Headline: The Benefits of Selecting a CRM Implementation Partner
By: Sidney C. Lejfer, President, Harvest
Solutions
Introduction
As you company embarks on a CRM initiative, the software selection is
only one facet of a successful project. As part of this process, you may
consider implementing your CRM system with internal resources. Some software
and on-demand vendors position their products as easy to implement and
easy to use, suggesting that your organization try to do it yourself.
As outlined in this article, there are many benefits in selecting a CRM
implementation partner.
Even in providing a very simple CRM system to
your organization, a variety of steps need to take place including project
management, requirements gathering, planning, configuration, pilot-program,
roll-out, training, and support. An experienced CRM implementation partner
has the resources to address each of these areas, providing a company
significant benefits that increase the chances of a successful system.
Planning
In planning a CRM system, you have a variety of people involved in the
process including sales, marketing, and customer service at various levels
including staff, management, and executives. This can be a very complicated
and difficult process, dealing with potential political issues and personalities.
One of the services that a CRM implementation partner will provide is
a resource who can act as a facilitator and buffer during this process
and using their experience to guide the organization in the appropriate
direction.
As noted above, there are various steps that
need to take place in a successful CRM roll-out. A CRM Implementation
Firm has the experience in properly planning the various steps in this
process.
Installation, Configuration, and Customization
Once a company has determined what they need out of a CRM system, those
requirements need to be translated and configured within the CRM product.
Although a company may have technical resources within their organization,
there is still a learning curve involved with a new product. In addition,
there can be more than one way to configure a CRM system. An experienced
CRM implementation firm can provide you the most efficient configuration
that will provide the optimum ease of use.
Better Access To Technical Support
Although your CRM system will provide the end-user with technical support,
your CRM implementation partner has access to a higher level and faster
response technical support service provided by the vendor. In addition,
they may have more leverage in getting a technical issue resolved quicker
than through end-user channels.
Business Process Experience
A CRM implementation partner has gathered significant business process
experience from their previous engagements. You need to have a certain
skill set to evaluate an organization's business processes, make recommendations
for improvement, and apply those processes to a CRM software system. Without
this particular experience, it is very difficult and time consuming for
a company to do this with internal resources.
Depth of Skill Set
Implementing a CRM system takes a variety of skill sets including configuration
experience for that particular product, programming and development experience,
database knowledge, project management capabilities, training skills (both
technical and presentation), and report writing experience. Very few companies
have all these skills available and even if they did, you would pull them
away from their regular jobs.
Resource Constraints
As mentioned above, your organization maybe large enough to have the various
skills needed to implement an CRM system. But people have their regular
jobs and responsibilities on a day to day basis. Reassigning them to a
CRM project can cause a variety of issues. A CRM implementation firm provides
you with the experienced resources you need without having to tap and
strain your own staff.
Although you may think that using an outside
firm is more expensive, that is not the case. When you calculate the cost
of your own staff and their overhead, the additional time it takes to
learn the CRM product, and the cost of their daily responsibilities not
being completed, you will find that using an outside firm is not more
expensive.
A CRM implementation firm can provide you with
the right resources at the right time that will allow a company to complete
a CRM roll-out in a timely basis.
Summary
A CRM implementation partner can provide an organization best practices
in every aspect of rolling out a CRM system including needs assessment,
planning, configuration, development and integration, data importing,
pilot-program and roll-out, training and support. During your selection
process of a CRM implementation firm, make sure you get client references
and details about the consultants assigned to your account.
About the Author
Sidney C. Lejfer is President of Harvest Solutions, a Customer Relationship
Management Consulting and Training Organization. He is a featured writer
and speaker on the benefits of Customer Relationship Management Technology.
For further information, call 781-530-3736, email at slejfer@harvestsolutions.net,
or visit his firm's website at www.harvestsolutions.net.
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New Trends: The Importance of Integrating CRM with the Outlook Exchange
Server
You are up and
running on your CRM system. But not everyone in your office is a user
in the CRM application. Meetings are getting double-booked, information
and contacts are not being shared. What can you do? Many CRM applications
offer integration with the Outlook Exchange Server. With a direct link
between your CRM server and your Exchange server you can:
- Schedule a
meeting as a CRM user with an Outlook user
- Check a non-CRM user's availability
- Synchronize contact information between the
CRM system and Exchange
- Send information from and Exchange public
calendar to a CRM user's calendar to keep everyone in the know
- Transfer data automatically and without user
intervention using a server-based synchronization process.
Contact us to learn more about how your
CRM system can integrate with your Exchange Server at info@harvestsolutions.net
or (781) 530-3736.
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Harvest Solutions In The News...
The following is a brief list of the media
outlets where Harvest Solutions has appeared:
- CRM Advocate.com (RealMarket)
- CRM Today
- Boston Business Journal
- Boston Globe
- Boston Herald
- Mass High Tech
- Nashua Telegraph
- Worcester Telegram & Gazette
- Ziff Davis Web Buyer's Guide
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