Does Cost Equal Quality?
21 Jul 2016It’s no secret that I love our CRM system. I think the broad range of features available and the depth of the functionality you find in these features makes OpenCRM one of (if not the) best cloud CRM system out there.
But not everyone agrees with me. Some people think that to get the best system out there, you have to spend a fortune. That the price tag is the only true reflection of quality.
And they’re entitled to their opinion. I think they’re wrong—I’m from Yorkshire, I’m allowed to say controversial things like that—but they are entitled to their opinion.
When I do come across someone who really believes that cost equals quality, there are five things that I like to point out:
Spending Percentages
Those big companies have some big names they need to support, so a good chunk of that money will go to keeping those names happy. Of course bigger companies will be able to throw more resource at marketing, sales, and even development, but they’ve also got to siphon off an awful lot for the C-Suite.
With a company like OpenCRM, you know that the vast majority of your subscription is going straight back into maintaining and developing the system.
Investment
No, I don’t mean financial investment. I mean personal investment in your CRM system implementation project. A bit of a mouthful, but what I mean is that the big CRM providers out there aren’t personally invested in your CRM system implementation succeeding. They’ve got a line of people out the door waiting to sign up.
We, on the other hand, do have a personal stake in your implementation succeeding, so we’re going to work all the harder to make sure your system is configured correctly the first time and everyone on your team knows how to use it.
Name Recognition
When you call my team here at OpenCRM, chances are you’ve got someone in mind you want to speak to. Whether it’s your Account Manager or someone on Support, you know their name. The difference between us and the heavy hitters of the industry is that my guys probably know your name too.
They may not know it the first time, but by the second or third call, they know who you are and have a pretty good idea of what you’re trying to accomplish. You won’t get that kind of name-recognition with Salesforce the big guys.
Quality Control
When I start asking people in the tech industry about their internal processes for quality control and strategic planning for features, they are often surprised by the depth and detail involved in our procedures here at OpenCRM.
We have a set process that each new feature has to clear before even being allowed anywhere near the developers to make sure it is well thought out and fits with our overall plan for the system. Once in the hands of the developers, there are yet more processual hoops for the feature to jump through to make sure the code is well planned, well executed, and does exactly what it is supposed to do, without exposing any security flaws. Only then does it enter the testing phase…at which point it goes through even more checks.
It can be a long process, but it is worth it to make sure we get each feature right the first time.
Security is Paramount
I know that some people believe that, in order to get good security, you have to go with the big names. It’s just not true.
The security in our data centres and the secure practices we put at the base of all our internal procedures is the exact same as the big names. Our data centres are ISO27001 accredited and use 256 bit AES SSL encryption, the exact same used for internet banking and other large financial services transactions.
We also base all our internal procedures off of the ISO27001 guidelines and go the extra mile of ensuring that all of our data, including that of our third party support systems like email and instant messaging, are based in the EU. Including the back-ups.
Between the security of your data, the quality of our development, the personal touch you get when you call us, our dedication to your CRM success, and the investment we put into our system, I believe that we provide service as good (if not better) as the big names and a system that rivals them as well.
You just get the added benefit of value for money when you choose OpenCRM.
Before I got my start in the tech industry as part of Apple’s UK Mac launch team, I was a professional drummer (notice I didn’t say musician). But once I got in, I was hooked and I’ve been involved in the tech industry, primarily software development, for over 35 years. I founded this company and I now have the enviable title of System Architect (as well as Managing Director) here at OpenCRM.