CRM forum

Implementing CRM

Customer relationship management is a corporate level strategy, focusing on creating and maintaining relationships with customers. Several commercial CRM software packages are available which vary in their approach to CRM. However, CRM is not a technology itself, but rather a holistic approach to an organisation's philosophy, placing the emphasis firmly on the customer.

Operational CRM

Operational CRM provides automated support to "front office" business processes (sales, marketing and service). Each interaction with a customer is generally added to a customer's history, and staff can retrieve information on customers from the database as necessary.

Analytical CRM

Analytical CRM analyses data (gathered as part of operational CRM, or from other sources) in an attempt to identify means to enhance a company's relationship with its clients. The results of an analysis can be used to design targeted marketing campaigns, for example: ...

Collaborative CRM

Collaborative CRM focuses on the interaction with customers (personal interaction, letter, fax, phone, Internet, e-mail etc.)

Uses of CRM

In its broadest sense, CRM covers all interaction and business with customers. A good CRM program allows a business to acquire customers, provide customer services and retain valued customers.

Technical Considerations

The following factors need to be considered: Scalability - Communication channels - Workflow - Assignment - Database - Customer privacy considerations.

Improving Customer Relationships

CRM applications often track customer interests and requirements, as well as their buying habits. This information can be used to target customers selectively. Furthermore, the products a customer has purchased can be tracked throughout the product's life cycle, allowing customers to receive information concerning a product or to target customers with information on alternative products once a product begins to be phased out.

Privacy and Ethical Concerns

The data gathered as part of CRM raises concerns over customer privacy and enables coercive sales techniques (see persuasion technology). However, CRM does not necessarily involve gathering new data, but also includes making better use of customer information gathered as a result of routine customer interaction.

CRM for Nonprofit Organizations

CRM is also important to non-profit organizations, which sometimes use the terms "constituent relationship management", "contact relationship management" or "community relationship management" to describe their information systems for managing donors, volunteers, a popular CRM service ....

CRM - See also

CRM software, ITIL, Business intelligence, Predictive dialer, telemarketing, Customer experience, customer experience management, Customer Intelligence, sales force management system, information technology management, management information systems, management consulting, Microenvironme, Predictive analytics, Software as a Service, On-demand, Vendor-independent solutions provider, Customer Reference Management, Database marketing