The popularity of CRM software has increased as more and more businesses look for new ways to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. However the “customer” part of the term “CRM” is slightly misleading as the strategy, software and processes apply equally to the management of any relationship, irrespective of who the relationship is between. What’s more businesses increasingly want the ability to manage every relationship which occurs within their organisation, not just those between the organisation and customers. This is a concept which Microsoft have branded xRM, where the “X” can be replaced with "anything", and products such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM are used as a base-platform to acheive this. The concept of xRM has the ability to provide organisations with real competitive advantage and in tough economic times, this can be a key differentiator.
Benefits of xRM
Irrespective of size or sector, xRM will provide businesses with:
- One central database – providing a complete view of all prospects, customers and suppliers
- Complete customisation to specific business requirements
- Improved Communication
- Automation – making it easier to perform administrative tasks
- Enhanced staff efficiency and effectiveness
Implementing CRM/xRM
Often, once implemented solutions can fail and common reasons cited for this include, poor sponsorship, lack of defined requirements and miscommunication between the project team and the stakeholders.
Subsequently, whatever solution you choose, implementing and configuring it correctly is essential to the success of any project. To do this, you need an effective project methodology. This will minimise the risks and costs associated with the project and will help to achieve a higher return on investment by providing maximum user objectives.
Projects are more likely to be successful if there is a defined project methodology because:
- It reduces the time spent completing project deliverables
- Monitoring and controlling the project is more efficient, especially during the execution phase
- It reduces overall costs by saving time and effort to building deliverables
- Change, risk and issues are reduced because the project is fully and clearly defined from the outset
- Full quality assurance is in place throughout the project lifecycle to ensure requirements are met
- By clarifying roles, responsibilities and delivery expectations, staff performance and motivation remains high
For more information about how CRM has evolved, please contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]
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