The fundamental value proposition of a Group Purchasing Organization is based on the group: a set of members who the GPO can organize to influence their purchasing behavior. As manufacturers continue to pressure GPOs to demonstrate their ability to change buying behavior, GPOs are challenged to communicate with their members effectively and economically. A modern CRM is a key component of this communication strategy.
As a technology, modern CRMs have a number of strengths important to GPOs.
- Configurability: Modern CRMs like Salesforce can be easily configured to adapt to the GPO model. In the past, this kind of configuration would require expensive custom programming. Now it is point-and-click.
- Marketing and Sales Integration: Modern CRMs have a host of marketing automation and calling tools that can be integrated with the core system. These tools are key for the kind of email, standard mail and phone campaigns that GPOs use to communicate with members.
- Back End Integration: GPOs collect millions of rows of data per month on members. This sea of data must be distilled into a few key member indicators. Modern CRMs allow easy custom integration so member representatives can have a simple summary of the buying behavior of each GPO customer.
The problem with modern CRMs is cost: they are inherently somewhat expensive (though we would argue that the value proposition is still strong), and they are often bundled with even more expensive custom consulting.
GPOTechnology can help you navigate the dizzying array of choices in CRM technology. We’ll find and implement a solution that works for your budget and your membership.