The Benefits Of Having Your PM Tools Integrated In Your CRM System

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In the workplace, having one central spot for all your information instead of it distributed across a cluster of different apps and communication methods is always best. So why not add your project management tool to this rule? 

Companies use many different project management tools, and with technological advances, they can integrate into various systems. The benefits of having a one-stop-shop for both your CRM and project management software are immense. Below is a list of just a few reasons why you should consider this implementation into your workforce. 

1. By integrating both of your tools, you can manage your tasks and workload a lot easier, knowing that all your information is in one place. This integration helps in being able to control where information is stored, track any updates or changes made, and keep on task because you’re not bouncing between different applications. 
   
2. The integration aligns the project plans according to each client’s information and background. This ultimately allows for a more streamlined workflow and ensures that each client’s needs are met by giving the 360-degree transparency needed for every individual involved in the sales pipeline. All involved departments are then able to execute their job efficiently and effectively. 
   
3. It allows for better communication and client tracking. Your project management method will now be able to connect with your pipeline methods from client quotes to client invoices, ultimately consolidating processes and making post-sale task management more manageable. It allows you to track all communication between each department involved from the start of an order to the end. 

Here at Chicago Cloud Group, we have found that the tool that works best for us within our Salesforce CRM system is Inspire Planner. This tool speaks to all the benefits listed and many more. It has been a great source for our organization to be able to implement project plans with the ability to share our projects with external users, fully integrate with Chatter, track time on our Salesforce assigned tasks, create project templates and portfolios, attach files to project plans and tasks; the list is endless. This has allowed us to streamline our processes and given us the ability to communicate directly from the source via Chatter which has dramatically reduced the daily influx of emails.

In her blog “Creating Team Collaboration Through Various Tools,” our Senior Project Manager, Jennifer Rutledge, talks about Inspire Planner’s ability to link our project plans to Accounts and Opportunities. This is another useful spec because not only does it push a constant line of communication, but it also promotes cross-team collaboration. 

Some other abilities that Inspire Planner offers to make managing your projects easier are:

– Reports and Dashboards 

– Customizable Interface

– 24/7 Personal Support

– Easy Allocation of Resources

– Automatic Data Sync – not everyone has to have a license to track a project’s progress. This is done using tasks in Salesforce. 

Finding a project management tool that fully integrates into your daily workspace is vital because, without it, your employees are making decisions without seeing all the information they need. Salesforce has a multitude of different project management tools that work hand in hand to keep you up to date at every stage in the project life cycle. While it does take time to adjust to a new method, I promise that it is worth switching, helping your organization boost its productivity and overall success.