Hi there – well here we are again on the cusp of the Christmas break and suddenly everything is manic! CRM systems that we are hoping to implement in the first part of 2013 have been brought forward to get as much completed as possible. It always surprises me that at this late stage of the year companies are desperate for a CRM system “to be in by Christmas!”
“What’s the rush”? I ask, as another frantic phone call with a prospective customer who just “has to have it up and running in two weeks”…. It is as if CRM was the toy of the year and we are going to sell out!
CRM does take time and effort to make it work to your processes, your requirements and your needs going forwards. CRM isn’t a silver bullet on a CD. Starting with your requirements and what you want to get out of CRM is a good place to start. Who within your teams will be involved?
Getting CRM before Christmas can be done but it can be a tall order. It all depends on your requirements. Do you want to get CRM working in a basic way or did you want to ensure that you have it fine tuned to your processes from day 1?
If you wanted to get CRM up and running we can do that often within a day or 2. For more complex data requirements it could be around 5 days but most CRM projects with clear outcomes will take a month to 6 months.
Going back to earlier 2012 posts where we talked about scoping a CRM project (September 2012). We ran seminars where we demonstrated the value of the scoping exercise.
Scoping a CRM project is all about deciding which areas of your business will be covered by the CRM solution. The range, depth and detail. Every department or just one team? All functional areas, or just a few? Every business requirement or just the key ones? Now or later? CRM solutions can be broken into staged engagements to manage cost & risk.
Importantly you need to have a wish list. What is the pain – why will CRM take that pain away? And don’t lose sight of this pain – if you compromise then you will not see any difference the pain will still be there. You will need to look at each job, how do you do it, is it ideal?
Scoping a CRM project can be daunting but it has clear advantages. During 2013 we will be running more scoping CRM presentations so watch out for them! We will be showcasing the CRM requirements and how to ensure that you get the most from your processes, software and most importantly your teams.
Getting your teams involved early is a must. Once they have CRM and start to use it and love it – then you know you are halfway to CRM success!
Earlier this year we officially launched our housing solution, TenantView CRM. We are extremely proud to bring this to market and offer this to housing associations. We are continously working to develop TenantView CRM.
We have talked about Yammer and how it has integrated with Microsoft CRM and about our new partnership with CWR Mobility.
In July we talked about why CRM can reduce churn, and throughout 2012 we ran mornings of CRM, which were extremely popular.
Its been a busy work both in and out of Caltech! We enjoyed the Queens Jubilee, the London Olympics and we welcomed the olympic torch to Yorkshire. We gained the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Silver competency again.
Looking ahead to 2013 we are preparing ourselves here for a very busy year! Watch out for our announcements and blogs throughout the year. Check out our twitter page @caltechit or our Linked In updates.
I would like to wish all our blog followers a happy and stress free Christmas and look forward to 2013.
One last note though……
There is nothing more satisfying than taking the staff on a Christmas night out and having a good time, even better when we go bowling and I win!
Phil Callaghan
Managing director
Caltech IT Limited
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