When integrating your CRM system with other business applications, consider your key customer communication methods. If e-mail is an important way to maintain contact with your customers, see how a CRM system can integrate with your e-mail system, including e-mail client software. For better or worse, Microsoft Outlook has the largest number of CRM integration options among e-mail clients. CRM solutions that integrate with Outlook are available from both Microsoft and third parties.

Similarly, for a CRM application used in a call center, see if integration with your telephone system is possible. Can caller ID information such as the number for an incoming call be passed to the CRM system? If so, the CRM application might then retrieve the customer information linked to that phone number, so it’s instantly ready for your customer agent’s review when answering the call.

The demand for more analytical CRM capabilities is usually tied to the number of customers and distribution channels your staff manages. If your business sells to a few dozen large customers using one distribution channel, you probably have straightforward analytical requirements and may not require anything special. On the other hand, if your business sells to thousands of customers, using several distribution channels, you need top-notch CRM analytics that are up to the job.