Why do companies implement CRM and other such questions – Part II
In part I I had looked at why companies implement CRM and had promised to answer the following questions “What factors have the maximum impact on the success of CRM projects and initiatives?” And “CRM initiative will impact which all areas?” in my subsequent posts. Well it has been a long wait to discover answers to these intricate questions 
so without much ado I will look at them straight away –
What factors have the maximum impact on the success of CRM projects and initiatives?
Is it the software package that you are planning to implement or will it be the two P’s – a) People who will own the system, b) Redesigning and optimizing business processes affecting customer operations (marketing, sales, service, billing), or, will it be the presence of a strong executive sponsor for this program who has the will, resources and motivation to push the program through? These are just some of the factors and this list is just illustrative and not exhaustive (please excuse the cliché)
All the above have an impact but the extent varies. So in our CRM survey we asked this question and listed 20 factors. The following 3 options found the favor of maximum number of respondents – 1) STRATEGY AND VISION: Aligning CRM projects to corporate business strategy and priorities 2) EXECUTION AND DELIVERY PERFORMANCE: Executing CRM projects and initiatives on-time and within budget 3) STAKEHOLDER ALIGNMENT: Understanding, aligning, informing and influencing stakeholders to secure project buy in and adoption of new CRM solutions and initiatives.
Another parameter which ranked right up there was CUSTOMER UNDERSTANDING: Understanding customer behaviors and needs to reflect them in appropriate CRM strategies and initiatives.
So in a nut shell what the CRM practitioners are saying is – 1) Ensure that your CRM strategy is built around your customer and closely ties in with your company’s long term strategy and priorities 2) Get key stakeholders to support your program and to do this please ensure that you are meeting their stated and unstated needs and removing any misgivings that they may have and 3) Once you are on your way ensure that there are adequate checks to ensure that the program is running on schedule and finishes on time and within budget and meets all the key objectives defined in point 1 thereby ensuring a successful CRM program.
In Part III I will look at identifying which all aspects of a business will be impacted positively by a successful CRM Initiative. So do you agree with our survey respondents? Also let me know what according to you will be the impact of CRM on a company's business.
