Five Ways to Ensure Successful CRM Implementation
The ultimate promise of CRM is that it will enable your business to optimize
around the process leading from prospect to profit. However, when
implementing CRM, many companies fall into several common pitfalls. Here are
some keys to ensure your CRM implementation is successful:
- Align business goals with individual incentives. For example, a call
center automation package may help process a higher volume of calls.
Individuals in the call center may be evaluated on how quickly they can
process a call-in other words, how quickly they can get rid of the customer
on the phone. This may drive a reduction in talk times, but it also may
sabotage the goal of providing better customer service.
- Make CRM an enterprise wide mission. This basic business strategy must be
acknowledged, endorsed and cultivated by the senior management of the
organization. It involves all aspects of the enterprise and aligns the
enterprise with the overall goals of the program.
- CRM programs must be able to support all the business process that shape
a customer's experience. This involves the entire enterprise, so operational
CRM must integrate with other functions in your company.
- Good CRM must be able to monitor, measure and improve the business
process on a continual basis. Do not focus only on the operational aspects
of the program. The application of technology can make things go faster, but
the benefit can become a liability if the process itself is bad.
- Ensure that the system is accessible by those who need it. Good CRM is
pervasive, supporting every role-customers, suppliers and employees across
every channel as they relate to every touch point-marketing, sales, service,
finance, production, fulfillment, administration and development.
-- Excerpted from Customer Interaction Solutions,
www.tmcnet.com/cis/0101/0101crm_ps.htm
