CRM Implementation -The idea of this write-up is to provide some of the knowledge and tools, that you will need to prepare your business for a new CRM system. How to implement CRM? this is very basic question asked by many business owners.
Most of us talked and heard about CRM and benefits associated with it however, when it comes to implement it, we tend to falter.
What should be the steps really needed so that the CRM gets implemented in a lot of organized method? this is relevant to any organization that is considering a solid initiative for CRM Implementation whether you are a startup, a small business or a 10,000 plus employees.
When evaluating a CRM implementation initiative – there is a strategic review of a business process ought to be undertaken. you study and recognize process requirements before implementing, the present position of the organization, prioritize the pain points you want to address, understand what’s the core business and the way it can expand in the future.
Primarily you got to understand what’s your core business if you don’t understand what your business is is all about or what your basic products and service processes are then you’ll eventually fail to produce the better potential services to the customer.
What kind of CRM is suitable for the business currently and in future? This essentially will be the question in your mind – shall we evaluate the most popular CRM softwares (eg Salesforce,MicrosoftDynamics, Zoho etc.. Many more) in the market or develop something in house.
What IT infrastructure do we have presently? do we have the bandwidth to support the future organization requirements. At primary stages we have a tendency to over think that we require different IT procurement and support – for eg high-end servers, telephony system or SMS system etc .Discard them -those are good to have things, start small -you can get started with reasonably IT supporting.
Try to build a small team, choose people who are driven and passionate. Ideally you may include members from IT, sales, marketing, customer support, management and finance. Team should be led by the Change maker, a person who drives the entire initiative and is a bridge between the stake holders and the team.
Prepare a High-level requirements documentation stating -Business Processes, requirements and expectations along with current pain points. Segment the mentioned points into Priority- high, medium and low.
Once you are through the above steps (primary barriers- where often people fail to start), by this time you will be ready to approach vendors /suppliers. You will be able to express clearly your goals and expectations.
To be continued in Part 2.