BI + CRM , 1 + 1 > 2

As you all have read from my mini bio on the right panel of this blog, I am in love with Business Intelligence. However, for the last few days in Malmö, I am having an affair with CRM. It all started with the current project with my client who wants to implement a CRM solution for their clients. Initially hired to handle the migration of data, I volunteer to handle some of the CRM development tasks to expand my technological arsenal. CRM didn't catch my attention until its most recent version, Dynamics CRM 2011, when the demand exploded during 2011, as a side effect the demand for ETL developer exploded as well. As Jukka Niiranen has pointed out in his blog, there are many exciting features that attracts corporates and companies of all sizes. So why would a BI consultant like me wants to learn CRM? From what I have learned from the CRM course, CRM development itself is not difficult for developers of some programming background, the customization is even easier. The key is not about the technical, but rather the understanding of the user habits and the nature of the business. This is very similar to BI. So if you are a good BI developer with good understanding of the business, you path to be a successful CRM developer is halfed. Besides the ETL for data migration to CRM system, SSAS analysis and SSRS reports will create endless of combinations that makes CRM much more powerful for all business areas. Let's say you have a decent CRM solution for a bike importer (reminds you of Advanture works huh?). It logs all the customer and potential sales leads. Some of the standard chart even tells the CEO the sales breakdown by region. Let's say a CRM developer with BI knowledge comes in, and run a data mining on the CRM data to find out what products sells best with product A, B, C etc. and presents the data in a custom SSRS report chart? All of a sudden you have a CRM solution that can do cross selling. How about a CRM system for stock brokers who can monitor and analyze the portfolio of its clients? VaR, Exposures, even some basic analysis analysis of the companies in the portfolio can be done. All of these BI tricks can be done and it is only a matter of hours to include them into the CRM, but it adds a lot more values to the solution. A BI consultant learning CRM is definitely a 1 + 1 > 2, one gets to utilize his business knowledge in another dimension to create more exciting solutions for clients which only imagination (and budget) is the limit. For those who have read my post about the choice of technology, CRM is a technology on the rise, require little overhead to get going and with those extra bonuses of knowing BI. It adds up to be time well spent for me in Malmö, the sunset by the pier was very beautiful and I am enjoying my affair.