Building Your Business Technology Foundation with Vision
The Short-Sighted Search
Picture this: A growing SMB owner types “cheap CRM software” into Google at 11 PM, hoping to solve their customer management chaos. They find a basic solution for $10/month per user, implement it quickly, and six months later realize they’ve hit a wall. Sound familiar?
This scenario plays out thousands of times across small businesses every year. The problem isn’t the urgency to find a solution—it’s the lack of strategic vision for where the business is heading.
Understanding the CRM vs ERP Landscape
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems focus on:
- Managing customer interactions
- Sales pipelines
- Marketing activities
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems integrate:
- Finance
- Inventory
- HR
- Supply chain
Key Insight: Your CRM choice today determines your ERP possibilities tomorrow.
The Evolution Strategy: Starting Smart
Phase 1: CRM Foundation (Months 1–6)
- Lead and opportunity management
- Contact and account tracking
- Sales pipeline visualization
- Basic reporting and analytics
Phase 2: Enhanced Customer Experience (Months 6–12)
- Case management
- Knowledge base integration
- Customer portal access
- SLA tracking
Phase 3: Marketing Automation (Year 2)
- Email campaigns
- Lead scoring and nurturing
- Marketing analytics
- Customer journey mapping
Phase 4: Financial Integration (Year 2–3)
- Quote-to-cash
- Invoice generation
- Financial reporting
- Budget planning
Phase 5: Full ERP Capabilities (Year 3+)
- Inventory management
- Supply chain optimization
- HR
- Advanced analytics and AI
Why “Cheap” CRM Solutions Fail the Vision Test
Common limitations of basic CRMs:
- Limited Customization – Rigid systems that don’t fit your processes
- Data Silos – Isolated systems create communication gaps
- Scalability Constraints – Systems lag as your business grows
- Integration Challenges – Expensive and clunky custom development
- Vendor Lock-in – Difficult and costly to migrate
Nucleus Research reports 47% of CRM implementations fail due to poor planning and system selection.
The Dynamics 365 Advantage: Built for Evolution
Seamless Data Integration
All modules share a unified data model. When sales updates a customer record, that info is instantly available to marketing, service, and finance.
Modular Growth Strategy
Start small and expand as needed:
- Sales: $65/user/month
- Customer Service: $95/user/month
- Marketing: $1,500/month (10,000 contacts)
- Finance/Supply Chain: $180/user/month
View the full Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing guide
Power Platform Integration
- Power Apps – Build custom tools
- Power Automate – Automate processes
- Power BI – Analytics & dashboards
- Power Virtual Agents – AI-powered chat
Industry-Specific Solutions
Get faster time-to-value with prebuilt templates tailored to your industry.
Cultural Transformation Through Technology
Dynamics 365 is more than a platform—it’s a driver for change:
- Collaboration: Teams work from shared data
- Insightful Decisions: Analytics empower leaders
- Customer Focus: 360° views drive better service
- Efficiency: Standardized workflows reduce error
- Scalability: Future-proof your business
Total Cost of Ownership: The Real Numbers
“Cheap” CRM Stack (3 Years, 20 Employees)
- Basic CRM: $2,400/year
- Accounting: $3,600/year
- Email marketing: $1,200/year
- Custom integrations: $15,000 (one-time)
- Data migration (Year 3): $25,000
Total: $46,600
Dynamics 365 Approach
- D365 Sales (10 users): $7,800/year
- D365 Service (5 users): $5,700/year
- D365 Finance (5 users): $10,800/year
- Implementation: $20,000 (one-time)
Total: $92,900
Forrester: 162% ROI over 3 years with Dynamics 365
Implementation Best Practices
- Start with Strategic Planning
- Define a 3–5 year vision
- Map current workflows
- Outline integrations
- Plan rollout stages
- Focus on User Adoption
- Offer hands-on training
- Roll out gradually
- Listen to users
- Celebrate small wins
- Plan for Growth
- Build scalable architecture
- Create governance standards
- Prepare for new modules
- Monitor performance
Making the Strategic Choice
The difference between successful and stagnant SMBs? Technology vision.
While basic CRMs solve immediate issues, they often hinder long-term growth. Dynamics 365 demands more upfront, but delivers a scalable foundation.
As a Microsoft Partner, TEKZYS guides SMBs through this strategic journey—designing and implementing business platforms that evolve with you.
Next Steps for Your Business
Before selecting any CRM/ERP platform:
- Assess Your Current State – Document systems and workflows
- Define Your Vision – Where do you want to be in 5 years?
- Calculate True Costs – Include integration and future needs
- Plan Implementation – Use a phased, strategic approach
💡 Choose a platform that grows with your vision—not one that limits your future.