mySAP CRM Delivers to Pitney Bowes

Mail and document management giant Pitney Bowes plans to integrate CRM functionality from mySAP into its products and services offerings. The goal is to make it easier for Pitney Bowes customers to lease products. "The SAP solution gives us a platform to offer a variety of financing products, from simple to complex," said Matt Kissner, group president and chief venture officer at Pitney Bowes. Specifically, Pitney Bowes Global Credit Services will leverage mySAP CRM to become more responsive to customers' needs, in regards to leasing and financing options. SAP technology will become the underlying infrastructure for expanding financial services, as well as enable Pitney Bowes to cross-sell; up-sell; collapse cycle times for processing orders; and take advantage of growth opportunities in new and diverse markets. SAP's many capabilities and powerful platform apparently was the winning formula for Pitney Bowes. "Our customers will experience streamlined, integrated processes and world-class automation," stated Bret Thomas, president of global credit services at Pitney Bowes. MySAP CRM, of course, integrates with SAP's suite of e-business applications, including back-end financials and business intelligence. "SAP is the only provider that can offer lessors integrated, enterprise-wide functionality, with world-class customer relationship management capabilities," said Carol Burch, senior vice president of global CRM business development at SAP AG. Hyperbole aside, leasing and financing operations, which are tied closely to back-end ERP functions and contract management, are finding hooks into CRM. And ERP vendors stand to prosper. SAP's announcement follows on the heels of Oracle's unveiling of a CRM product aimed at collections, which traditionally wasn't viewed as a part of CRM.