Comparing ERP and CRM: Which solution is comprehensive for businesses?

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In the context of increasingly developing digital transformation, businesses are faced with many software options to optimize management and operations. Of which, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) are two popular systems, often referred to as the "backbone" of modern management. However, each system serves different goals, from internal management to customer care. This article will help you Compare ERP and CRM comprehensively – from functionality, benefits to integration – to find the best solution for your business.

1. Definition of ERP and CRM

1.1. What is ERP?

System Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an overall management software, designed to integrate and automate the main functions of business processes.

The main objective of ERP is to Optimize operational processes, manage resources effectively, and provide accurate information to support decision making. The main functions/subsystems commonly found in a ERP system in manufacturing including financial accounting, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain, human resource management, project management, sales and warehouse management.01 What is ERP system?

1.2. What is CRM?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a software system used to manage all relationships and interactions between a business and its current and potential customers.

The main goal of CRM is to Improve customer relationships, increase customer satisfaction and retention, thereby driving revenue and sustainable growth for the business. Core CRM features include customer information management, sales process automation, customer behavior analysis and reporting, marketing campaign support, and customer service management.

2. Comparing ERP and CRM: Similarities and Differences

2.1. Similarities

Both ERP and CRM are enterprise software solutions developed to Improve management efficiency and increase revenue. They help connect data across departments and automate manual tasks. Both systems handle lists of contacts, companies, quotes, orders, and forecasts, and store and analyze data in the same centralized database. They also provide accurate business reports and can be deployed in the cloud (SaaS) or on-premises.

2.2. Main differences

Despite their similarities, ERP and CRM differ significantly in the following aspects:

  • Core Objectives: CRM focuses on generate revenue and maintain customer loyalty by managing customer interactions. In contrast, ERP focuses on Optimize and manage internal business processes to increase efficiency and cut operating costs.
  • Objects of use and scope of management: The primary users of CRM are sales, marketing, and customer support departments who work directly with customers. Meanwhile, the primary users of ERP are factory managers, production coordinators, buyers, supply chain, and finance, i.e. internal users. CRM focuses on “front-office” (customer-facing) activities, while ERP focuses on “back-office” (internal) activities.
  • Implementation time and investment costs: Because CRM focuses on the customer, implementation is often quick and the investment cost is lower. In contrast, ERP manages more complex departments and processes, so implementation is time-consuming and more expensive.
  • Feature structure: Some ERP systems may offer built-in CRM modules or allow integration with third-party CRM solutions. However, a dedicated CRM system will not provide core ERP functions such as comprehensive financial accounting management, manufacturing management, or extensive supply chain management.

 

3. When should a business choose ERP or CRM?

3.1. When is CRM needed?

Businesses should consider implementing CRM while they are in early stage of development and top priorities are attracting new customers, increasing sales and maximizing revenue. CRM is a powerful tool to speed up the sales and marketing process, improve customer service, and thereby bring in a large source of revenue. CRM is suitable for all business sizes, especially small and medium-sized businesses, or startups looking for an effective customer management solution at a reasonable cost.

3.2. When is ERP needed?

The application of ERP system is considered appropriate and necessary when the enterprise has strong development, stable customer base and loyal customer base, and strong financial potentialAs the number of departments and personnel increases, operating procedures become more complex, ERP becomes the logical choice to Optimize management processes, cut costs and increase sustainable revenue. ERP also helps synchronize administrative activities and link work between departments, thereby improving the overall productivity of the business.

3.3. Benefits of integrating both systems

Integrating both ERP and CRM brings many significant benefits, helping businesses gain Overall overview of business operations and customer careAll customer data can be thoroughly analyzed, forecasts become more accurate, supporting managers to make the right strategic decisions. 

This integration also helps Improve business efficiency, eliminate data redundancy, increase cross-departmental engagement, and speed up approval processes. This also helps reduce errors, improve customer service, and increase revenue through effective cross-selling strategies. According to research, integration can result in productivity gains of 20 to 30%.

3.4. Challenges in integrating CRM and ERP

Despite the many benefits, CRM and ERP integration also faces some challenges:

  • Differences in data structure: Due to different usage purposes, the data structure between the two systems may not be consistent.
  • Synchronize workflow: Processes in CRM focus on customer relationships, while ERP manages internal processes, requiring alignment and connectivity to ensure efficient operations.
  • Employee training and culture change: Employees need to be trained and familiarized with the new system, and the corporate culture also needs to adapt to changes in work processes.
  • Implementation costs:Integration can require a significant initial investment.
  • Ensuring security and access: When data from multiple sources is shared and synchronized, ensuring the security of customer and financial information is critical.
  • Compatibility between systems: Compatibility issues may arise when connecting different software systems.

4. Bizzi – Specialized solution for business financial automation

While ERP system usually focuses on overall management of production processes, human resources, logistics... and CRM focusing on building customer relationships, Bizzi.vn offers a specialized approach – focusing entirely on Enterprise Finance AutomationThis is the optimal solution for businesses looking for specialized support tools for the accounting and finance department, instead of choosing complex, cumbersome systems such as traditional ERP or CRM.

4.1. What is Bizzi?

Bizzi is a dedicated SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform for financial automation, acting as a AI assistant for accounting and finance departments. Unlike ERP software that covers many subsystems or CRM software that specializes in processing customer data, Bizzi focuses on optimizing revenue - expenditure - debt process, helping businesses save time, reduce risks and increase financial operational efficiency.

4.2. Core Features of Bizzi

Bizzi is not only a financial automation platform, but also a comprehensive solution to help businesses optimize processes, control risks and improve financial operations efficiency. With the integration of advanced AI and RPA technology, Bizzi offers many specialized features, with the ability to flexibly integrate into existing ERP or CRM systems, meeting the needs of modern businesses.

  • Automated Invoice Processing (IPA + 3-Way Matching): Use RPA and AI technology to download, check and compare input invoices with PO and GR. Automatically detect discrepancies, warn of risks and store invoices according to legal standards.
  • Business Expense Management (Bizzi Expense): Set budgets for each department/project, track spending in real time, warn of budget overruns, and support automatic approvals.
  • Business Travel Management (Bizzi Travel): Integrated flight and hotel booking, support for tracking business expenses, quick approval, easy expense control.
  • Electronic bill (B-invoice): Create and issue standard electronic invoices, issue invoices in bulk, connect directly with tax authorities, allow searching, printing and storing for 10 years.
  • Debt control (ARM): Track customer and supplier debts, automatically remind debts via email/SMS, reconcile and report detailed debts.
  • Business credit card: Support spend first - pay later with 0% interest rate within 45 days, integrated cost control via app.
  • Connecting capital sources: Facilitate access to supply chain finance, working capital to maintain stable cash flow.
  • Automatic order processing: Support businesses to speed up order processing and increase sales effectively.

4.3. Bizzi's role in the enterprise software ecosystem

Bizzi does not directly compete with ERP or CRM platforms, but rather serves as a powerful complementary solution in the enterprise software ecosystem. Specifically:

  • Specialized financial automation: Bizzi is designed as an AI & RPA tool that focuses on optimizing financial and accounting processes, typically automating invoice processing, PO – GR – invoice reconciliation (3-Way Matching), and cost risk warning. This is an area where both traditional ERP and CRM systems are less specialized.
  • Not a replacement, but an extended integration: Instead of replacing ERP systems such as Oracle NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Odoo, or Lark – Bizzi seamlessly integrates with them to increase the efficiency of financial operations, helping businesses take advantage of existing infrastructure while still achieving high digital efficiency.
  • Flexible solution, saving investment costs: While ERP may require a full system implementation, implementing Bizzi as a separate financial module allows businesses to deploy quickly, reduce system conversion costs, and still upgrade an important part of the value chain – finance – accounting.
  • Increased specialization and scalability: Bizzi does not confine itself to the concept of “overall management software”, but focuses specifically on a key link – thereby becoming an indispensable part of the enterprise's step-by-step digitalization strategy.

In short, if CRM helps businesses take better care of customers, ERP helps control the entire operating process, then Bizzi helps automate and optimize financial and accounting operations., thereby perfecting the management software ecosystem in a more modern, flexible and economical direction.

To improve the efficiency of invoice management as well as automate the financial and accounting processes of the business. Register to experience Bizzi's comprehensive solution suite today!

5. Choose the right solution for your business

When comparing ERP and CRM, there is no “best” choice for every business — only the solution that best fits each organization’s specific needs. To make an effective decision, businesses need to carefully consider many factors: operational goals, investment budget, future integration and scalability. Here are three key criteria to analyze before making a choice.

5.1. Identify needs and priorities

The starting point in comparing ERP and CRM is to understand your business goals. If your business is focused on Increase sales, improve customer engagement and optimize sales processes, then a CRM system is the right choice. CRM supports customer information management, sales automation, and customer journey personalization.

On the contrary, for businesses facing complex, decentralized operating procedures, especially in finance, accounting, purchasing or logistics, an ERP system will deliver more comprehensive value through standardization and automation of the entire chain of operations.

Additionally, if the business wishes to prioritize financial process automation, specialized solutions such as Bizzi – a platform focused on invoice processing, cost reconciliation and electronic storage – can be considered as part of a flexible, cost-effective yet effective digital strategy.

5.2. Cost considerations

One of the prominent factors when comparing ERP and CRM is implementation costs. Comprehensive ERP systems often have higher initial investment costs significant, due to deep integration requirements, complex configurations, and long implementation times. Meanwhile, CRM often has many Flexible pricing packages, suitable for small and medium enterprises or units that want to test sales process improvements first.

For financial automation solutions like Bizzi, Costs are usually lower more than a full ERP system, but still ensures Optimize finance department performance thanks to technologies such as AI and RPA. This is a worthy option for businesses that need to upgrade their financial and accounting systems but are not ready to deploy a comprehensive ERP.

5.3. Integration and extensibility

Whether choosing CRM or ERP, one key factor is Ability to integrate with existing systems. ERP is strong in its ability to consolidate multiple departments into a single platform, creating a continuous and standardized data stream. Meanwhile, CRM often needs Integrate additional accounting, warehousing or financial automation software like Bizzi to complete the operating chain.

Scalability also plays an important role. As the business grows, the system chosen needs to be able to Flexible feature expansion or upgrade without affecting current operations. A popular strategy today is to build a hybrid ecosystem: CRM – ERP – Bizzi complementary activities, smoothly integrated to serve the goal of comprehensive digital transformation.

Conclude

Comparing ERP and CRM shows that both play an important role in business management strategy, but each system serves different goals. ERP aims to optimize internal processes and financial management, while CRM focuses on building and maintaining customer relationships. For maximum efficiency, businesses can choose to integrate both systems or prioritize solutions that are suitable for their current development stage. With the support of platforms like Bizzi, businesses can deploy automated financial tools and gradually connect effectively with ERP/CRM systems, creating a flexible and sustainable operating platform.

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