The management of customer relationships has always been a complex matter. Only when all factors, concepts, and processes work together perfectly can sales act effectively and efficiently. Digitization has now made that even more difficult. New digital channels must be taken into account in order to obtain a 360-degree view of customers. At the same time, customer expectations have risen massively. Today, they are more informed and more willing to churn than ever before. Their loyalty is decreasing more and more while it is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire new customers. Without professional and modern Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software these challenges can no longer be mastered.

Nevertheless, many small and medium-sized companies still manage their customer relationships without such software. Instead, Excel, e-mail systems, or even pen and paper are put to use. This makes it virtually impossible to deliver the necessary high quality in customer management; not to mention the required time and susceptibility to errors. These SMEs risk being overtaken by the competition. Their competitors are becoming more and more aggressive and are also increasingly using professional CRM products giving them a competitive advantage. Whether they come from the B2C or B2B environment, small and medium-sized companies should therefore digitize their customer relationship management in order to retain and intensify their existing contacts as well as establish new forms of customer communication.