Posts Tagged ‘CRM Solution’
Building Consensus for Your CRM Solution
Thursday, May 7th, 2009When you implement a new or upgraded CRM Solution, be sure to build consensus. All stakeholders – business users, management team, and IT staff – should agree with, or buy into, the decision to upgrade. All should understand the benefits and the risks of the project.
Building consensus takes work that starts long before the new CRM Solution is purchased, installed, or implemented. The team that chooses the CRM Solution needs to have members of all stakeholder groups as active participants.
IT Staff: The right CRM Solution will reduce the workload of the IT Staff, making it simpler for them to respond to requests. Their buy in should be enthusiastic. They should be able to see:
- New tools that are provided in the upgrade that will enable them to respond more quickly to users’ requests.
- Ways in which the upgrade allows end users to answer their own questions via tables, reports, queries, various methods of viewing data, etc.
- Possible savings to IT as a result of consolidating hardware or consolidating software licenses.
Management Team: The right CRM Solution will be affordable and will have a positive impact on the overall revenue stream. It should have tools that will improve the productivity of employees in Sales, Marketing, and Support. The CEO, CIO, and CFO should see cost savings to the organization. All members of the management team should be able to see:
- The upgrade reduces maintenance and/or support costs.
- The upgrade is scheduled for a time that is convenient for each unit of the business as they are expected to be involved.
- Each unit understands the expected time frame for a return on the investment (ROI).
- Each unit knows the benefits of the upgrade and when those benefits will overtake the costs of the current system.
Business Users: The daily users of the CRM Solution must see the benefits. They need to hear things like “the upgrade will include enhanced workflow that streamlines complex processes.” Further, they need to know:
- The key benefits that they will realize because of the upgrade.
- What the key features are and how they will function to make their lives easier.
- What indirect benefits the users can enjoy with the upgrade – things like streamlined processes or quicker calculations.
- That they will not lose any of their favorite functionality or capabilities with the upgrade.
To keep the CRM Solution on track, consensus is critical. All stakeholders must be involved in the process of choosing and implementing an upgraded CRM software solution.
Web Based CRM Solutions Hold the Key
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009A customer’s experience with customer service and helpdesk contact centers shapes his view of the entire organization. Immediate communication through a web based CRM solution is the key to improve service levels and impact the company’s bottom line.
Communication among customer service agents and their managers must be immediate, targeted and real-time. For example, contact center managers can reduce wait times and help their call center handle higher call volumes when they know wait times and can see overloaded queues. When scheduling appointments, the system needs to be able to alert agents of cancellations – especially same day and same week – so that customers can be scheduled at the earliest time possible.
A web-based CRM solution allows all users to be up-to-the-minute on parts of the enterprise computer system that are slow or down and when the expected resolution time is. It equips agents to handle customer questions by accessing an extensive online knowledge base.
Real-time awareness requires a simple and direct line of communication across disparate branches of the contact center. A web-based CRM solution delivers this type of communication.
Restructuring, combining with other companies or rapid growth present new challenges to companies. Multiple technology systems often do not communicate well. Employees do not know who or what department now handles particular questions or functions. However, a web-based CRM solution can easily serve the employees as well as the customers.
Often a single helpdesk or call center services both employees and customers, but through a jumble of technology. The web-based CRM solution solves this jumble and makes quick, direct connections at the time they are needed.
Service levels and customer satisfaction are greatly increased by using a web based CRM solution. The potential for growth is greatly expanded. Internal communication is drastically improved. Customer service reps are seen as competent and helpful. And the company is perceived as trustworthy.
- Is your call center ready to take a leap forward?
- Is your CRM solution working for you?
- Are you ready for a web based CRM solution? Why or why not?