What is a CRM system: architecture, 15 CRM software solutions, trends and pitfalls

Author: Dick Pouw MBA
Senior CRM Consultant

Table of Contents

Featured image | CRM System | CRM Software solutions | 100% independent advice

Don’t underestimate or overestimate CRM systems

CRM systems, also known as CRM software, is an essential part of customer-centric work & CRM. Implementing these systems is often both underestimated and overestimated. Underestimated when it comes to the amount of effort and costs such an implementation entails for the organization. Consider, for example, developing a robust and future-proof CRM architecture. OIt is overestimated when it comes to the effect a CRM system has on an organization. It would then be “suddenly” customer-focused and able to generate much more revenue. You can only implement a CRM system successfully with a vision of customer-oriented work and an integrated approach. Our CRM specialists are happy to help you with books, training, advice and implementation.

CRM systems are gaining popularity

The first CRM systems were introduced toward the end of the 90s. In the mid 2000s they became increasingly popular, with Siebel systems being the poster child at the time. CRM systems have undergone an explosive growth ever since. These days there are hundreds of vendors. In recent years, more and more CRM systems are being offered as cloud-based solutions. The most well-known vendor is SalesForce.

Collective name for CRM software

CRM software is a collective name for (usually) multiple types of software. This software can be used for maintaining customer contacts across various channels. There’s no singular definition for CRM software. CRM software often has the following hallmarks:

CRM software processes customer data.
Supports processes in the front office.
Enables communication with customers across various channels.
Helps with social media communication.

Everyone has their own definition. That’s not wrong per se, but it’s important to keep in mind. CRM software is an essential component of customer relationship management, but it can only be successful if the business is customer-focused. You can only achieve success when the customer value is clear and customer data is stored correctly and completely.

CRM system selection: 15 software solutions

Click on one of the vendors for more details about the CRM system you want to learn more about. Or consult our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 for an objective comparison of all these CRM software. Quickly come to a considered choice for the best CRM system for your organization. The list is in order of popularity. Passionned Group is 100% independent, and thus in no way affiliated with the CRM vendors.

1. Creatio

As far as we have been able to ascertain, Creatio currently has only one primary product: Creatio CRM. Take a look at the screen shots below. The CRM system from Creatio are strong in the following areas, among others:

no-code
automate marketing campaigns
lead management
contact
account
customer service
marketing automation
business process management
close deals
opportunity management

Figure 1: Creatio CRM

Figure 2: Creatio CRM

Figure 3: Creatio CRM

dossier Creatio

2. CRMNEXT

As far as we have been able to ascertain, CRMNEXT currently has only one primary product: CRMNEXT CRM. Take a look at the screen shots below. The CRM system from CRMNEXT are strong in the following areas, among others:

customer relationship management
marketing automation
reporting
lead management
customer service management
social CRM
lead generation
campaign management
account

dossier CRMNEXT

3. Freshworks

Freshworks is widely known for its products Freshsales, Freshworks CRM, Freshworks Analytics and Freshworks Freshdesk. The company is 100% specialized in CRM & Customer Interaction. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from Freshworks are strong in the following areas, among others:

customer service
helpdesk
account
customer relationship management
marketing automation
customer portal
contact
close deals
reporting
small businesses

Figure 4: Freshsales

Figure 5: Freshworks CRM

Figure 6: Freshworks Analytics

dossier Freshworks

4. HubSpot

The CRM system from the CRM & Customer Interaction vendor HubSpot focuses on the support of the following functionality:

mobile app
account
contact
customer relationship management
customer service
search
microsoft outlook
create tasks
small businesses
business relationships

HubSpot serves the market with the following products, among others: HubSpot CRM, HubSpot Sales Outlook and HubSpot Mobile App (see the images below). We took a closer look at them.

Figure 7: HubSpot CRM

Figure 8: HubSpot Sales Outlook

Figure 9: HubSpot Mobile App

dossier HubSpot

5. Kustomer

As far as we have been able to ascertain, Kustomer currently has only one primary product: Kustomer CRM. Take a look at the screen shots below. The CRM system from Kustomer are strong in the following areas, among others:

customer relationship management
customer service CRM
account
customer interactions
generative ai
contact
ticketing system
document management
goal management

Figure 10: Kustomer CRM

Figure 11: Kustomer CRM

Figure 12: Kustomer CRM

dossier Kustomer

6. Microsoft CRM & Customer Interaction

Microsoft is widely known for its products Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from Microsoft are strong in the following areas, among others:

customer relationship management
customer service
document management
goal management
on-premises
generative ai
contact
close deals
custom activities
infrastructure

Figure 13: Microsoft Dynamics

Figure 14: Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Figure 15: Microsoft Dynamics 365

dossier Microsoft CRM & Customer Interaction

7. Oracle CRM & Customer Interaction

The most well-known products in the area of CRM & Customer Interaction of the company Oracle are Oracle CRM, Siebel CRM, Oracle Eloqua and Oracle Service Cloud. We analyzed and evaluated these CRM & Customer Interaction products in depth and meticulously. The CRM system from Oracle can be characterized by good support on the following topics:

contact
customer relationship management
account
lead scoring
reporting
infrastructure
b2b
marketing automation platform
automation platform

Figure 16: Oracle CRM

Figure 17: Siebel CRM

Figure 18: Oracle Eloqua

dossier Oracle CRM & Customer Interaction

8. Pegasystems

Pegasystems is widely known for its products Pega Sales Automation, Pega Customer Service, Pega Customer Decision Hub and Pega Customer Relationship Management. The company is 100% specialized in CRM & Customer Interaction. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from Pegasystems are strong in the following areas, among others:

sales automation
customer service
customer relationship management
workflow automation
account
low-code
contact
customer lifetime value
case management
cloud software

Figure 19: Pega Sales Automation

Figure 20: Pega Customer Service

Figure 21: Pega Customer Decision Hub

dossier Pegasystems

9. Pipedrive

The most well-known products in the area of CRM & Customer Interaction of the company Pipedrive are Pipedrive CRM and Pipedrive Marketplace. We analyzed and evaluated these CRM & Customer Interaction products in depth and meticulously. The CRM system from Pipedrive can be characterized by good support on the following topics:

account
email marketing
small businesses
app marketplace
reporting
lead generation
sales pipeline
contact
data security
customer data

Figure 22: Pipedrive CRM

Figure 23: Pipedrive CRM

Figure 24: Pipedrive CRM

dossier Pipedrive

10. Salesforce

Salesforce is widely known for its products Salesforce Scheduler, Einstein, Salesforce CRM, Salesforce Service Cloud and Salesforce AI. The company is 100% specialized in CRM & Customer Interaction. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from Salesforce are strong in the following areas, among others:

appointment
customer service
generative ai
customer data
customer relationship management
contact
360-degree view
case management
account
CRM analytics

Figure 25: Salesforce Scheduler

Figure 26: Salesforce CRM

Figure 27: Salesforce Service Cloud

dossier Salesforce

11. SAP CRM & Customer Interaction

SAP is widely known for its products SAP CRM, SAP Customer Experience and SAP Customer Data. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from SAP are strong in the following areas, among others:

customer relationship management
customer data platform
customer service
customer interactions
business relationships
cloud solutions
contact
customer information
b2b

Figure 28: SAP CRM

Figure 29: SAP Customer Experience

Figure 30: SAP Customer Data

dossier SAP CRM & Customer Interaction

12. ServiceNow

The CRM system from the CRM & Customer Interaction vendor ServiceNow focuses on the support of the following functionality:

reporting
incidents
contact
advanced reporting
customer service
account
generative ai
search
data protection
no-code

ServiceNow serves the market with the following products, among others: ServiceNow Store, ServiceNow platform, ServiceNow Virtual Agent and ServiceNow Reporting (see the images below). We took a closer look at them.

Figure 31: ServiceNow Store

Figure 32: ServiceNow platform

Figure 33: ServiceNow Virtual Agent

dossier ServiceNow

13. SugarCRM

The most well-known products in the area of CRM & Customer Interaction of the company SugarCRM are SUGARCRM Platform and Sugarcrm One. We analyzed and evaluated these CRM & Customer Interaction products in depth and meticulously. The CRM system from SugarCRM can be characterized by good support on the following topics:

sales automation
customer service
all-in-one marketing automation
marketing automation platform
automation platform
app marketplace
customer relationship management
sales management
lead generation

Figure 34: SUGARCRM Platform

Figure 35: SUGARCRM Platform

Figure 36: SUGARCRM Platform

dossier SugarCRM

14. Zendesk

The most well-known products in the area of CRM & Customer Interaction of the company Zendesk are Zendesk CRM, Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox. We analyzed and evaluated these CRM & Customer Interaction products in depth and meticulously. The CRM system from Zendesk can be characterized by good support on the following topics:

customer service
account
reporting
customer data
workflow automation
ticketing system
customer relationship management
no-code
generative ai
contact

Figure 37: Zendesk CRM

Figure 38: Zendesk Sunshine

Figure 39: Zendesk Happyfox

dossier Zendesk

15. Zoho

Zoho is widely known for its products Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus, Zoho Marketing Automation and Zoho Survey. The company is 100% specialized in CRM & Customer Interaction. Take a look at the images below. The CRM system from Zoho are strong in the following areas, among others:

account
email marketing
customer service
contact
marketing automation platform
automation platform
workflow automation
360-degree view
email clients

Figure 40: Zoho CRM

Figure 41: Zoho Creator

Figure 42: Zoho CRM Plus

dossier Zoho

An approach using an architecture model

There’s some confusion around CRM systems, but an architecture model can provide insight into the entire domain. Take a look at the general architecture model below:

This model consists of the following components, from top to bottom:

The customer is the start and end point of any CRM system. Without customers there’s no interaction and no revenue.
The customer communicates with the organization across various channels. The amount of channels is increasing drastically, and customers switch channels frequently. The biggest challenge right now is continuously following the customer.
Portals are a structured way to keep communicating with customers across different channels. Portals encompass not just online communication, but also offline, such as physical mail, which is strongly decreasing in frequency and volume.
Customer interaction often goes through a front office or reception. But other departments can also manage this contact. The front office typically handles three processes: registration, processing, reaction. These are the basic processes of intelligent organizations.
The front office uses all kinds of data sources and systems. These can be divided into operational CRM systems and analytical systems. Operational systems record and support the operational process. Analytical CRM focuses on analyzing the right indicators and applying that knowledge in future customer interactions.
ICT systems support the entire customer interaction process. Often there are multiple systems, each of which takes care of a part of the process.
The integration layer automates data exchange between systems in the front office and the back office, or the cloud services. This integration layer consists of two components. There’s the so-called information bus, which manages information exchange between systems. The second component consists of a workflow management system. That ensures the automated processing of (part of) the customer interaction process.
The back office applications are the systems that the rest of the organization uses to support its internal company processes. Consider, for example, ERP systems, bookkeeping systems, and HR systems.
Cloud services are systems hosted by vendors in external servers: the cloud. You could store various functionalities in the cloud, for example e-mail systems, or video conferencing systems.

This architecture can be fully automated, for example in an e-commerce environment. But it can also be partially automated, so that employees still execute parts of your processes. Whether or not you can fully implement this architecture, and with which systems, depends on the objectives and the organization’s maturity. Consider the maturity level of customer contact, the market your organization operates in, and the type of market: B2B or B2C.

Trends in CRM software

CRM software is developing quickly, necessitated by the dynamic (technological) environment. What are the most important trends?

Multi-channel is an important tool for letting CRM systems follow the customer across all channels.
Smartphones and other mobile devices are increasing in functionality, and they’re becoming more user-friendly. Customers can get direct access to customer data, but the same goes for employees, who are using smartphones at work more and more. Mobile CRM is becoming essential.
CRM software is increasingly being offered from the cloud. Gartner predicts that this will be the case 80% of the time by the end of 2019.
Business Intelligence (BI) is becoming the ‘engine’ powering CRM. It increasingly forms the basis for communicating with customers. Consider personalized offers. We call this a data-driven organization.
Big Data is becoming more important within CRM systems. Why? Because it can be used to extract information from giant volumes of data.
CRM Software is becoming more user-friendly. The focus of CRM software vendors isn’t just on offering new functionality, but also on optimizing the user experience. Lack of adoption of CRM systems by users is the most important cause of CRM projects failing, according to Forrester research.
Webcare, or real-time reaction to online conversations about organizations, has become an essential component of CRM systems. It used to be niche players who offered this functionality, but large CRM vendors are now integrating this functionality into their existing software.

CRM Interaction Guide

Pitfalls of CRM systems

Research by Gartner, Forrester Research, Butler Group and others has shown that over 50% of CRM projects fail. It’s important to know the pitfalls. Some pitfalls are directly related to the choice of CRM software:

The CRM system isn’t flexible enough to match the changing needs of customers.
The systems are not equipped to make organizations work data-driven. The organization is missing a data warehouse, for example.
The system is seen as a separate entity. It isn’t integrated with others systems.
The implementation of a CRM system is seen as an ICT hobby horse, or it becomes one.

Besides these pitfalls, other factors also play a part, for example user acceptance. But those are organizational risks. The most important advice is: always work “under architecture” when you’re implementing such a massive change. If you want to know more about avoiding these pitfalls, or how to implement changes using architecture, feel free to contact us. We’d love to help you out.

Not every organization is ready

Not every organization is ready to implement a CRM system. As with every new development, there are leaders and followers. Passionned Group uses its own model for CRM implementation, the nine-layer model. By determining, as an organization, where you are and where you want to be (IST and SOLL), you can determine what the first logical step should be in increasing your organization’s maturity. But all too often, companies skip several stages of maturity. And that’s the cause of unsuccessful implementation of CRM software systems.

Don’t focus on one aspect

CRM technology is just one of the nine aspects of the nine-layer customer model. Ensure that you’re equally mature in every aspect. Focusing on one of the aspects, like state of the art CRM software, without working on, for example, a customer-focused organization, causes a mismatch between ambition and reality.

A final tip

Not every organization has to strive for the leadership phase. What the final stadium should be strongly depends on the organization’s position in the market. And of course also the maturity of the entire market, and the possibilities of the organization to distinguish themselves within it.

Do you want to know more about our approach or apply the maturity model in your organization? Do you want to determine the next logical step for your organization? We’d love to talk you through it. Feel free to contact us.

A CRM implementation is never finished

The implementation of a (new) CRM system is often seen as a one-time activity. Unfortunately, thanks to the rapid developments in customer interactions, the enormous growth in customer channels, and the data-driven focus on customer interaction, a process of continuous change and improvement is necessary.

Change can’t be implemented through one large CRM project that solves everything. To keep up with current, quick changes, a process of continuous innovation and improvement is necessary.

One-time change has become continuous change. An approach like PDCA is the ideal way for the organization to stay current and innovate at the same time. If you really want to be a customer-focused business, change becomes the only constant.

CRM Interaction Guide

Do you want to work with a good CRM software?

We have over 25 years of experience in implementing CRM software within companies and other organizations. Using countless solutions and our own approach, we’re eager to help your organization implement CRM systems faster, better, or more efficiently.

If you want to discuss this topic with one of our experts, make an appointment with us. We’d love to tell you more about our approach and the results you can expect.

About Passionned Group

Passionned Group is the expert in developing and implementing CRM systems. Our passionate CRM consultants help large and smaller companies in the transition to an intelligent, data-driven organization.