't had any issues with customization for any customers I've worked with on this product.
What is most valuable?
The UI is very intuitive. So, ease of use is definitely important.
What needs improvement?
A built-in automation engine to automate parts of workflows would be beneficial.
That's the feature I'd be most happy to see expanded. It's currently tagged as simple automation, but I'd love some predictive capability.
For example, if a business process has a certain timeframe due to the way it's worked out, the system should have predictive capabilities. It should be able to tell me that this process can be re-engineered to reduce time or be automated. So, a little more than just vanilla automation is what I'd like to see.
That's the only thing I would want improved. It's currently basic and play-based. But if it had the capability of built-in predictive functionality, not as advanced as a separate product like Signavio, but at least something to give you the ability to tweak your processes at the right time, that would be really nice.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been in CRM for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability isn't a product question. Stability depends on the interfaces it connects to, like ERP, MES, or reporting systems.
A complex business process with a complex data structure going through multiple applications can make even SQL HANA unstable.
So, stability is a characteristic of the entire system, not just the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable without any problems.
My largest customer had sales teams in 17 countries, with approximately 30 to 52 users.
How are customer service and support?
There have been times when we need to reach out to Microsoft. It's not a completely out-of-the-box solution. The support is brilliant, I wouldn't have anything negative to say.
All OEMs are pretty helpful. But for a brand new bug, it goes into the bug bounty and takes time, which is true for all OEMs.
How was the initial setup?
The complexity of the initial setup depends on the process you design. Because it is not a function of the product, it is a function of the process we design.
A complex process can be difficult to use even with a simple product, and vice versa. So, it depends on the customer's specific process.
What about the implementation team?
For the deployment process, first, we check the customer's existing processes. We see if there's room for improvement or any missing processes. Then we design the process and define the data. After this we start the implementation process.
Typically, CRM needs to talk to not just ERP but also Dynamics. The data flow between these three systems needs to be harmonized, so maybe middleware is needed. This design phase takes about two months, longer for complex cases. Then, you get into deployment.
Some prefer SaaS, and some, especially in Europe, prefer on-premises. It's not about not being open to SaaS, but about compliance and keeping data within certain geographies.
For example, German organizations want data to stay within Germany. They can either use a cloud provider that guarantees data stays in Germany, use their local telecom cloud, or go on-premises.
But options like Google cloud are limited, lacking features like email and jobs. So, for a customer in Germany, on-premises might be the solution. But for others, it depends on how they value data governance.
What was our ROI?
As long as there is clarity on the value proposition, the features, the problem it solves, and the license fee (along with consulting fees), the cost shouldn't be the main concern. This isn't like individual purchases like Office 365.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There's an enterprise architect and sales team who handle the cost and customer-facing licensing changes. However, we've done bulk licensing (location-based) and yearly licenses in the past.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend it.
Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. The rating is a measure of the whole ecosystem, including processes, interfaces, and everything. No product in Landmark is a seven or eight.
Even the most complex ERP looks like a ten during the initial decision, but by the time it's implemented, all systems come down to seven or eight, which is very good for the industry.
*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
