5 steps to successful CRM implementation

When it's time to implement CRM and why you should do that

Usually, CRM implementation is the first step toward business automation. Of course, there is no single common sign that it's time to implement a new system: it all depends on the size of business and the stage of its development. But most often, the key factor is a feeling that can be expressed as "we don't cope with it anymore".

It's time for your company to implement CRM if:

• you and your employees can no longer keep in your heads all arrangement with clients;

• Excel spreadsheets containing customer information are expanding, but it does not affect the speed of client processing;

• employees often make mistakes, lose customers or process the same customers twice;

• on one hand, it is difficult for you to see the big picture, and on the other, to see what is being done in each particular case;

• analytical reports take an enormous amount of time and effort. 

With proper implementation, CRM can help your company solve many urgent issues: find and target potential buyers, design business processes, boost the quality of communication with customers, increase the benefit of marketing activities and advertising campaigns, develop new products and services keeping in mind customers' needs and requests, as well as to enhance the efficiency of information processing and storing.

Although, it's harder to successfully implement a new system than it might seem at first glance. About 70% of all projects fail to achieve the initial goals. Most researches and experts agree that several critical factors define if the implementation would go well.

But first, let's figure out what can disrupt the implementation project.

Most often, projects on CRM implementation fail due to the lack of:

• support and commitment to the project from the company's top-management;

• clear vision and implementation strategy for all project stages;

• systematic (and comprehensible) training on how to work with the new product;

• clear and generally accepted vision of the process of clients processing in the company;

• qualification and motivation among the members of the initiative group responsible for the implementation.

What determines the success of CRM implementation

Below we will discuss what factors determine the success of integrating a new system into the familiar environment, as well as what investments and changes it requires. Also, we'll list the questions that can help you assess which areas are already in good shape and what needs to be improved.

1. Top-management support and commitment

The main task of a leader is to set clear and measurable goals and objectives for the CRM system implementation. It is quite hard to bring the project to successful completion without a clear plan with transparent interim results. It is even harder to do that without sufficiently allocated resources. Any new system requires investments of time, money, and effort. It makes no sense to assume that everything will work out on its own.

Another task of the leader is to make sure that all employees know the benefits of implementing a new system, its capabilities, resources, and potential challenges. When employees do not understand why they should spend time and energy on mastering a new skill, they will sabotage whether directly or implicitly any, even the best system.

How to assess

• Is the CRM implementation project integrated into the main strategic plan of the company?

• How many people from the top-management team actively participate in the project?

• Are there enough human and financial resources allocated for implementing a new system?

• Do company leaders have personal goals and objectives tied with the implementation?

• What challenges might the project face?

2. Trained and committed staff

First of all, the participants of the project should clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. The employees responsible for the final result should be personally interested in successful implementation, as well as they should know more than the others about potential benefits and profits stored in the new system.

Secondly, it's important to train the rest of the staff to work with all CRM tools, analyze coming data, and use it to satisfy the needs of their customers. One day the demand for company services will increase (sometimes it happens not gradually but rather abruptly), and at this stressful moment it is important to be sure that a) all employees know how to use all the features stored in the new system to its fullest extent; b) they are personally involved to the extent when they are ready to solve problems by themselves, keep the process flowing, and not lean on others for help and support.

How to assess

• Are you sure that all employees clearly see the goals and benefits of CRM implementation?

• How many employees attended seminars and meetings devoted to the potential benefits and capabilities of the new system?

• Does the company have training programs designed to help employees learn how to work with CRM?

• Do representatives of different departments meet to discuss the progress of the project, and what intermediate results have been achieved so far?

• Is there open bilateral communication between departments? How to overcome obstacles in this matter, if any?

3. Changes in organizational culture

Many start-up companies follow a product-driven approach. They come up with a complex, fascinating solution, edit it, add new features, spend time and energy with great enthusiasm, and praise the result. But in the end, the product does not sell. No matter how beautiful your solution might be, the most important thing is that it satisfies the real needs and demands of your clients. 

No CRM can help you increase sales if you keep creating products and services for yourself. The key to successful implementation is a client-driven approach, not a product one. 

How to assess

• What goal do you build your business strategy on? What place does raising the value of your offer for the customers to take in the list of your priorities?

• Do the stated business goals correspond to the real customers' needs?

• Do you regularly assess the quality of customer service?

• Can you highlight a specific competitive advantage of your company that is based on meeting some specific needs of your customers?

• Do you assess customer satisfaction levels? If so, how often do you do that?

• Do you pay attention to the after-sale customer service?

• Do you offer personalized products or services to your key customers?

4. Clear CRM strategy

The CRM implementation strategy should coincide with the general development strategy of the company. If the main goal of the company is to create and develop products that meet customers' needs, then one of the crucial tasks of CRM is to help you collect and maintain a customer base, the principal value of any organization.

As mentioned earlier, any project of implementing a new system starts with defining transparent performance metrics and clear goals that the company wants to achieve. Both metrics and goals should be formulated in quantitative terms. For example, asses exactly how much should an average profitability per transaction increase or the price of attracting new customers fall.

How to assess

• Do the heads of various departments participate in the project? If so, what quantitative goals related to CRM implementation do they set for their departments?

• Do separate departments have common goals that they can achieve through the implementation of CRM?

• How much time does it take to compile a sales report, and how this metric can be improved with CRM?

• How much time does it take to update customer information?

• How many systems or programs do your employees currently use to process customers? What systems can be replaced by CRM? What can you gain through it?

5. Measuring, monitoring and feedback

To successfully implement the project, it is not enough to bluntly follow the plan. Remember to measure intermediate results and adequately evaluate the project. It is this approach that guarantees continuous productivity growth. 

Since the implementation of CRM is a long-term project, it is important to collect feedback on how the system works and what results are obtained at each stage of the project. First of all, it will allow you to adjust the course while moving forward, and secondly, it will allow you to identify what tools are used the least and why.

How to assess

• Are there general meetings with representatives of different departments and members of the initiative group that are held after each stage of CRM implementation?

• Can you say that the initiative group consists of representatives of various departments of the company?

• Do team members compile monitoring reports on the interim results of work with the system?

Bonus

The main objective of CRM is to collect customer information. And the main task of the company is to learn how to manage this database: analyze the obtained info to improve the quality of processing customers' needs and learn to make faster decisions, distribute data among various departments to provide more efficient and timely communication with customers through all communication channels.

This is your key to a competitive organization. To understand how deeply you engage with the obtained information, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are the sources you use to obtain customer data reliable?

• Do you know to which extent your customers are satisfied with your services?

• Do you have a step-by-step plan for retaining customers and attracting them to repurchasing?

• How often do your customers complain about your products/services and the level of customer service?

• Does the obtained information help increase the speed of solving new problems?

• Based on what data can you build your competitive advantage?

If you have no experience in working with CRM and you are not sure if it's time for you to implement a new system, register your Bitrix24 for free, test all the key features of the product (read our article to learn how to activate the demo mode), and make an informed decision when you are fully prepared for it.

If you plan a large-scale implementation with many users, we recommend attracting a reliable partner who will help you figure out what functionality is right for you. Text us in chat - we are happy to answer all your questions.

© 2018 Faculty of Computers and Information Technology, Future University in Egypt. A systematic review for the determination and classification of the CRM critical success factors supporting with their metrics. Production by Marwa Salah Farhan, Amira Hassan Abed, Mahmoud Abd Ellatif.