CRM: It’s Not a Technology Solution!

By Neil Saviano

The many benefits companies can gain from a CRM project begin with the ability to gather, store, process and use customer and prospect information most effectively. Historically, this information-driven model is almost always put in place to address the following three key strategic areas and perpetual company pain points:

• New customer acquisition
• Current customer penetration
• Current customer retention

However, from the beginning it’s important for companies to recognize one fundamental point about CRM to help assure a successful implementation: CRM is not a technology solution—it’s a process solution.

In essence, implementation of a CRM project is far closer to the implementation of a strategic marketing plan than it is to any technology upgrade or introduction. And as with any strategic marketing plan, the project needs to begin with a clear set of objectives and a realistic appreciation of the sales and marketing processes needed to reach them.

Overall project objectives are built around the three key strategic areas listed above, but there also needs to be lower level objectives that identify the plan’s various activities and th...

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