David Cowgill’s 5 steps to successful CRM implementation

Some iterations of CRM, may be confusing. Coining an old phrase; that’s the nature of the beast. Many iterations are geared toward automating customer service operations. However, there is more to CRM than screening service calls. A new dimension of CRM is making its name as a powerful remedy for professional services firms. The new CRM product is particularly beneficial to those firms with management teams that are targeting firm-wide intellectual property in order to increase the number and variety of clients, improve productivity and of course, increase profits.

CRM solutions distinguishes itself from accounting or HR solutions. CRM solutions are user-friendly and are confined to specially trained and skilled employees. That said, Cowgill asks: how can a firm ensure success? According to Cowgill the following five simple steps "can help put your organization on the path to CRM success".

1. Always keep in mind that ‘culture is king’ – A CRM solution, apart from being a software package, is also a way of conducting business and involves contact and communication with fellow employees within the firm. For CRM implementation to succeed, members of any one workforce are required to share information about clients and contacts. Many persons engaged in the professional services industry are slow to share contact information for fear of losing opportunities for their own professional growth. What needs to be remembered is that a CRM implementation promises to create new opportunities for all and success rates will automatically follow. It is up to management to promote a work culture focused on "the greater good" as opposed to "individual gain."

2. Adapt a phased approach – Management teams mistakenly try to force-feed the workforce with new technology. CRM implementation is no exception. When working with the software developer’s implementation team, management should agree upon a plan of phasing software such as initiating a CRM rollout by location, practice group or department. The phased approach permits both the business entity as well as the implementation team to make adjustments, manage expectations, achieve milestones and promote successes.

3. Secure senior management support – Full management is important to the successful implementation of CRM solutions as it starts and ends at the top. Once management support is procured it must be maintained because it is futile for management to commence the process and then, in a manner of speaking, abandon the raft midstream. After all CRM implementations are all about management leading by example. Rolling-out a CRM solution takes hard work, but the benefits are substantial.

4. Evaluate the firm’s working procedures and processes – While working with the software developer’s implementation team, management should review, analyze and evaluate the firm’s procedures together with all of the data sources that will be integrated into the CRM solution.

5. Exercise caution when selecting the Right Software Partner – It is important to keep in mind that the way CRM is employed by a professional services firm is entirely different from the way it is used by a products institution. It follows that services-based organizations would be wise to choose a software provider that specializes in professional services solutions. Of equal importance is the software solution’s ability to seamlessly integrate with other business processes within the firm. It is also important to ensure that the vendor is capable of providing experienced and committed staff members that are ready, willing and able to work with your team to ensure success.

Go to: Pointers to getting CRM right