CRM implementation:

The following are the guidelines to follow before CRM is implemented at the company.

1. Develop corporate wide CRM engagement from key shareholders: 

Many CRM projects fail because critical stakeholders are not involved in setting CRM strategy, assessing requirements and selecting options.

2. Envision the company’s CRM strategy:

CRM is more than just a software. It is also about selecting appropriate methodologies and business practices to help your business enable better relationships with customers. Set some high level customer relationship goals in areas such as increasing customer retention, speeding problem resolution, closing a higher percentage of sales etc.

3. Determine and Prioritize CRM drivers and requirements:

Priorities such include solving problems in the areas such s functional areas that are causing the most pain, cost and missed opportunity for the business, areas where employees are most or least resistant to changing business, weaknesses compared with competitors, complexity of each area that require addressing  and identifying other systems with which it needs to integrate.

4. Develop a CRM roadmap:

Develop a master plan consisting of several smaller steps and projects that will take you towards achieving the corporate CRM vision. For each step spell out key outcomes and metrics, roles and responsibilities, budgets and timeli:nes. Start with low-risk/high reward projects to build momentum and success. Make sure all key stake holders in each project are included up front in solution evaluation and implementation process toe ensure faster, higher user adoption at the end.

5. Think Integration:

Determine how, where and when CRM tools need to integrate with one another and with other applications. This includes evaluating the business processes flow, and identifying process-related customer interactions and transaction that need to be integrated.

6. Do Your Homework and create a short list:

Check out prospective vendors financial and customer references. Talk to peers who have more experience in the CRM area, search websites and pursue publications.

7. Apply the 80-20 rule in the selection process:

Compare how vendors stack up in terms of solution strengths and weaknesses. Have vendors spell out terms and conditions, through document pricing, training, methodology, milestones and metrics for successful deployment.

8. Keep everyone in the loop:

Once you have made a selection, err on the side of over communicating. Get internal evangelists involved early, and encourages inputs along the way as you roll it out. Offer flexible training options to help accommodate different schedules and learning preferences. This will also speed adoption and produce benefits more quickly.

9. Learn, Adjust and Evolve:

Develop a mechanism to monitor use, get feedback and adopt the solution as necessary to make sure its evolving with business and customer needs. Depending on the type of CRM package deployed, you can use surveys, ongoing education, user groups and other venues to stay on top of knowing how these needs are changing, as well as what types of adaptations the solution will be needed over time.