CRM Software Application
Here you will find all relevant topics.

5. insufficient migration of legacy data

6. insufficient introduction and no further development of the system

7. only partial introduction in certain departments

8. no benefit communication – the why or what for is not communicated

9. lack of training at the start for basic acceptance – train-the-trainer vs. employee training

10. no continuous training to develop a routine and the resulting lack of confidence in handling

11. too close to the standard CRM software, and far too far away from the previous processes

12. too many software systems that still need to be used in parallel

13. Inconvenient Outlook integration

14. missing or insufficient help, FAQs and documentation within the application

15. no changed leadership, “only” trust in the CRM software

16. no changed targets

17. no ballast thrown off in advance and just “saddled up”

18. lack of structuring and prioritisation: after “what is a basic requirement”, what is not?

19. too long waiting times (due to insufficient bandwidth/VPN) for the application

20. screen design and user interface lead to missing user acceptance.

The complete list of arguments and criteria and a lot of explanations can be found here.

As always, there are many reasons why things can go wrong. It’s not always a single reason. Usually there are several reasons that lead to a delay in use, rejection or even complete failure.

If you define CRM on a meta-level, you will find terms such as analytical CRM as well as operative CRM in addition to strategic CRM. Further terms in this context are collaborative CRM as well as communicative CRM. The acquisition of potential customers, the retention of existing customers through cross-selling.

Very often, marketing and sales search for the solution together. The requirements cannot always be reconciled. But CRM is cooperation, collaboration. The application or the processes are geared towards the economic success of customer relations. It is not about the individual interests of the respective departments.

The topic of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is quite complex. Now and then very complex. Especially when a company defines the topic of CRM as a woolly mess. In any case, CRM software will not solve everything. CRM systems are often defined as an alibi or fig leaf in the context of a CRM strategy. It also depends on the position of the responsible project manager. In medium-sized companies as well as in large corporations, people often start out too big instead of small.

Does the product even fit our company or have we adapted to the software? Do our partners and service providers support us 100%? Has all relevant data been migrated to the new system?

A CRM solution such as Salesforce, SAP CRM or Microsoft Dynamics CRM also comes with a number of modules. All modules should be on the same performance level. Only these levels are unfortunately too different depending on the requirements of the company and therefore on average not sufficient. We usually favor the best-of-breed solution. That means from A for addresses to Z for time recording, several providers can be used.

For example, after-sales service requires a data mining tool with artificial intelligence to analyse complaints. Marketing needs the same tool for the analysis of campaign success. Both departments approach the topic with different glasses. And they should agree on how to use a CRM system.

A special challenge for a CRM system, which plays an important role in almost every company, is the connection to the ERP system. Does that work smoothly? Does the CRM act as an extension into the supply chain management? Good CRM solutions can. Is the mobile CRM of the solution acceptable for all users? Can different mobile devices be used? Can social CRM features be integrated into lead management for marketing purposes? Can both sales and marketing work with the tool for e-mail marketing.

Or maybe it’s something else. Because the elementary prerequisite for successful CRM software use is – in addition to recognizing the advantages – certainly the ability to operate and know the system perfectly.

Numerous studies on CRM prove that CRM systems are not used optimally because employees are often left to their own devices with the new CRM tool. The education and training of employees is often seen as a negligible block of investment and is not budgeted according to requirements.

Education and training of marketing and sales on the CRM system are therefore elementary for the achievement of company goals and the amortization of the software investment! Personal, communicative and process-related skills should also be trained. The trainings and courses are individual trainings or team trainings. Train-the-Trainer no longer works with this holistic view. For success, other approaches are needed.

We are convinced that companies and employees save a lot of energy, time and money if the new software
(a) well trained,
(b) is subsequently trained; and
c) employees who are reluctant or rejecting can enjoy coaching if necessary.

The CRM solution or customer relationship management system is therefore not a problem solver, but a tool that is used to solve problems.

Unfortunately this question must be answered with YES. Very often we experience that with the introduction of a CRM system the goals of the company remain the same. However, the goals are defined for the functional areas. These are usually still competing goals. Successful customer relationship management requires a different kind of leadership and modern leadership management. It is not about specialist know-how per area, but everything, the whole company is focused on target and customer groups.

And after the introduction of the new software, many think: “Now it works by itself”. The car doesn’t drive by itself either. Every driver needs a driving licence. And the car will only drive smoothly if the clutch is properly depressed when changing gears.

Who is responsible for the processes? Who in the company is allowed to veto? Processes never stop at departmental boundaries. So the head of e-commerce must not proclaim for himself that he has the sovereignty over all activities in the online area. In customer relationship management, the target group manager suddenly has control over the processes. The solution to the problem is to change the goals, the organization and the management tasks. At the risk of repeating myself: Everything is geared to the well-being of the customer and to creating value with the customer.

Not all systems have already been converted to Software-as-a-Service. This will take many more years. This new type of CRM in a cloud solution poses challenges for data exchange. So if no modern customer data platform or data management platform (formerly data warehouse) acts as middleware between ERP software (resource planning) and CRM, the fun of CRM application suffers. The necessary or complete data is usually missing. This is no fun. Employees do not show any commitment when using it. Everyone talks about 360 degrees, about information about the customer that is accessible to everyone. But many companies are far away from that. This advantage must first be worked out.

Preparing the data and continuously processing the data is time-consuming. Companies often have to spend 6 to 9 months cleaning up addresses and data before they can start. This is an unimaginable effort at first. But those who have made this effort will be rewarded.  When the first successes in personalisation and individualisation and in cross-selling are achieved, then the joy is great. When the sales staff process their customers, enter data and use it for the sales talk. Then the CRM tool leads to great benefits. If transaction mails can be sent in e-commerce in a targeted manner, then everyone benefits. And the happy customer reports about his positive customer experience in social media.

The CRM tool is fun when all employees involved use it in the same way on average. Not just 5% of one employee, but 85% of the other employees. Rather, in one area or within a process, the skills and performance level must be similar. This has to be controlled and trained. Only then is the investment worthwhile.

Customer relationship management is not an easy task. Once consistently established in the company, the CRM application works via the new culture. But to hope only for the CRM application is a misconception.

But all attempts to create a good design for all users with a single design are doomed to failure. No two users are alike. Even within a company, departments and processes are so different that interfaces, screens or user stories are very different. Also the Look&Feel is usually judged very differently. So it is very difficult for a software manufacturer to create a generally valid design.

In the past, providers of open source products were accused of looking boring and unattractive. But even here, times have changed. This important information that users value this has long since arrived.

That’s why you can always find the customization possibilities of the surface of a software in recent times. The name tiles or dashlets is always very common here. The terms User Interface (UI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) often appear here. All these keywords have one task: to clean up and design the desktop, the user screen, the mobile screen in such a way that the operation of a product or app is as intuitive as possible. Only for whom is what intuitive?

There will surely be some sums spent for testing at the manufacturers and vendors. Different methods help to get an insight and to refine and edit them more and more. Which User Experience (UX) is the best in the end, there will never be a correct answer. Like everything at Design, this is a matter of taste. And taste is very individual. There are differences from one user story to another. A test with test persons, a shoulder view during normal operation, pictures taken with the eye camera – these and other possibilities help to get an insight. Nevertheless, each developer pursues his own design line. This group of people wants to leave their own signature. Whether modern, playful or old-fashioned, we have already heard arguments and counter-arguments for everything. Especially when changing from a design to the allegedly modern design. Some find it appealing. Others say: Uh, but now I have to get used to it.

There will never be a perfect solution for all users. The general acceptance or user acceptance is always very different. However, through education and training the company creates an average level of usage and empowerment. The software will be used according to the areas of application, whether it meets all requirements or not. This is where the vast majority of employees gradually adapt. But nothing works without training and ongoing training. That is only too human. Man is a creature of habit. Therefore old habits have to be trained and new ones have to be trained. That is quite simply normal.

Which screws could you turn to ensure that the investment pays off quickly? Which set screw leads to a great user experience?

Or are you interested in our training program? How can you profit from the training or practice teachings of professional athletes and musicians in CRM?

Therefore we offer this important part of the CRM introduction to our customers as an individual complete package. Please contact us! You can get further information from us via the e-mail address mailto:info@1a-relations.com or via our accounts in social media (Twitter) or social networks on Facebook, LinkedIn and XING. We also use Social CRM to regularly inform about news on www.crm-tech.world.