Companies have typically purchased and deployed ERP and CRM systems separately from each other, but integrating the two systems can reap substantial benefits around time to market, improved cash flow and agility.
 
Optimizing the business process as a whole, rather than individual parts, is the surest path to a successful integration project, experts say.
 
"The benefits of ERP-CRM integration are huge," said Ray Wang, an analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research. "ERP systems provide much-needed internal information that can be shared with new stakeholders. CRM systems provide the entry point for stakeholders to engage with an organization. You can't really have one without the other and be successful in the marketplace."
 
Read the entire SearchCRM article.