CRM or ERP? How an Indian SME should decide
CRM manages customers and sales. ERP manages operations. Here's how to know which one you need first.

A CRM is about the customer: leads, follow-ups, deals and communication. An ERP is about operations: orders, inventory, production, purchase, dispatch and accounts.
Start with a CRM if…
- Leads arrive on WhatsApp, calls and forms and some are never followed up.
- You can't tell which marketing channel brings paying customers.
- Sales depends on one person's memory.
Start with an ERP if…
- Orders are tracked in Excel and dispatch is often late.
- Stock numbers never match.
- The same data is typed into three places, including Tally.
Custom or off-the-shelf?
Off-the-shelf works when your process is standard. Custom pays off when your process is your advantage, or when you're paying for many seats of software that only half fits.
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