1. What does a CRM actually do for daily operations?
What is a CRM? Ask this question to a group of CEOs, and you might get several different answers: Company Rolodex, Sales Pipeline, Customer Contact Management, Customer Retention Management. All those answers are partially correct.

Today’s CRM can do much more than provide lists for the occasional email blast. Today’s CRM keeps employees focused on their most important next task while performing many simple tasks that used to occupy much of their time.

2. Should you choose a CRM-first solution or use ERP CRM features?
Just like Excel is great at spreadsheets and charts, but not at handling large blocks of text. Word is great at Word Processing, but its support for mathematical functions and chart creation is clunky. PowerPoint is okay as a visual design tool; its ease of use makes it popular among non-graphic designers, but it lacks the ability to analyze text or data. The point is that there is no single solution that does everything well.

Most ERP, accounting, and other back-office solutions claim to have CRM capabilities. These are often extensions of the Account and Contact records needed for the system’s core functionality. These CRM offerings are often light on features and require significant modifications and integrations to reach full CRM functionality.

A good CRM solution has features that enhance how the company operates, is expandable to meet future needs, and integrates seamlessly with other core software.

3. How do you plan a CRM implementation the right way?
Just as CEOs have different definitions of what a CRM is, so do the people who use the CRM. To the Sales Department, the CRM is about Lead and Opportunity Management. The Marketing Department is about staying in front of the customer through email campaigns, social media posts, and website maintenance. For Customer Service, the CRM is about responding to customers in a timely and thoughtful manner. For field service, it’s about putting the right person and equipment on the job at the right time.

It is important for each department to determine what they want from the CRM. This requires examining current processes and understanding how the CRM will change, enhance, or eliminate the need for this process.

They should then engage a consultant to help them create the plan and timeline for this transition. Based on their prior experience, the consultant will be aware of any implementation challenges and be able to provide trusted solutions. The consultant will also provide guidance on the opportunities offered by the CRM package.

Identify all data sources, including external programs. Will these external programs remain after the CRM is implemented? If so, you will need to choose an integration tool or methodology for keeping the CRM up to date.

Are departments using Spreadsheets to manage their work in progress and goals? A good CRM system will replace these spreadsheets and should provide efficiencies through reduced data entry and on-demand reporting.

Review all customer-facing documents and determine how they are produced.

You will want to spend as much time as possible in discovery. The goal is to create a current and complete process map that the team agrees on, and then, with the guidance of a consultant, update that map with workflows and processes in the CRM.

Don’t worry about how long this process takes. It takes much more time and money to correct a failed implementation. If the process is too flawed, adoption will not be successful, and the CRM rollout will have to begin again, in the worst case, with a new leadership team and a new product.

4. How do you communicate a CRM implementation to your team?
It is important to keep the staff informed of progress and upcoming deadlines. This Transparency builds trust in the process. Invite user groups to meetings to discuss CRM features and implementation concerns.

Make sure you talk to the person who has approved the budget. Find out what they want from the CRM. Often, it is just that the Sales Director or Operations Manager is happy with the output. Identify those people and discover their needs. Translate those needs directly into CRM functionality. Gather their input on interface design and other user experience features.

Incentivize people to attend communications sessions and training sessions. If the sessions are in-person, it is a good idea to provide snacks. If they are virtual, a Certificate of Completion or a few hours of PTO can be an incentive. The best incentives, ironically, are usually non-monetary. Work with upper management to require training for all users at all levels.

5. How do you scope a CRM implementation project correctly?
Now that you have identified what you need from the CRM, you need to determine when you need these changes in place. You may be facing the end of life with an existing system that requires replacement for business continuity. There may be budgetary constraints, meaning some work will have to wait until the next budget year. There are also internal deadlines and holidays to consider.

Your consultant will be able to take these factors into consideration and deliver a project plan that accomplishes the stated goals within time and fiscal constraints.

This may involve breaking the project into several phases with stated deadlines and deliverables.

Communicating this plan clearly and gaining stakeholder buy-in will ensure they know what they are getting at each phase.

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