HomeCRM White Papers CRM White Paper: Guidelines For A Successful CRM

Guidelines For A Successful CRM

PDF: Guidelines For A Successful CRM

skip to page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

previous | next

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Overview
3. Two Fold Issue with CRM
4. Guidelines and Solutions
   1. Background to a Successful CRM Solution
   2. Five Rules for Successful CRM Implementation
      1. Define Vision and Strategy
      2. Get and Maintain Executive Support
      3. Let Business Function Drive Application Aquisition
      4. Consider Delivery Approach and Metrics
      5. Rally Your Troops!
5. On-line CRM Solutions
   1. Platform and Tools
   2. Security
   3. Knowledge Management
6. A Word on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
7. Future Direction - The Demand Chain
8. On- Demand Recommendation

1. Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the driving forces that motivate organizations to consider Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solutions and to point to some of the best-practices in implementing them.

2. Overview

Many organizations look to CRM software solutions to address sales or maybe customer service deficiencies or to respond to pressures from outside sources in activities such as partnering, or inventory management, or pressures to demonstrate compliance to regulations and so forth. The point is that it is often not a pro-active move, but rather a reactive one.

The marketplace and the customer base is changing for everyone, and as a result, many organizations are looking towards CRM Software to extract best value from the marketing and sales processes. Prior to acquiring a CRM system, it is important to consider some fundamental rules for a successful CRM implementation, and to talk about the marketplace that CRM will service in the years to come. This paper will help teams responsible for CRM planning to focus on key strategies and future market trends. It is meant as a support for making good CRM choices based on pro-active planning.

(back to top)

3. Two Fold Issue With CRM

The issue with CRM Solutions is two fold. CRM systems seem to promise a fairly instant solution to marketing and sales activities, while the truth is that the solutions are sound but may take a while to percolate down to the bottom line. On-demand CRM Solutions, however, are changing this by offering RIO in months, not years, for successful CRM roll-outs.

Many organizations look at CRM from very limited perspectives, and often don't consider CRM solutions in the broader context of Knowledge Management. CRM is in fact a Knowledge Management tool that supports specifically marketing, sales and customer service activities, but it draws from the whole organization in order to support all business lines and present a living picture of the organization.

The challenge is how to marry the two problems to provide a stable, and nurturing atmosphere for the many stakeholders, users, customers and partners, that propose to invest in a CRM solution.

(back to top)

4. Guidelines and Solutions

4.1 Background to a Successful CRM Solution

Consider delivery approach and methods. Your choice of a CRM solution must enable a range of options for enhancements, customization, tailoring for users and flexible integration options. Please distinguish between integration as meaning an integration of many different solutions and platforms (System Integration) and integration meaning integration of many different Business Processes Integration (BPI), and address both.

On-demand CRM does not require the purchase of hardware or software in order to operate. Instead, the CRM services are delivered over the Internet and you pay for seats on the system. This eliminates capitol costs and systems maintenance expenses, leaving a couple of integration issues with regard to legacy systems and/or partner systems.

These solutions build upon a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) which means the platform is not tied to a specific technology and may be implemented and/or integrated using a wide range of interoperability standards. Access any legacy or partner application to build cost efficient and meaningful networks and to build on information holdings to enhance business intelligence.

You also have the choice, with online CRM software solutions, to customize the interface and the database, to eliminate a series of network and system integrations, and bring front and back end processes into one entity.

(back to top)

skip to page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

previous | next

PDF: Guidelines For A Successful CRM