In the Consumer Products industry, the role of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software cannot be overstated. A 360 degree view of your Retail Customers is critical to success and you need to engage with them across all routes-to-market. Consumer products companies face a unique set of industry challenges, and the choice between vertical and horizontal CRM solutions can significantly impact their ability to protect margins and seize growth opportunities.
Aforza is a leading provider of CRM solutions for the Consumer Products industry, it’s our only focus. In this blog, we’ll look into the distinctions between vertical and horizontal CRM software, highlighting how Aforza’s tailored solutions address industry-specific challenges and needs.
Understanding Horizontal CRM Software
Horizontal CRM is a generalised solution applicable across various industries. This type of CRM software is versatile, offering a broad set of features that can cater to a range of sectors without being tailored to any specific industry use cases.
It provides general features that can be applied universally. Horizontal CRM software is designed to be standard and easily integrable into different business environments. However, it may lack the precision and depth needed to address the specific challenges faced by industries with unique requirements, such as Consumer Products.
Understanding Vertical CRM Software
Vertical CRM is a specialised solution designed to meet the unique needs of a particular industry. This approach involves creating software that caters specifically to the requirements and use cases of a particular vertical, such as the Consumer Products industry.
In the context of Consumer Products, vertical CRM involves understanding the industry’s unique data requirements, developing a tailored data model and supporting business processes. This model ensures that the CRM solution is not a generic, one-size-fits-all platform but one that resonates specifically with the industry’s requirements. This results in a faster time-to-value and more ongoing agility as the industry needs evolve.
The Tip of the Iceberg
Let’s imagine an iceberg as the CRM solution and breakdown what you actually get out-of-the-box, versus what is hidden under the waterline.
With Horizontal CRM, the software license makes up approximately 10% of your total costs. The other 90% will need to be spent on customising the solution to meet your unique industry needs. Common Consumer Product use cases like account targeting, segmentation, visits & task execution, audits, orders, promotions and offline mobile capabilities will all need to be built. Once built, it then needs to be maintained, else these customisations create technical debt.
With Vertical CRM, Aforza delivers this industry specific functionality out-of-the-box. With limited configuration and administration, you can tailor these processes to meet your business requirements and go-live quickly.
Aforza’s Approach
Aforza is a leading provider of CRM solutions specifically tailored for the Consumer Products industry. Aforza understands the complexities of this vertical and has developed a suite of capabilities to streamline operations, drive growth and protecting margins.
Here are 5 key areas that clearly differentiate Aforza as a Vertical CRM provider for the Consumer Products industry:
1. Industry Data Model
Consumer Products specific entities & relationships
- No need to customise generic objects
- Accelerates implementation by aligning seamlessly with industry-specific requirements
- Minimises errors & technical debt
2. Omnichannel Out-of-the-Box
All of your route-to-market channels covered
- Field, Telesales, B2B & Distributors covered
- Reduces implementation timelines with ready-to-deploy channels
- Guarantee a consistent UX across all touchpoints for streamlined operations
3. Segmentation, Pricing & Promotions Engines
Deliver penny-pefect pricing on every channel
- The same engines run across every route-to-market channel
- Calculate exact pricing, even when offline
- Eliminate the need for time-consuming ERP system integrations
4. Offline Mobile
Phone & Tablet apps built for the Consumer Product industry
- All mobile functionality available when disconnected from the internet
- Consumer-grade UX with easy order capture & promotion execution
- Full support for Apple & Android Phones & Tablets
5. Digital Content Execution
Seamlessly integrate content into your sales processes
- Easily capture store photos to guarantee promotion compliance
- Understand availability & share of shelf with integrated image recognition
- Take action in real-time with content based workflows
Choosing the right CRM solution for your Consumer Products business is critical to success. In our decades of experience in CRM implementations, we’ve seen that having a CRM tailored to the unique needs of the industry is the difference between project success and failure. We are passionate about this!
Aforza doesn’t just offer a standardised bunch of features; it provides an industry-specific complete solution that makes operations smoother, helps companies grow, and ensures success.