In the fast lane with SAP Customer Experience

The prerequisite for transparent and efficient business processes today are powerful IT systems. Using the CRM software C/4, SAP shows what modern, customer-oriented customer relationship management must look like.

The customer experience solution (CX) is not detached from other SAP applications, but is an integral component and fully covers all communication channels and functional areas.

And that is precisely the key advantage of this SAP software: Seamless back-end integration via SAP CPI (Cloud Platform Integration) in the direction of S/4 means that end-to-end processes are at the center of attention.

C/4 thus ensures a holistic and comprehensive 360-degree view of customers and thus comprehensive customer management.

High customer requirements

For this reason, an overarching view of the processes is required. In principle, many aspects must be taken into account. Four of them are described in detail here.

Big Data and IoT:

Companies collect a large amount of customer data. The challenge is to manage this information in a targeted manner and to use it sensibly for the benefit of optimized customer retention and communication.

Experience:

Consumers expect interactive communication without loss of information across different channels - from the impulse to buy on Instagram to the order in the online store and the return of the goods in the retail store.

Connectivity:

Service quality has always played an important role and will continue to be of elementary importance: customers expect repairs or maintenance to be carried out quickly.

And to ensure that these processes run smoothly for the customer, companies are increasingly turning to service providers. These external technicians must be connected to the CRM system and supplied with real-time data.

Trust:

Building and maintaining trust with customers is one of the most critical business challenges of all. On the one hand, companies must ensure the security of customer data and the IT landscape, also due to legal requirements.

On the other hand, it is important to create processes that enable consumers to view their data or even maintain it themselves.

Opportunities on the market with C/4

What does this mean for SAP customers and their existing IT landscape? Which solutions should be used and what will happen to the SAP CRM applications that are being phased out?

There are no blanket answers to this. Since CRM functions will also be available in the S/4 ERP system via "Customer Management", a distinction must first be made at the functional level between the use of S/4 and C/4.

This is not an easy decision for companies, because both the Customer Experience Suite in C/4 and S/4 Customer Management are still being functionally developed.

Whether S/4 or C/4 - the basic prerequisite for this is a precise analysis of current and future business requirements as well as monitoring the constant further development of SAP solutions.

Making the selection solely with a view to simple data migration is completely inadequate. This is about exploiting economic potential for the future.

Regardless of whether companies are already working with SAP components in the CRM system, they will benefit in any case from the new, open and flexible IT infrastructure of the SAP CX world.

Depending on the requirements, individual solutions, such as services and apps, or functions that arise on the basis of the company's business model can be integrated. So it can be overhauled!