Customer relationship management (CRM)
Find Customer Relationship Management (CRM) resources here: news, analysis and case studies on CRM software choices and implementing CRM. Find out how UK companies and organisations are harnessing CRM to drive forward customer-centric business strategies. Understand CRM market trends, and how organisations are managing the customer experience for competitive advantage.
-
News
27 May 2025
Salesforce pays $8bn for Informatica to underpin agentic AI play
Salesforce is to pay approximately $8bn for cloud data management specialist Informatica as it looks to shore up the foundations of its developing agentic AI strategy Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 May 2025
Compare the top 20 CRM software options
With the right CRM software, CX leaders can improve customer interactions and enhance their support strategies. Top providers include HubSpot, Microsoft and Salesforce. Continue Reading
-
Tip
20 Aug 2024
10 strategies to improve contact center agent performance
Call monitoring, skills-based routing, positive reinforcement, training resources and coaching can help contact center agents improve their performance and customer interactions. Continue Reading
-
Definition
20 Aug 2024
What is customer segmentation?
Customer segmentation is the practice of dividing a customer base into groups of individuals that have similar characteristics relevant to marketing, such as age, gender, interests and spending habits. Continue Reading
-
Definition
19 Aug 2024
What is customer experience (CX) and why is it important?
Customer experience (CX) is the sum total of customers' perceptions and feelings resulting from interactions with a brand's products and services. Continue Reading
-
Definition
16 Aug 2024
What are buyer personas?
A buyer persona is a composite representation of a specific type of customer in a market segment. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Aug 2024
The top 7 video marketing trends
Video marketing trends, such as user-generated content, influencer marketing and virtual and hybrid events, can help brands expand their reach and engage more customers. Continue Reading
-
Definition
14 Aug 2024
What is sales motion?
A sales motion is the particular sales method an organization uses to sell and deliver a product or a service to its customers. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
14 Aug 2024
Accessibility and digital exclusion
Imagine if one day in your job, you have to ask someone to find the radio button on a Windows PC or a Mac that you are supposed to click, because your screen reader is unable to tell you where it ... Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Aug 2024
10 tips to improve customer retention
Organizations that properly gather consumer feedback, get to know their customers and offer rewards to loyal shoppers can improve their customer retention rates. Continue Reading
-
Feature
07 Aug 2024
CX+EX=BG, with added AI: A winning formula for customer experience
Guaranteeing customer experiences of the highest level possible is one of the cornerstones of the modern business. Is there a magic formula? It could well be a combination of artificial intelligence and pixie dust Continue Reading
-
Definition
05 Aug 2024
What is a 360-degree customer view?
The 360-degree customer view is a comprehensive approach to understanding customers by compiling their individual data from various touchpoints into a single view. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Aug 2024
Businesses fail to deliver consistently positive customer experience
Research from a leading global business school’s publishing arm finds that even though 94% of business leaders think good customer experience is important for business success, just 38% believe they can deliver it Continue Reading
-
Definition
01 Aug 2024
What is the bullwhip effect?
The bullwhip effect is a supply chain phenomenon describing how small fluctuations in demand at the retail level can cause progressively larger fluctuations in demand at the wholesale, distributor, manufacturer and raw material supplier levels. Continue Reading
-
News
31 Jul 2024
Court overturns Appian’s $2bn trade secrets award against Pegasystems
Business process management software suppliers Pegasystems and Appian head for retrial after a judge finds flaws in trade secrets trial Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jul 2024
AI ‘changing everything’ about customer experience
Study from customer experience technology provider reveals the profound effect AI is having in its industry, taking it beyond traditional, manual services to more advanced, technological-driven experiences Continue Reading
-
Definition
26 Jul 2024
What are virtual agents and how are they being used?
A virtual agent -- sometimes called an intelligent virtual agent (IVA) -- is a software program or cloud service that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to provide automated services or guidance to humans. Continue Reading
-
Definition
24 Jul 2024
What is first call resolution (FCR)?
First call resolution (FCR) is when contact center agents properly address a customer's needs the first time they call so there is no need for the customer to follow up with a second call. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jul 2024
Qualtrics CEO: AI can make businesses more human
Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin believes AI can democratise experience management and help businesses better understand what matters to both customers and employees Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jul 2024
Innovations to power secure-by-design development
Secure Code Warrior unveils technology designed to help CISOs and AppSec teams ensure their projects remain safe and free of coding errors and vulnerabilities – a big issue following the CrowdStrike incident Continue Reading
-
Definition
22 Jul 2024
What is an abandoned call?
An abandoned call is a call or other type of contact initiated to a call center or contact center that is ended before any conversation occurs. Continue Reading
-
Definition
19 Jul 2024
What is an inbound call?
An inbound call is typically initiated by a customer to a call center or contact center. Continue Reading
-
Tip
10 Jul 2024
6 generative AI tools to consider for marketing and sales
Generative AI tools can write marketing content, score leads and personalize sales emails. Explore six generative AI tools for marketing and sales, such as Jasper and Flick. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
08 Jul 2024
Enterprises must stop GenAI experiments and start long-term strategies
Steven Webb, chief technology & innovation officer, Capgemini UK argues for enterprise organisations to put aside GenAI experimentation and build long-term strategies with it Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jul 2024
How Qualtrics is driving experience management with AI
During the Sydney leg of its X4 conference, Qualtrics’ top executives dived deeper into its efforts to help organisations improve customer and employee experiences with AI Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Jun 2024
How AI can improve customer loyalty
AI plays a central role in customer loyalty. Yet, organizations can have a greater ROI if they focus their AI strategies more on improving CX and less on cutting costs. Continue Reading
-
News
26 Jun 2024
Police Scotland did not consult ICO about high-risk cloud system
Police Scotland chose not to formally consult with the data regulator about the risks identified with a cloud-based digital evidence sharing system, while the regulator itself did not follow up for nearly three months Continue Reading
-
News
20 Jun 2024
Bupa turns to data to provide personalised health services
Private healthcare provider Bupa says a project to deploy business process automation is bringing it closer to APAC customers Continue Reading
-
Definition
14 Jun 2024
contact center schedule adherence
Contact center schedule adherence is a standard metric used in business contact centers to determine whether contact center agents are working the amount of time they are scheduled to work. Continue Reading
-
Definition
13 Jun 2024
feedback loop
A feedback loop is the part of a system in which some portion (or all) of the system's output is used as input for future operations. Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jun 2024
Tableau CEO on AI moves to ease analytics adoption
Tableau’s head honcho Ryan Aytay talks up Tableau’s efforts to bring more consumerisation and personalisation capabilities to data analytics through the use of AI Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jun 2024
CDO interview: Sophie Gallay, global data and client IT director, Etam
The French retailer has some catching up to do on its data strategy and digital transformation – and its new data chief has an ambitious roadmap to deliver on data science, business intelligence and artificial intelligence Continue Reading
-
Definition
10 Jun 2024
customer retention
Customer retention is a metric that measures customer loyalty, or an organization's ability to retain customers over time. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Jun 2024
Driving customer experience through cloud and AI
Autodesk’s global CIO Prakash Kota explains how the company is modernising its IT infrastructure and adopting cloud and AI to drive customer experience Continue Reading
-
Definition
07 Jun 2024
Eloqua
Eloqua is a marketing automation platform that follows a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. Continue Reading
-
Definition
31 May 2024
Pardot
Pardot is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing automation platform by Salesforce that offers email automation, targeted email campaigns, and lead management for business-to-business (B2B) sales and marketing organizations. Continue Reading
-
Definition
23 May 2024
AIDA marketing model
The AIDA marketing model is a framework that describes a buyer's journey through four key stages: Attention, Interest, Decision and Action. Continue Reading
-
Feature
01 May 2024
Why your -- and everyone else's -- customer service stinks
Frustration with customer service teams isn't new. But there are some reasons why it is seemingly getting worse. Continue Reading
-
Definition
29 Apr 2024
Marketo
Marketo is a comprehensive marketing software-as-a-service platform designed to automate and streamline marketing tasks across multiple digital channels. Continue Reading
-
News
25 Apr 2024
Executive interview: Salesforce AI head discusses dynamic flowcharts
Business workflows can usually be mapped onto flowcharts which depict the set of actions an IT system takes, but large language models can make this dynamic, according to Jayesh Govindarajan, senior vice-president of AI at Salesforce Continue Reading
-
Opinion
24 Apr 2024
SuiteConnect London 2024: GenAI everywhere the refrain
Oracle NetSuite’s Evan Goldberg and Oracle’s business applications head Steve Miranda shared thoughts on the GenAI state of play Brian McKenna on recent customer conferences visits to London Continue Reading
-
Feature
23 Apr 2024
An overview of Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 unites various CRM and ERP tools into one platform. CRM apps include Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service, and ERP tools include Finance and Commerce. Continue Reading
-
News
16 Apr 2024
Why Salesforce needs a data management platform
There are reports that Salesforce is looking to acquire Informatica, but such a move needs to fit with its AI and GenAI strategy Continue Reading
-
News
11 Apr 2024
AI skills gap blocking public sector take-up
A Salesforce report claims that a lack of skills in artificial intelligence is preventing effective take-up of generative AI to enhance frontline citizen services across the public sector Continue Reading
-
Tip
11 Apr 2024
How to create an omnichannel marketing strategy
Marketers often struggle with the complexities of omnichannel implementation. To get started, they can set their business goals and invest in the right technologies. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Apr 2024
Salesforce helps customers establish bug bounty programmes
Salesforce has added new learning content to its Trailhead platform designed to help customers develop their own bug bounty programmes Continue Reading
-
Definition
29 Mar 2024
RFM analysis (recency, frequency, monetary)
RFM analysis is a marketing technique used to quantitatively rank and group customers based on the recency, frequency and monetary total of their recent transactions to identify the best customers and perform targeted marketing campaigns. Continue Reading
-
News
26 Mar 2024
How SAP is infusing AI into its business applications
SAP’s chief artificial intelligence officer, Philipp Herzig, outlines the company’s approach towards AI and how it is making the technology more accessible to customers Continue Reading
-
Tip
21 Mar 2024
6 real-life examples of effective diversity marketing
Inclusive marketing can take many forms but always requires authenticity. Explore these real-life examples from companies like Breezit, LLYC and Stallion Express. Continue Reading
-
19 Mar 2024
What went wrong with Birmingham City Council’s Oracle Cloud implementation?
The council swapped out a heavily customised SAP ERP system for Oracle Cloud, but since going live in 2022, it has encountered numerous technical challenges, leading to spiralling costs. Continue Reading
-
News
11 Mar 2024
Birmingham City Council’s Oracle implementation explained: What went wrong?
The council swapped out a heavily customised SAP ERP system for Oracle Cloud, but since it went live, it has had numerous technical challenges Continue Reading
-
Feature
01 Mar 2024
6 benefits of omnichannel marketing
Omnichannel marketing shares data between interaction channels, like email and live chat, to improve CX. Key benefits include enhanced personalization and customer loyalty. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Mar 2024
APAC firms bullish on IT spending
More than half of organisations plan to spend more on key areas such as cyber security, generative AI and cloud in a sign of growing optimism across the region Continue Reading
-
News
27 Feb 2024
Managers want generative AI, but workers need more help getting to grips with it
Staff given artificial intelligence guidelines are more likely to experiment with the technology than those who are given none, according to a survey Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Feb 2024
Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs. Salesforce: How do they differ?
Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce both help organizations streamline sales, service and marketing processes. Yet, they differ in architecture and integration capabilities. Continue Reading
-
News
26 Jan 2024
8x8 enhances experience communications as a service suite
XCaaS platform to now include capabilities such as AI-generated post-meeting smart summaries and action items, omnichannel experiences, global workforce support, and deeper technology partner integrations Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jan 2024
AI ushering new era of intelligent CX
Annual customer experience trends report reveals that 68% of UK customer experience leaders believe chatbots can help build a stronger emotional connection with clients, with AI now the norm Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Jan 2024
How to overcome the top 6 marketing automation challenges
Marketing automation tools can improve employee productivity if organizations avoid common pitfalls, such as poor planning and a lack personalized messaging. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Dec 2023
Top 10 business applications stories of 2023
Generative AI has become unavoidable for business applications suppliers. C-level executives offer insights here, while the fundamentals of user enterprise software strategy remain visible beneath the AI froth Continue Reading
-
News
12 Dec 2023
Top IT predictions in APAC in 2024
Generative AI will continue to leave its mark on many areas in business and IT, along with other trends such as sustainability, cyber security and smart factories that are expected to shape the region’s technology landscape in 2024 Continue Reading
-
Feature
08 Dec 2023
How generative AI is put to work in business applications
Generative AI has kicked up a storm in 2023. We look the opportunities and challenges for businesses, highlighting a range of live applications Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 Dec 2023
Microsoft Dynamics 365 best practices for implementation
Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers business apps to help organizations boost efficiency. Best practices for implementation include creating the right team and designing a simple UX. Continue Reading
-
Definition
30 Nov 2023
targeted ad (targeted advertising)
A targeted ad, or targeted advertising, is a method of displaying advertisements to a specific group of people based on their demographics, behavior, interests, or other criteria. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Nov 2023
The future of business software
The enterprise application software market has changed radically. We look at what is driving IT investments Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Nov 2023
Why is diversity important in marketing?
Diversity marketing can help marketers improve personalization, connect with younger audiences and increase brand loyalty. However, inauthentic efforts can erode customer trust. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Nov 2023
Oracle NetSuite CEO Goldberg: AI a sleeping giant coming to life
Speaking with Computer Weekly at SuiteWorld, Evan Goldberg, executive vice-president of Oracle NetSuite, discussed how artificial intelligence has emerged from obscurity to be of business moment Continue Reading
-
News
17 Nov 2023
Capgemini and Heathrow strike deal to enhance passenger experience
Capgemini and Heathrow team up to provide development and operations support for the airport’s technology estate Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 Nov 2023
7 Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation issues
Microsoft Dynamics 365 presents unique implementation challenges for organizations, like data migration and customizations. Explore these challenges and strategies to solve them. Continue Reading
-
News
13 Nov 2023
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Avaya extend customer centre alliance
Dubai utility firm enhances its customer care centre to become integrated digital interactive hub, enabling customers to access a wide range of services through an interactive voice system Continue Reading
-
Tip
07 Nov 2023
5 benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365
Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive set of cloud-based business apps to help organizations eliminate data silos, improve decision-making and automate workflows. Continue Reading
-
News
23 Oct 2023
CTO interview: Pegasystems’ Don Schuerman on using AI to set business goals
Generative AI is on the cusp of allowing companies to automate business processes to meet business goals Continue Reading
-
Tip
18 Oct 2023
5 real-world examples of customer obsession
Customer obsession requires organizations to place clients' needs at the center of all operations. Real-world examples include Equinox, Tabrick and GreenPal. Continue Reading
-
News
18 Oct 2023
Gitex Global 2023: Motul looks to deliver ‘effortless’ experiences in cloud comms
Global oil and lubricants company adopts suite of cloud-based contact centre and unified communications solutions to improve customer experience and enable global employees to collaborate better across borders Continue Reading
-
News
18 Oct 2023
SuiteWorld 23: Oracle NetSuite pushes business efficiency by way of AI
Oracle NetSuite’s Evan Goldberg posited AI old and new as means for organisations to do more with fewer resources, speaking at the company’s annual global SuiteWorld conference in Las Vegas Continue Reading
-
News
17 Oct 2023
Gitex 2023: Avaya plots generative AI-powered future for customer experience
Leading comms and customer experience technology provider unveils Generative CX concept showing how artificial intelligence can sit at the core of experience transformation Continue Reading
-
News
16 Oct 2023
Oracle’s Steve Miranda: Customers nearing inflection point with Fusion
In a Q&A with Computer Weekly at Oracle Open World, applications head Steve Miranda discussed how its customers are moving from project-driven to business-driven approaches, and how GenAI is for real Continue Reading
-
News
12 Oct 2023
Hybrid work flexibility the leading driver underpinning successful work experiences
Study finds that while just over half of CEOs strongly believe their organisation is recognised as an employer of choice, less than half of firms provide employees with the technology they need for hybrid work Continue Reading
-
Definition
11 Oct 2023
Salesforce
Salesforce, Inc. is a cloud computing and social enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider based in San Francisco. Continue Reading
-
E-Zine
10 Oct 2023
Teeing up tech at the Ryder Cup
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we go behind the scenes at golf’s Ryder Cup to see the tech firsts introduced to improve the fan experience. UK tech leaders explain why they feel ‘betrayed’ by the government’s net-zero policy changes. And we examine the governance challenges behind immerse technologies such as VR and the metaverse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Oct 2023
IT and contact centre leaders embrace conversational AI or fear falling behind
Study finds contact centres are on the precipice of a new era as AI begins to deliver and users are increasingly turning to digital channels for information, purchases and support. But efficiency and effectiveness a point of contention Continue Reading
-
News
04 Oct 2023
Qualcomm looks to reshape digital world through spatial computing
Mobile tech giant announces new platforms, developed in close collaboration with Meta, to provide breakthrough performance in immersive applications such as mixed and augmented reality Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Sep 2023
Customer success vs. sales: What's the difference?
Customer success and sales teams both interact with clients, but customer success prevents churn whereas sales teams focus on loyalty and acquisition. Continue Reading
-
Feature
22 Sep 2023
5 email marketing challenges and their solutions
Most organizations primarily use email to connect with customers. Yet, marketers often struggle with engagement due to spam filters and crowded inboxes. Continue Reading
-
Feature
20 Sep 2023
4 email A/B testing best practices
A/B testing can help marketers improve email campaigns one variable at a time. Best practices include designing the right test, starting with the sender's name and using AI tools. Continue Reading
-
Definition
12 Sep 2023
omnichannel
Omnichannel -- also spelled omni-channel -- is an approach to sales, marketing and customer support that seeks to provide customers with a seamless and unified brand experience, regardless of which channel they use. Continue Reading
-
News
11 Sep 2023
Salesforce and Zoom embrace ethical hackers. You should, too
Software companies Salesforce and Zoom discuss their successful bug bounty programmes, what they learned at a recent in-person hackathon in which they participated, and why others shouldn’t be scared of hackers Continue Reading
-
Feature
05 Sep 2023
Sales vs. account management: What's the difference?
Sales and account management teams work together to increase revenue. However, these roles have different goals, responsibilities, skills and relationship timeframes. Continue Reading
-
News
31 Aug 2023
GenAI outranks cloud as business IT strategic priority
Enterprise Strategy Group research on the use cases for generative AI shows it as strategic for corporate IT, with impacts on customer experience, software development and IT Ops Continue Reading
-
Definition
29 Aug 2023
customer satisfaction (CSAT)
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is a measure of the degree to which a product or service meets customer expectations. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Aug 2023
10 sales enablement best practices
A proper sales enablement strategy can help businesses improve revenue, training for sales teams and overall CX. And, with the right tools, teams can become more efficient. Continue Reading
-
Definition
23 Aug 2023
What is brand recognition?
Brand recognition is the extent to which a consumer can correctly identify a particular product or service just by viewing the product or service's logo, tagline, packaging or advertising campaign. Continue Reading
-
Feature
18 Aug 2023
How sales teams can use generative AI
Sales teams can use generative AI to create personalized content, coach sales reps and improve forecasting. However, risks include data protection and a lack of empathy. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Aug 2023
How Qualtrics is driving experience management
Qualtrics’ global and regional leaders outline the company’s product directions, including its work in AI, its traction in the region and the future of experience management Continue Reading
-
Definition
10 Aug 2023
content personalization
Content personalization is a branding and marketing strategy in which webpages, email and other forms of content are tailored to match the characteristics, preferences or behaviors of individual users. Continue Reading
-
Guest Post
09 Aug 2023
Why businesses should prioritize customer retention
Proper customer retention can help businesses grow, save money and better understand consumers. Its benefits can lead to better customer experiences and greater business success. Continue Reading
-
Tip
08 Aug 2023
What does it mean to be customer obsessed?
Customer obsession can boost a brand's reputation and profits. But it requires C-suite dedication to CX, high levels of personalization and a positive employee experience. Continue Reading
-
Tip
03 Aug 2023
7 ways to successfully align your sales and marketing teams
Learn how to create a close collaboration between sales and marketing that can lead to more effective marketing campaigns, an increase in qualified leads and a boost in revenue. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Jul 2023
12 essential ABM metrics and KPIs to measure success
Account-based marketing metrics let teams effectively engage with key decision-makers within target accounts, strengthen customer loyalty and identify areas of improvement. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Jul 2023
Account-based marketing vs. lead generation, explained
Discover the key differences between lead generation and account-based marketing, as well as pros and cons and how to decide which approach is best for your organization. Continue Reading
-
Definition
31 Jul 2023
demand generation
Demand generation is the process of creating and cultivating interest in a product or service with the goal of generating high-quality leads that can be nurtured into loyal customers. Continue Reading
-
Feature
28 Jul 2023
How generative AI fuels customer experience programmes
Generative AI could be a game-changer for CX if firms think use case and not tech. What do recent AI developments mean for customer experience programmes? Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Jul 2023
Customer experience vs. customer service: How do they differ?
Customer experience and customer service are not the same, but they do have a shared goal: to ensure customers are satisfied and return for repeat business. Continue Reading