Customer relationship management is a key element of any business setup. Today, there are more options for this element of your business than at any time in the past. You can opt for what's known as cloud or on-demand CRM by using software that's at a remote location and outside your company network. Another approach is to go with on-premise CRM and have the software reside on your company servers. Which solution would work best for your company? Consider these benefits of the on-premise option and how they would work for you.

Melding With the Infrastructure You Already Have in Place

The fact is that you already have quite a bit of software running on the company servers. From accounting to sales to programs designed to accomplish all sorts of important tasks, they are housed locally and are working fine. Given the infrastructure you've built, the backup measures, you've taken, and the ease of operating the network, why not consider adding the CRM software to the mix?

Depending on what you have in place, the integration may be a lot easier than you think. That still means you can make sure the primary server backs everything up to a secondary server each night, or you may even decide to use a remote storage solution that copies all the data a couple times each week. In the meantime, you continue to make the most of the resources that were already in place.

Management by a Dedicated IT Staff

There are certainly professionals who can be called upon to help if you have any difficulties with a cloud setup. The thing is that none of them work directly for you. They may or may not understand aspects of your corporate culture or how important it is to have access to certain data or programs right this minute. You may not realize how important a localized solution happens to be until something does prevent you from reaching what's stored in the cloud.

If you decide to go with an on-premise solution for your CRM, the IT staff that works directly for you will be right there to take care of things in real time. Since they are employees, they will also have a firm grasp on why managing any current issues quickly is such a big deal.

The Ability to Continue Serving Customers Even if the Internet Connection is Down

Choosing to place the CRM software on your local server also means that the company is not as dependent on the Internet for internal communications. Even if something happens and Internet service is interrupted for several hours, it's still possible for all employees with access to the database to continue adding information in real time.

Think of what this means in terms of customer care. If access to the cloud is interrupted, providing timely responses to customer queries or concerns could be problematic. By contrast, the fact that the Internet down will not inhibit your employees from accessing the server, finding the information needed to help the customer, and providing the answers immediately.

There is no doubt that a cloud-based CRM solution works well for many business owners. In other instances, software residing on a local server paired with uploading backups on a regular basis is the right choice. Consider the benefits of on-premise CRM and how it relates to your business model. It won't take long to make the choice that's right for your operation.