Having established a robust, reliable and expandable
information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, the
challenge is on for your business to reap the benefits that such an
infrastructure can support. Right at the top of any list of
potential benefits is improved customer management.
No business of any size can afford to be complacent about its
relationships with its customers, and there has never been a better
time for you to investigate what a customer relationship management
(CRM) system can offer. Even though there are many benefits from
installing a CRM system, it would be a mistake to perceive it as
the answer to all of your problems regarding customer management.
Far from it. CRM systems will only ever become of use to your
business once you have established clearly how you wish to relate
to your customers using technology. You then need to figure how you
plan to buy, implement and train your staff to use the
technology.
According to research carried out by Computer Weekly in
association with BT, one in two companies like yours doesn’t
have an ICT strategy in place. If your business falls into this
category, then it is almost inevitable that you will not be able to
deploy effectively any CRM system, regardless of what technological
functions it may offer. The fundamental message is that the
usefulness of CRM of stands or falls on how you plan the technology
to align itself with your business objectives.
Once you’re sure that you have such a strategy in place,
the next task is to assess exactly how the CRM system can be
slotted in with minimum disruption and downtime.
Another issue revealed by the Computer Weekly/BT research was a
general indifference from companies such as yours to look at
managed services. You should be aware though that a growing number
of CRM technology vendors are offering CRM services hosted on their
servers as part of a cost-effective overall managed service
offering. Even though managed services might seem inappropriate
right now, it could be the case that at some point in the future
they may be of use to your business.
You may also want to look at extending this principle to its
furthest extent; that is to outsource your entire customer
management function to a third party. You may feel that such an
approach is illogical, and that customer management is too
important an activity for you to entrust to someone outside your
company. Once again though, you may be surprised to learn that
there are firms that already offer outsourced CRM services. In a
similar vein, mobile CRM technology may be more relevant to your
business than you first think. Your company could well benefit if
your off-site representatives were equipped with technology that
allowed them easy access to your customer information database.
Even if you have the right strategy and have selected the most
appropriate technology that can deliver real benefits, the final
stumbling block may be how you purchase your CRM system. You will
need to know how to manage proficiently relations with your
technology supplier and get the maximum return on your investment.
Your conversations with suppliers have to address issues such as
support and service level agreements and, perhaps most importantly,
system training and education.
This supplement will address all of these issues. In addition to
broadening your knowledge of CRM, it will offer guidelines you can
use in the purchasing of technology that could transform your
business.
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Click here for SME supplement homepage Part One >>
Click here for Part Two of the SME supplement
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