It's time to completely replace CRM

It's time to completely replace CRM

now, the small and medium-sized enterprise (SMB) market is taking shape and has become the focus of CRM debate. These enterprises do not have the resources or budget to successfully drive out enterprise software packages that are not suitable for their business. Professional software suppliers continue to enter this market and provide vertical products suitable for the needs of specific industries. Therefore, growing companies are facing a new choice: continue to invest resources in the CRM system that has been used, or by investing in a new CRM system, which promises to bring appropriate functions and increased ROI, so as to completely replace CRM

however, it is not easy to decide to replace a failed system. Here are some key issues to help enterprises decide whether to completely replace CRM:

1 Customization dilemma: a few small and medium-sized enterprises want to enter the software development business. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises find themselves in trouble when their popular CRM products need significant customization to adapt to the growing business models and procedures. Companies should consider how unique their business needs are, and whether their existing CRM solutions can promote the deepening reform of state-owned enterprises to meet most of these needs with a domestic waste plastic recycling volume of 16.93 million tons in 2017. The rule applies here - if the existing CRM solution can meet 80% of your needs without customization, then you are doing well. However, without significant software customization, you can't achieve 80% utility - then maybe you need a vertical solution to better meet your needs through some configurations

2. "C" or "R" of CRM: most CRM products do well in managing "C", that is, customers. They provide excellent tools for centralizing customer data, executing customer orders, providing customer support, managing potential customer sales, and analyzing customer data. For businesses with only simple and repetitive sales cycles, these CRMs are sufficient to solve the problem. On the other hand, the success of some businesses depends on the "R" of CRM, that is, relationship. Usually, winning a deal in these businesses is the result of a complex sales process. The conclusion of such a deal depends largely on interpersonal relationships, just as it depends on the specific products and services provided

CRM products that can successfully connect information searchers and information knowers, that is, people who know who, what and how to do, will be more suitable for these enterprises. Professional service (i.e. legal, consulting and financial services) organizations, companies operating large and complex contracts, government agencies and non-profit organizations are all organizations based on relationships, which focus more on relationship intelligence than traditional CRM when Ping An valve is not regulated properly. Therefore, if you are this type of company and you are trying to introduce a traditional, product based CRM software package into your environment, you should consider using a more professional system

the conversion rate is required to be low 3 Social security: a CRM product will enable many users to join a fully cooperative software environment for the first time. For companies whose self-worth depends on the information they have, CRM products may be seen as a threat. If your users adapt to this cultural phenomenon, the failure of CRM products to ensure subtle data security will hinder the success of implementation. In addition to the ability to keep specific connections secret, the system should also be flexible enough to disclose data in a particular field or environment. For example, users can't want to share the rest of the company's information, a desired mobile number or the record of a secret conversation. If the system cannot meet these data security requirements, users will give up choosing it

data control is equally important. If users feel that when they contribute to the CRM system, but lose control of their contact data, it is possible that they will no longer contribute. This problem often occurs when the CRM system is synchronized with the customer's private information manager (PIM) (i.e. outlook or Lotus Notes). When changes are concentrated in one connection, those changes will flow back to the user's PIM address book. If users do not trust these changes, they will distrust the CRM system and give up choosing it instead. If these data security and data control are related to the healthy development of the enterprise, but your solution can not guarantee them, then the possibility of the success of your CRM system will be extremely small

4. Not conducive to (workflow): CRM solutions that cannot be seamlessly integrated with users' daily workflow are flawed. Although the products are complex and have a high level of functionality, if users find the products difficult or inconvenient to use, it is enough to make them give up using them. Most software suppliers have transformed this demand into network-based products, and believe that the comfort and familiarity of the ubiquitous web browser will meet the requirements of a wider range of users for CRM solutions

however, this may only apply to some users. Many other users spend most of their time using Microsoft Outlook (or Lotus Notes), which is their preferred desktop environment. Therefore, if your technophobia users like to use email very much, your CRM solution should be seamlessly integrated into your email system, which is really clear to your users. On the contrary, if your current software package can't do this, you should consider looking for another software package that can do it

5. Data and other hidden secrets: recent research by the data storage society and other organizations shows that contact data is being damaged at a rate of 2% to 3% per month. This means that almost one-third of the data in a clean database will be destroyed in one year. Moreover, most CRM systems are synchronized with users' PIMS, and these systems actually have no data quality rules or data protection, which means that harmful data from PIMS will enter the central collection area very frequently. Poor data quality is destroying many companies, causing users to lack confidence in CRM systems and even refuse to use CRM systems

when an increasing number of data quality service providers regularly help companies purify their CRM data, many companies still find that they cannot cope with the maintenance of data quality on the basis of operation. In order to reduce the time and cost of maintaining a clean database, software suppliers directly develop data quality tools and data change management workflow in their products. If data quality becomes a problem in your company and your current solution cannot help, you can consider using an alternative solution

conclusion

it is quite difficult to make a decision to replace the CRM system, both administratively and economically. But wise companies know that the application of CRM is so strategic that they can't waste their resources on a system that is doomed to failure. Honestly evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of your existing system. If it does not make the decision of whether to replace the CRM system easier, it will at least make the decision clear

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