IMPORTANCE OF CRM
»Does your company has a representative who only deals with CRM?«

A good half of those asked have a CRM-Officer who only deals with this topic.

Source: CRM-Barometer 2005 Capgemini

CRM definitions and positioning or: Whose tasks and objectives are affected in the company, and how?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integrates all sales - relevant business processes, communication channels and company divisions such as Acquisition, Marketing, Sales and Service. Every customer contact counts – across the whole customer life cycle. The customer must therefore be supported consistently for the duration of the cooperation.

CRM is an expression of and platform for the corporate philosophy

This strategic aspect involves all those concerned: customers, employees, par tners and suppliers. An important factor for the whole CRM team, and something often neglected, is the ability to empathize; this is the most important prerequisite for the clear formulation and sensitive implementation of CRM goals. In the company, the appropriate structures must be created on the basis of the strategic and operational objectives and requirements must be defined in detail. Success is only possible if those responsible act as role models. This

means that CRM needs a “facilitator” at top level, who puts the concrete instructions into practice and controls them.

The resulting CRM philosophy must be announced and explained to all employees in writing, because ultimately, CRM must something that all are aware of, all want, and all put into practice.

Current influences and requirements – CRM is a must

In addition to the well - known external inf luencing factors such as increasing competition and transparent, comparable markets, the growing customer demand for faster, better and a larger number of products and services is an impor tant reason or trigger for a CRM implementation. In addition, the number of customer contacts has risen, and with this, the work involved in customer support . For example, today, offers are changed more frequently and resubmitted to the customer. Improved CRM means closeness to the customer, and therefore enables business success.

However, internal inf luencing factors also lead to the use of CRM. Money is often no longer the only thing that motivates employees. Employees want and look for employers who offer flexible working hours (independent time planning, sabbaticals, educational vacations etc.) and who help them combine work and family, e.g. through company crèches.

In addition, new work organizations/methods require structures and technologies for work in different regions and time zones. Companies and employees already count on variable working in projects and network structures. The most recent forms, such as “600 physical work stations for 1000 logical employees” are starting to take hold.

Sales strategies and methods must be f illed with life to ensure competitiveness. It must be possible to evaluate and track processes in sales, for example replacements for employees who are sick or on vacation must never be made at the expense of the customer.

A recent ef fect of today’s working world – and one felt in ever y company – is the fact that more and more work is falling to an ever smaller number of people. If quality is to be maintained, this challenge can only be mastered with  improved CRM systems and sales processes.

CRM strategies – concrete definition of benefit

Company management and the internal CRM team develop the strategic specif ications and objectives on the basis of customer and market requirements. Examples include:

Determining and exploiting market potential (sales/costs)

Higher sales

Increase in service quality

Increase in customer satisfaction

Increase in employee satisfaction

Early identification of customer requirements

Key account introduction

Process improvement in the company

These strategic objectives must then be translated into concrete, operational measures, for example:

Making customer information quickly and easily accessible

Simplified and improved company organization

Controlling of all interactions between customers and employees

Improvements to master data quality

Rapid visit preparation

What are the “right hand” and “left hand” doing with customers and prospects

Service and Sales share their information

Rapid response to customer inquiries

Complete, clear reporting

Effective visit planning

Sales planning and controlling

Basic operational CRM objective

The central goal is usually to set up one global, standardized database for daily, process-based work in the company divisions Sales, Service, Marketing and Management. This means that the numerous small, individual CRM systems, dif ferent procedures and different work documents are no longer necessary. Internal and external tasks and deadlines should be globally accessible to all employees with the relevant authorizations. Processes for avoiding errors, accelerating work and creating reusabilit y are set up or mapped. The company ultimately creates for itself a knowledge database with all knowledge from headers, files, post-its and handwritten records.

CRM principles and mottos

All new developments and changes in strategy and operational implementation are expressed in principles and mottos. With the help of these brief statements, CRM can be embedded in the company and be brought to life. Pin the principles up in the car park, reception area and off ices, or integrate them directly in ISO specifications. Let all employees participate: each month is assigned a dif ferent mot to. Create a CRM calendar and make this available not only to all employees but also to external partners – that way, everyone’s involved!

Examples of principles already used in many companies:

»Our CRM is not a software solution but a company-wide attitude to work with colleagues, suppliers, partners and – not least – our customers. We all work with the CRM solution every day.”«

Data and its maintenance forms the basis for our work with customers, partners and prospects. These in turn are our company‘s capital. The foundation for effective working is therefore laid here – good information means continuous maintenance.