The concept of moving to the cloud is often considered in the corporate environment according to specific departments and needs. When it comes to the customer service division, the capabilities possible in the cloud are extensive, especially for customer relationship management (CRM). It’s critical that CRM applications integrate directly with other platforms and one of the best ways to accomplish this is in the cloud. Given that fact, is it time to use a cloud CRM app?

This question was asked in a recent Commerce blog as firms are increasingly operating in an environment where customer service, sales and production teams are often working in separate locations. Cloud computing is gaining popularity as it readily supports disparate workers located throughout the world, yet accessing the same network capabilities.

The adoption of the cloud CRM app can help the forward-thinking company, the organization that has adopted smartphones and tablets for employees on the move. With access to the network and potential contacts while on the go, users can instantly communicate customer information within the company, send information directly to the customer and update account information. In fact, new programs can be set into action before a customer visit even comes to an end.

Such an approach plays in to the reality that customers want immediate gratification. Sales reps can log into the CRM application residing in the cloud and record information, get answers to questions and keep their sales efforts moving in a positive direction. Robust CRM apps based in the cloud will work on a variety of mobile platforms, such as smartphones, tablets and PCs, and will provide users with immediate access to the network from anywhere.

In addition to this increase in productivity, access to the cloud CRM also ensures efficiency increases with up-to-the-minute information. Companies are no longer working with incorrect information and mistakes are much less likely to happen. Plus, the employee base completely on top of the needs of the customer is better equipped to deliver the kind of service the customer has come to expect from interactions with the company.

The cloud CRM app is easy to get up and running, eliminating the need for complex software or hardware, the hiring of an IP specialist, an extensive staff to maintain the system and complex infrastructure to support multiple channels, features and capabilities. Interfaces tend to be user friendly and easy to navigate, designed to deliver the best value for the company and its users.