I attended a very interesting talk given by Steve Burrows on Enterprise Class CRM solutions last week, held at a local BCS meeting.
What struck me was the inference (intentionally or otherwise) that CRM for a big company was different to CRM for smaller companies. The talk was very informative, however, whilst the case study being presented had undoubtedly achieved the business objectives, it struck me as odd that you might approach a small business implementation differently.
In the enterprise space, a lot is made of a product’s scalability and the level of integration that can be achieved. Whilst sometimes relevant - far more important is a thorough understanding of the problems you are trying to address.
Statistics show that more than 80% of CRM projects fail. I personally believe this is due more to insufficient knowledge (of the business processes) than a poor choice of software.
The concept that an Enterprise Class CRM solution is somehow different to a small business CRM solution conveniently ignores the simple reality that; the most scalable, expensive and complex software package will deliver little business benefit if you don’t have a clear understanding of what you need it to do. Conversely, if you have a thorough and detailed understanding of how your business works and what you need to do to make it more efficient, the simplest and least expensive of solutions MAY be all you require.
The magic ingredient is KNOWLEDGE, knowledge of your business; how it works; how to make it work better; faster; more profitably and effectively. Ironically, CRM systems were originally sold as Knowledge Management systems, maybe that drew too much attention to the fact you actually need KNOWLEDGE in order to achieve success.
It’s Wimbledon and my favourite time of the year where my two favourite world of tennis and technology collide. IBM, the technology partners of all the Grand Slams including Wimbledon, always do a fantastic job of managing the vast amounts of statistics generated by the tournaments. This Wimbledon is no exception with integration into Social Media using Facebook and Twitter and the introduction of an iPhone application. Also interesting are the smaller innovations which occur on the outside of the core technology, such as meta-data attached to landmarks which are used to full effect by the new Google Android phone. Imagine the possibilities of local-based meta-data in CRM, giving you an extra level of detail on client and support sites. BBC Digital Planet showcase this feature as well as provide a sneak look inside the tech hub of the Wimbledon broadcast centre.
The power of social media has just bitten Microsoft in the backside with regards their next version of Microsoft Outlook 2010. The fixoutlook.org campaign has created a very simple page that creates a viral campaign over Twitter. What’s their beef? The continued lack of web standards in Microsoft Outlook. Although there are no official web standards defined by the W3C (or anyone else) on presenting emails effectively in email clients using XHTML, there is best practice. Without best practice, end-users may not find their email as well formatted as the designer, which can detract from a marketing message. Unfortunately, any degree of movement towards best practice is hampered by Microsoft’s response. This time, it seems, they are not interested in defining the standard themselves. Maybe they were stung by the standards they created alongside Internet Explorer 4 through 6?
Document Management comes in many forms and MIGTurbo provides its own document functionality alongside additional integration into third-party document management systems, such as LaserFiche. Our clients’ use of document management is wide and varied, ranging from a simple archival or audit trail for compliance requirements to paperless offices where forms are scanned and sorted electronically for later access. Before jumping in to investing in a document management solution, it’s well worth stepping back and considering how you will use such a system to its fullest extent within the resources of your business. We found a great article giving 8 things to ask yourself before jumping in to Document Management. Well worth reading, if it looks of interest both ourselves and our technology partners would be happy to help answer any questions you may have.
That’s it for this week, hope you have a good weekend.
What a sunny place Brighton is. I had the good fortune to attend a conference there last week, glorious sunshine and very clean. What I learnt however, was nothing to do with the resort itself, it was more about records management and the challenges organisations face trying to keep on top of the Freedom of Information Act.
Basically, there appears to be a lot of systems out there that enable you to track and manage documents held, however, cracks appear where you have an organisation with multiple systems. This is compounded by different systems’ use of different references to identify the individual about whom the stored documentation refers.
I have a solution: CRM. By managing all this information in a client/customer centric manner, we can provide a mechanism that enables businesses/organisations to keep information on their client/customer; maintaining security/integrity of data (where necessary) between departments/divisions etc., and still enabling a single point of reference so the records manager can swiftly identify which systems contain information relating to the which client/customer.
Whilst I don’t disagree with some of the points made in the article, I do feel that this type of argument requires you to take a ‘position’. Citing quotations such as:
“Do I have a relationship with 17 million people? I don’t think I do. Do Iinteractwith 17 million people? You bet.” Jim VonDerheide, vice president, CRM Strategies, for Hilton Hotels
..to my mind completely overlooks the fact that for most small medium sized operations, CRM is actually about the business process, and getting things done ‘back-office’ in the most cost and time efficient manner thereby providing the client with an efficient and cost effective service.
It is obviously important for a business to present itself professionally and value its clients, however, let’s not lose sight of what business is about - singularly that is profit, profit pays salaries, rent, and every other incidental that needs to be paid for, lose sight of this at your peril.
I attended a very interesting talk given by Steve Burrows on Enterprise Class CRM solutions last week, held at a local BCS meeting.
What a sunny place Brighton is. I had the good fortune to attend a conference there last week, glorious sunshine and very clean. What I learnt however, was nothing to do with the resort itself, it was more about records management and the challenges organisations face trying to keep on top of the 