CRM Selection Committee
Posted by Sid Lejfer on Mon, Feb 15, 2010
Choosing a CRM solution for an organization is a very big decision. Over the years, we have seen our prospects and clients go about this process in many different ways. If you see your organization using CRM for sales, marketing, and customer service, we suggest using a selection committee to review and select a CRM system for your organization.
This committee should be made up of end-users, management, and executives. Each user is going to have different requirements and you want to make sure the solution you select is able to accomodate your requirements. The involvement of all groups within your organization in the selection process will pay dividends in the future and you will have a better chance at end-user adoption.
You also want to make sure you have a firm committment from the executive team that the CRM solution selected by the committee will be funded and implemented. From past experience, you don't want to engage people within your organization in a process that takes time away from their day to day responsibilities that does not results in a CRM system being selected and implemented.
Human nature plays a role in selecting and implementing a CRM solution. People want to feel part of the process. We have found that end-users and managers can be resentful on having to use a system that they had no input and does not meet their specific requirements.
Each group of users are going to use the CRM differently. End-users are going to want an easy to use and easy to navigate system. They want to be able to work efficiently and input and retrieve information as easily as possible.
Managers want to be able to get reports on the productivity and results of their sales, marketing, and customer services departments. Executives want to be able to get key indicators in real time if possible.
We have seen less involvement from IT in the selection process with the popularity of Software as a Service (SaaS). You still want IT involved to make sure you have the appropriate bandwidth and security. If you are considering an on-premise solution, IT needs to have more involvement because of infrastructure requirements.
The selection committee should determine, document, and prioritize the requirements of each group of users. This document should help you narrow your selection of potential software solutions and implementors. By doing a thorough screening, you will be able to narrow your search. You want to be respectful of your committee member's time and avoid over analysis of solutions that just don't fit.
If possible, you should narrow the potential vendors to three. Each product should be evaulated to make sure that your requirements are met. Many CRM software products provide a free trial version that can be very helpful. Some software vendors are willing to create a customize demo if the size and complexity of the opportunity warrants it.
You also want to maintain a tight timeline. As time passes, you won't have the recall to compare all of the CRM solutions. In addition, you will lose momentum. If possible, I would suggest that you begin your implementation as quickly as possible after the selection has been made.
Involving end-users, managers, and executives in the CRM selection process, priortizing requirements, narrowing potential solutions as quickly as possible, and having a tight timeframe, will increase the probability of a successful CRM system.