CRM
Strategy
As per the CRM
Strategy a company employing CRM manages the 'relationship' with the
customers of the company through the manipulation of information
about them. The information is shared and transformed into
knowledge. Knowledge enables the company to understand the customer,
and this information in turn is used to align the organizations
capabilities in order to deliver better value to customers.
Effective CRM
Strategy has a multi-channel focus. Companies will have to
effectively manage all customer communication channels including
traditional letters, fax, and branch/retail outlets through to call
centers including IVR and speech recognition and the emerging
channels including email, the Internet, Video Kiosks and in the near
future Interactive TV.
Implementing
CRM Strategy: To satisfy customer needs in these situations requires
a technological architecture which when utilized properly results in
successful CRM practice. Technology is essential to the
implementation of a CRM Strategy as
it underpins the business process.
However, the
integration process is difficult and many companies will fail to
successfully implement effective CRM Strategy due to strategic,
organizational and process deficiencies. Some of these reasons
include a misunderstanding of CRM goals, unconnected processes,
incompatible IT systems, lack of expertise and resources and
confusion over what technologies to use.
Let’s see
why CRM Strategy is
important and how it works. Dow Jones Interactive reports that US
companies lose about 50% of their customer base every five years.
This is primarily because relationships with the customers do not
extend past the stage of enticing the customer to the company. CRM
emphasizes the development and maintenance of the customer-company
relationship.
Whilst the
notion of developing better relationships with customers has been
around since commercial activity was first initiated, it is only
with the convergence of information technology, telecommunications
and the internet that the whole concept of CRM Strategy really comes
alive. For the first time major organizations with large customer
bases now have the opportunity to offer customized one to one
marketing.
Generally
the CRM Strategy revolves around following
issues:
- Organizational goals for CRM
implementation
- Management
awareness, competency, buy-in.
- Resource
allocation for CRM.
- Budget
allocation, (current/future) for CRM.
- Actual/Expected return on investment
through CRM.
- CRM
components - importance and
prioritization
- Business
process implications.
- Cultural
implications.
- Delivery
channel implications.
- Technology
implications and Integration Issues
- Technology
solutions implemented or evaluated
- Customer
segmentation implications.
- Barriers to
CRM implementation.
- Measurement
processes
- Utilization
of external resources e.g. management consultants, systems
integrators, hardware and software vendors, outsourcing
services.
The effect of
CRM Strategy on Call Center Operations:
- How will the
call centre operations be affected
- Call center
size, location, structure.
- Call center
role and tasks.
- Call handling
and business processes.
- Transaction
volumes/ types of transaction and ratios.
- Recruitment,
training, development e.g. new skills
required?
- Job tasks,
security, satisfaction - all staff.
- Technology in
use.
