eCentric Media Best Practice White Paper               Critical CRM Decisions - Choosing Your CRM Systems Integration Specialist   Also Available In PDF                                                                                            Print-Friendly Version                                                                        [Page Four]

Systems Integration Specialist Selection: Common Pitfalls continued

 7. Consultancies Who Differentiate On Cost Alone

 Implementation of a progressive CRM solution will not be immediate or particularly cheap. Done correctly
 however, it can produce a significant return on investment. Cutting corners in the selection of the partners
 you will make use of in customising and implementing your main CRM tool however is a false economy.

 Of course, that doesn’t mean the most expensive consultancy is a guarantee of success either. Your project
 will depend far more on choosing the consultancy with the right skill set and experience, together with one
 that shares your vision of CRM.

 One report suggests that as a rule of thumb, for every pound spent on CRM, two to five should be spent on
 consulting and implementing services. Integration accounts for between one third and one half of those.¹⁰




 8. Consultancies Who Promote One-Size Fits All Solutions and Methodologies

 Your business is unique. You differentiate yourself from the competition in order to stay competitive. So why
 would a universal CRM solution fit your business model?

 Whilst there are CRM tools that suit particular sectors better than others, they will still require customisation
 for your business needs. Do ensure that your tool set has a proven track record in your sector and is as
 close as possible to your requirements out-of-the box. Bare in mind that customisation will always be
 required.

 Above all, try and avoid customising your business to suit the tool. Your customers want serving in the best
 possible way. Only consider tailoring your business model to the CRM tool’s philosophy if it is obvious that
 this will better serve the customer.



 9. Consultancies Who Won’t Stay With You For The Long Run

 CRM is a corporate culture not a quick fix. Ideally, you will have implemented a phased approach, working
 with small manageable changes that quickly demonstrate the advantages to your staff, the improved
 relationship with your customers and a ROI to the business.

 Bear in mind that the process is an iterative one. For a start, your initial phases will require supporting after
 roll out. Enhancements and fixes will be required. Then there will be further phases as you seek to
 incorporate wider functionality, achieve greater integration and exploit new CRM opportunities amongst an
 increasingly satisfied customer base.

 Will your systems integration specialist stay the distance? Are they interested in post implementation
 support? Or will they just move on to more exciting projects or the latest tool set to come on the market?



                                    PREVIOUS       Page  1  2  3  4  5  6  7         NEXT