Easily integrate PRM with your CRM (with Checklist)

PRM to CRM integrations can be drawn out and difficult, but they really don’t have to be. With the right PRM system, setting up an integration with your CRM can be painless and easy. In this article, we will discuss key considerations to make integrating your PRM and CRM systems quick and successful.

Easy Setup & Documentation

The first thing to look out for is ease of setup. IT and sales ops teams are often stretched thin, so you want to find an integration that doesn’t require a lot of their time. The easier your integration is to configure, the faster you’ll be up and running. These three factors make a PRM to CRM integration easy:

• Firstly, a flexible integration framework that allows you to independently configure data flows and rules to meet your (often changing) business needs.
• Secondly, a straightforward implementation process that puts you in the driver’s seat. The ability to configure the integration on your own is key to managing the integration effectively long term. Look for a guided self-service implementation, where your PRM vendor walks you through the setup process.  
• Thirdly, documentation that is comprehensive and easily accessible. Turnover happens in every organization, so a knowledge base that explains your PRM’s CRM integration functionality is an easy way to ramp up new hires as your team changes and grows.

Flexibility to Handle Changes

Business needs evolve quickly, and channel teams are forced to update and tune their channel programs to adapt. This often results in changes to the data structures in the PRM which may require updating the data mappings to your CRM to ensure a smooth exchange of information between the two systems. Knowing that these types of changes can occur, it’s important to find an integration that can be easily updated without logging a support ticket with your PRM provider.

Tools for Troubleshooting

Whenever two systems are integrated, it’s only a matter of time before an exception occurs that prevents a record from synching. It’s important to have tools that make it easy to find, troubleshoot and fix issues. This includes logging integration activity, detailed error messages, and built-in safeguards to ensure data integrity. The easier your PRM makes it to identify and resolve problems, the more smoothly the integration will run, resulting in less IT involvement and better data.

Easy PRM-CRM Integration Checklist

• All integration settings can be accessed through a point-and-click interface
• Integration can be configured to meet the data flow needs of the business
• Documentation is comprehensive and easily available in a knowledge base
• Bi-directional integrations include safeguards to ensure data integrity
• Implementation process is quick and promotes independence
• PRM includes tools for finding, troubleshooting and fixing sync issues

Need a PRM that plays well with your CRM?

Channeltivity is a powerful Partner Relationship Management solution that checks all the boxes and has plug-and-play integrations with popular CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce that make integrating easy! Get a demo to see for yourself!