CRM framework & CMS integration

Picture relating to our CRM framework and CMS integration

Imagine a market-leading CRM system which allowed you to sweep away all your existing data structure, and use a data structure for just your organisation from scratch, one that can record everything and anything you want without compromise, without having to bend and twist to fit some packaged view of the world - but one which still has all the functionality you’d expect from a market-leading package.

Imagine having your cake (data structure freedom) and eating it (rich functionality).

And not only that. Imagine not just renting the right to use a package, but actually owning your own system - that's what Infoworks gives you. You can do what you want when you want, without having to wait for all the other renters to move the same way. So when you want to push ahead with something that will give you (and only you) a real competitive advantage, you can.

Bespoke data + Package functionality + You own it = Real competitive advantage

Since 2003 Infoworks has been developing and refining a software environment and supporting tools for quickly implementing complex and varied information systems requirements, creating robust, user-friendly, feature-rich web applications which are unique to each charity client.

How does it work?
  • we record your information system / data requirement (what fields and tables you need) in our PaperBuildDB tool
  • we agree and mock-up the interface design with you using the PaperBuildDB
  • we then generate the web application from the data held in the PaperBuildDB about the interface and the data structure

The resulting web application looks and feels like package software, but it is completely flexible in terms of its data structure. It benefits from years of refinement of the environment and the inclusion of data driven functionality in our architecture.

Data driven functionality means you can change what your system can do, and/or the way it does it, by making changes to data held in your system's "Housekeeping" module. You can change the way you work, or introduce new products or workflows, and quickly and easily amend the system to support you. Multiple different workflows can be managed, so the system can support a whole range of different types of clients, cases, products, etc. in the way that best suits each particular activity - no more "one size fits all"..

This gives you the ability to be flexible in the way you work, and fast in the way you respond to change - and all without having to pay for any change to the software!

Is it bespoke?

Not strictly speaking – the same core framework (tens of thousands of lines of code) drives all our web applications. We refine and develop it, and each new implementation benefits from that.

But it is bespoke from the point of view of data structure – i.e. you can have exactly what you want, and have it very quickly.

And like every modern package, our software can be extended for your specific purposes. But because each implementation is client-specific, you own your implementation and can shape it to meet the changing needs in your organisation – no user group approval is needed, so there is no delay, and no compromise.

What if I don’t want to start from scratch with the data structure?

You don’t have to. We maintain a PaperBuildDB definition of all our systems, plus a ‘core’ solution – you can take parts of these, cast aside others, and add your own unique data structure requirements.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and information systems manage combinations and permutations of cases, contacts, courses, donors, events, helpline, HR, grants, membership, knowledge, projects,  relationships, sales, time, etc.

Content management system

Content management system (CMS) websites traditionally offer information with limited interaction.

What we all really want is to grow out from the CRM to touch stakeholders via the CMS in the form of web self service.  In other words, we want stakeholders from outside the organisation to be able to access information and amend records held inside the organisation.  (Of course, they must be limited in what they can see and do by appropriate security controls.) This enable s them to book themselves onto a course or event, update their own contact details when they move house or change mobile phone or email supplier, track progress on their orders, and so on - helping them interact with you in ways that make their life easier.  And you benefit as well, by saving time and resources, and often getting more accurate and up to date information. It’s as clear as day that this is the biggest opportunity for most organisations to provide more services more efficiently to more people, and do it in a way which draws clients, funders, etc. into the organisation, making them feel closer to you, more a part of you.  We call it turning your organisation inside out.

But how can you do it?

It helps if your CRM is a web application under your control, if it has role-based security, so you can expose, say, just the a simple membership edit or course search function to a sub-group of users, styled to fit with the CMS.

It helps if your CMS is built using the same architecture as your CRM, can safely expose windows into your CRM, and can send a login command from the CMS to the CRM.

And then you can simply place chunks or spurs of the CRM inside the CMS.:

CRM + CMS = integrated CMS–CRM : that is one powerful formula.

There are more complicated and expensive ways of doing the same thing, but ours is simple, it works, and it has huge potential!

It could work for you, amd if there are area's needing extra work we have developers on hand to help'.

Want to find out more?

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