Project Proposal Essay

Background and Motivation What is the setting and history behind this project? Customer Relationship Management concerns the relationship between the organization and its customers. Customers are the lifeblood of any organization be it a global corporation with thousands of employees and a multi-billion turnover, or a sole trader with a handful of regular customers. Customer Relationship Management is the same in principle for these two examples – it is the scope of CRM which can vary drastically. CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is a way for businesses to find potential customers. While the first iterations of CRM were used in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the 2000s that it really began to shine. CRM software helps businesses identify and categorize existing customers. This allows them to see the specific demographics their products appeal to, in turn allowing them to market their products more effectively. What is the problem to be addressed? Many organizations are considering introducing CRM systems or are in the process of doing so. The main concern of these organizations is their ability to make the necessary changes at the level of organizational strategy that the introduction of the CRM system requires. Organizations are also concerned about damaging their existing customer care system. Their fears are based on past failures in their own or in other organizations. What are some current approaches to this problem? 1. The users don’t use the CRM system My personal view is that most people do not come to work to fight the system. If users are rejecting the CRM system then we need to try to understand the reasons. In most cases this can be traced to a lack of management support for CRM. If users feel that their conscientious updating of the CRM system is not used then they will stop using it. Examples of managers refusing to use the CRM system, requesting reports in Word or Excel format, and enjoying a successful CRM implementation are nonexistent. The simple fact is that leaders need to lead – that means that everyone from the very top down must use the CRM system. 2. The users want to use the CRM system, but the technology is failing them Another point of belief; CRM software developers do not set out to ship bad software. So even if you have selected a software platform that we don’t sell, it is unlikely that the CRM issue will be bugged software. The most common reasons for technology failing are tied to speed or ease of access. If your users cannot access the CRM system whenever or wherever they want then they will drift away. 3. The original driving force for the CRM project has moved on It is often said that a new broom sweeps cleanest. All too often changes in management herald changes in the CRM system. Users who were previously happily using the CRM system, struggle to adopt changes. Users who were struggling with the system, legitimize their behavior with reference to changes that may, or may not be coming. 4. The CRM system does not deliver all of the functions required This might be the result of changes in the business, or changes in the management or reporting requirements. Typically this is first visible as a potential Business Intelligence (BI) requirement. The need is to integrate all of the systems that surround the CRM system. From quote creation, to web store integration, systems proliferate to surround the CRM system. Requirements, not anticipated in the initial CRM project create additional customer data silos. Left unchecked these will ultimately undermine the â€Å"single view of the customer† CRM seeks to deliver. Why is this problem worth solving or worth solving better? Customer relationship management (CRM) is a widely implemented model for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients, and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support.[1] The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients, service and retain those the company already has, entice former clients to return, and reduce the costs of marketing and client service.[2] Customer relationship management describes a company-wide business strategy including customer-interface departments as well as other departments.[3] Measuring and valuing customer relationships is critical to implementing this strategy. Benefits of the Project/Product * One of the major benefits of having a CRM is that it improves the quality of service. The CRM collects all information of the clients then analyzes the data and help you in decision- making. With the help of Customer Relationship Management, you will assured that your system is running safe and secure. Another benefit of having a CRM software is that it can help you save a lot of money. Of course, purchasing a software might be expensive but compared on hiring, training and paying employees, it will save you a lot. * Having a Customer Relationship Management software needs to have careful planning. Remember that in this system, the relationship between your company and your clients is at stake. You have to plan out everything. It is also important that you consider its usability. You have to determine the benefits it will bring to your company and its impact in your business as well as your employees. * Since all information provided by the customers were collected by the CRM, it is important to keep them secure. The company as well as the vendors should ensure the quality of the system that it is secure enough to protect confidential information. Scope and Limitations of the Project The scope limitation option on workflows in MSCRM is a great feature that unfortunately has half baked functionality. Particularly when dealing with large organizations with multiple Business Units, it’s compelling to try and limit scope to the Business Unit level. This works fine until you realize the limitations. Seeing as how workflows can only be owned by people, you MUST assign each workflow to a user in the business unit you’d like scope limited to. As soon as you attempt this, you’ll need to deactive the workflow, assign to the appropriate user, have that user log into the system, and re-activate the workflow. Needless to say, this is not a feasible maintenance scenario for organizations rolling out to dozen(s) of business units.