What is an SAP CRM Consultant?
An SAP CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Consultant provides comprehensive solutions for managing customer’s relations with a company. It supports all customer focused business areas, from marketing to sales & services, as well as customer interaction channels like Interaction centre, the internet, and mobile clients.
SAP CRM can be independently implemented in a company, it is however increasingly being integrated with ERP to enable the company to better leverage its resources and offer great customer experience by quickly reacting to customer’s demands and other factors. The three main sub-modules of CRM are Sales, Services and Marketing.
While CRM SAP mobile and web solutions are in greater demand, SAP CRM Billing solution offers a niche where there is still tremendous room for growth before saturation sets in.
Job Functions
It is required from an SAP CRM Consultant to comprehensively educate and help the client understand the benefits which an organization can leverage from implementing a fully integrated CRM solution. You will be expected to plan the delivery of CRM solutions and to estimate the effort related to such solutions. This effort is further divided into one or more of the following focus areas:
- Service: Service Orders and Contracts, Case Management, Installed Bases, Warranty Management and Resource Planning.
- Marketing: Campaign and Lead Management, Segmentation and Lists, Real Time Offers and also Marketing Resource Management.
- Sales: Sales Planning and Forecasting, Sales Performance Management, Territory Management, Opportunity & Contact Management, Pricing & Contracts, Incentive & Commissions.
You will also be involved in business process mapping, requirements gathering, design and implementation of CRM Modules particularly Marketing, Sales, and Service. Experience in CRM Web Ui Configuration, Interaction Centre on CRM 7.0 is expected to have significant value addition to client’s business processes.
In addition to above, part of the responsibility also includes attending to the role of:
- Engagement Manager: Manage engagement risk with the customer, keeping track of project financials like planning and budgeting, to manage accounts receivable from customers, defines deliverables as well as ensure that clients’ sell-in to proposed solutions.
- Business Development: All aspects of business development like maintaining contact with decision makers at clients, organizes and leads teams pursing various prospects, proposal development for prospects and also contributes to proposal pricing.
- Practice Development: To develop solutions and methodologies, develop ‘thought-ware’ as well as ‘point of view’ literature, conduct seminars and public speaking and contribute to publication in industry and trade journals.
- People Development: To counsel and coach as well as to provide guidance and input to the firm’s staffing process and be integral part of staff recruitment and retention policies and activities.
The career of SAP CRM Consultant can be highly rewarding and financially satisfying, given the fact they had been able to help translate client’s business goals into tangible outcome by putting in place a world-class system (SAP CRM) where the customers find it highly intuitive and engaging to do business with. The client benefit from having satisfied customers, whom it is able to pro-actively attend, be it the quick placement of sales order, a complaint, an inquiry or payment options available. Given the pace with which mobile technologies and even web has penetrated in everyday’s life, SAP CRM will continue to the first choice for companies and therefore offers a stable career to SAP CRM Consultant.
Formal Education and Work Experience
- Possesses a BA degree or higher in Sales & Marketing
- SAP SD Certified
- SAP CRM certification preferred
- At least 5 years experience in SAP CRM module with extensive knowledge of various offerings and integration points of SAP CRM with SAP ERP
- At least 2 years experience in SAP CRM 2007 development experience using SAP standard tools
- At least 3 years experience in SAP CRM analysis, detailed design and corresponding documentation skills
- Be able to manage the detailed customization in the relevant CRM modules
- Be able to work independently, demonstrate initiative and mobility
- Positive team player with excellent communication skills
- Commercial insight and attitude and very strong customer focus
- Well versed with advanced Ms Excel features, Ms PowerPoint, Ms Project and Ms Visio