About This Project
Main Aims
Contributors
Help Shape Best Practice
In a recent discussion, the Chairman of a small plc confided in me 'we knew our customers much better 30 years ago when I started the business'.
That, if you like, is the challenge for CRM. Lower cost, more powerful technology that offers the possibility of re-creating the intimacy of one-to-one relationships across all of your thousands or millions of customers. At the same time, the frenzied attempts by software vendors to entice you to buy their systems has, perhaps, diverted Customer Relationship Management from its true meaning. Too often CRM means IT systems, not creating and maintaining relationships with customers. The acquisition of a CRM system has become a 'silver bullet' - another panacea for a company's problems. With such high expectations, it is little wonder that there are anecdotal accounts of CRM failing to deliver.
Successful implementation
We have initiated the CIM's CRM Knowledge Centre to address these issues; 'how do you successfully implement CRM?' We have put ourselves in the place of the manager charged with leading a company's CRM implementation and asked ourselves what do they need to know? By assembling a mix of advisors who have implemented CRM, we have endeavoured to capture their experiences for the benefit of those embarking on implementation or part way through the exercise. Our aim is not to compete with thought leaders, but support the practitioner implementing CRM in their organisation. Most fundamentally, and perhaps most obviously, CRM will not compensate for a flawed business model or sales strategy. CRM systems do not make up for poor segmentation and inadequate customer propositions. Instead, implementation of CRM exposes those weaknesses. The first question for any organisation is: 'Are we ready?' Too often, implementation of CRM is started without consideration of these issues. This is indicative of the frequent lack of planning before plunging into implementation. The result is confused objectives, lack of buy-in and wrongly specified CRM systems. The imperative to get things done and meet senior management goals too often allows scant time to consider sufficiently how payback will be achieved.
Active involvement
But undoubtedly the biggest challenge is the project management of a CRM implementation. CRM is not the sole preserve of sales or marketing. Implementation requires multi-functional working; IT, finance, manufacturing. The challenge for the project manager is to get the active involvement and support of all these functions despite their often differing objectives and language. This demands skills that aren't common; the ability to connect with and gain the confidence of all relevant functions, and keeping the pressure on whilst retaining a clear perspective of the project's goals. There are too few people who can operate across internal boundaries and take a whole company perspective. Their task is even harder when the project is international. Selection and briefing of the project team is a vital success factor, as is reflected in some of the articles here.
Gaining buy-in
Implementation can be made easier or harder by the team's awareness (or lack of it) of their own company capabilities and culture. If your company has little experience of large scale projects, is it wise to attempt an ambitious CRM system implementation? Similarly if your company comprises many largely independent business units, group-wide initiatives may be hard to gain buy-in. Our experience is that projects that use the company culture are much more successful than those that challenge it.
Effective project management
Establishing goals that are feasible within your own company's capability will give the CRM project much more chance of success and much greater buy-in from around the business. Strong customer propositions, sound upfront planning, working within your company's capabilities and effective project management. All are obvious, but how often do we see it in practice?
>back to top
To CRM Canon Homepage 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Main aims
To identify the fundamental building blocks necessary to create an effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programme.
To review the thinking behind CRM and the propositions made to support it.
To collate best practice in implementing CRM and understand the capabilities required.
To understand the broad lessons learned about the impact of CRM on customers and the wider business context.
>back to top
> To CRM Canon Homepage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributors
Steering Group:
Peter Jackson, KPMG (Chair)
Debbie Brown, BT
Sue Seager
Clare Briegal, Caradon Bathrooms
Graham Vann, CISCO
Andrew Robinson, Alliance and Leicester
Andy Jones
Ray Perry, Formerly CIM
Jenni Allen, Formerly CIM
Tess Harris, CIM Fellow
Rosemary Carter, CIM Fellow
Grant Oliver, CIM Fellow
Advisor: Professor Merlin Stone, IBM
Assistant: Simon Hathway
>back to top
> To CRM Canon Homepage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help shape best practice
There are two ways you can help shape best practice:-
-
Through the online discussion forum in your personal workspace
If you HAVE already registered to use your personal workspace (which is the pale blue area on the right hand side of your screen) and wish to participate in the online discussion forum for this Canon, please click here.
If you HAVE NOT already registered to use your personal workspace (which is the pale blue area on the right hand side of your screen) and wish to participate in the online discussion forum for this Canon, please click here to register.
or
-
By sharing your research, marketing tools and articles, using the 'submit your research' form - which you can link to below.
>back to top
> To CRM Canon Homepage