In business software, what does CRM stand for?

In business software, CRM stands for customer relationship management.

CRM refers both to a business strategy and to software used to manage interactions with current and potential customers. A CRM system can store contact details, sales opportunities, service requests, marketing responses, and records of previous communications. This gives employees a shared view of a customer’s relationship with the organization.

The term became especially associated with enterprise software during the 1990s, as companies moved customer records from isolated spreadsheets and departmental systems into centralized databases. Modern CRM platforms commonly include sales automation, customer service tools, marketing automation, analytics, and mobile access.

CRM is sometimes confused with customer service alone, but customer service is only one part of it. CRM covers the broader customer lifecycle, from finding a prospect and managing a sale to supporting the customer after purchase. The abbreviation can also describe the management philosophy, not just the software product.