Manchester full-service digital agency, Cantarus has acquired UK-based FlexRM, a specialist Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM integrator.
With the acquisition, Cantarus will offer a wider and more comprehensive suite of services that integrates CRM and its cutting-edge digital experience services into a single package. The company now provides CRM, web design and development, mobile app and online community projects, digital publications, creative design, UX, branding, consultancy, data services, and cloud hosting.
Cantarus’ clients include membership organisations large and small, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), British Medical Association (BMA), and Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Cantarus has also helped to deliver digital transformation for public sector organisations, notably the British Army, and non-profits including Youth Sport Trust and the Stroke Association.
As a trusted long-term partner for organisations with more than five million combined members around the world, Cantarus has a long track record of breaking down organisational and informational silos to drive growth, retention and long-term success. This approach was a key driver in taking its close working partnership with FlexRM to the next stage.
“People expect extraordinary, personalised and consistent interactions with the organisations we work with,” said Lee Adams, CEO at Cantarus. “With an ever-increasing number of digital and physical touchpoints available for use, excellent communication orchestrated across many channels has become increasingly difficult to achieve, yet ever more vital for our clients.”
“When our CRM product is integrated with the digital platforms Cantarus delivers, it has a transformational impact on our clients’ growth, value delivery and agility,” said Steven Madden, commercial director and co-founder of FlexRM. “The need for full integration has become more and more profound and urgent for clients, and is one of the key reasons why we have joined the Cantarus fold.”
Mike Cundall, chief operating officer at Cantarus added: “With the addition of FlexRM’s skills and experience of cutting-edge CRM integration – something we’ve seen first-hand working in partnership with the team – Cantarus is uniquely positioned as the leading digital and CRM partner to deliver integrated experiences that drive engagement, new customer wins and retention, and long-term resilience.”
According to the MemberWise 2023-24 Digital Excellence Report, 88% of membership organisations either had no or only partial integration of critical business systems needed to understand their members’ needs and requirements. In contrast, just 12% of membership organisations believed they had fully integrated their critical business systems.
The reasons given for lack of system integration included high costs, incompatibility, lack of time, skills, or appropriate suppliers, and system and website quality issues.
Unlike traditional CRM or digital providers that offer standalone systems, the fully integrated approach Cantarus now offers ensures that every touchpoint, be it website, app, community, email or digital publication, delivers a connected, consistent, personalised experience.
The acquisition of FlexRM is part of Cantarus’ strategy to deliver extraordinary digital experiences across digital formats and communities for its clients, via a single view of customers and members. The founders and owners of FlexRM will retain shareholdings in the business reflecting their belief in the potential the acquisition will help to realise. No roles have been or will be eliminated as a result of the acquisition, and the company expects to add to its headcount in the coming months.
