Enterprise Applications--The Genesis and Future, Revisited
Part Five: More on ERP Evolution
P.J. Jakovljevic - April 5, 2004

Customer Relationship Management

Another important area of enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors' functional expansion has been in the front-office and customer relationship management (CRM) arena, since customers are demanding applications and tools that allow them to link back-office ERP systems with front-office CRM systems. CRM has gone from a vast field of point solutions to suites of customer care applications covering SFA, field service, telesales, call center, marketing automation, etc. Today's enterprise applications are required as a matter of course to address more than the processes taking place within the walls of an enterprise. Almost all traditional ERP vendors (small and big alike) experienced a "wake up call" and have long been trying to expand their product offering in tune with the ever-changing trends and requirements of the new collaborative economy...