CRM - Premature Go-Live Leads to Confusions... #Companies are often eager to get #CRM systems up and running as fast as they can. But beware the of premature go-live date. There are several mistakes with CRM implementation that can cost companies thousands, waste time and even be career killers, if decisions are handled poorly. Out of the several causes of CRM failure, one of the most prominent is something that might be called premature go-live date. Once a company chooses a #customer #relationship #management #technology, its often clamoring to take off the #training wheels and #test-drive the production version. The eagerness to get up and running with a #new CRM system is understandable, but companies need to show restraint and #test, test and test again before they put a new CRM system into production. Without discussing and thrashing out these issues, there is risk of spiraling #data #integrity and decreasing user #adoption that will require even more manpower to fix the mistakes, recover and get your CRM system into #production. There are instances of legacy systems which have not been implemented until six months after launch and the results aredisastrous. Some of the concerns are outlined here to be aware of and some tips to ensure that the CRM system is not launched, #prematurely. #Naming #Conventions : How to ensure that system redundancies arent created and that users can easily find correct information? Consider how many ways a companys name can be represented in a database (e.g., Coke, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Co.). How to deal with the existence of child companies and regional affiliates? These issues may seem small if there is limited data today, but think long-term about how even the smallest company can change in five years and how much incorrect data could proliferate in its system. Create a separate Billing Name field to capture how the company name will be represented in bills, but use the Account Name for data integrity, removing special characters as needed and preventing words from being shortened (e.g., Inc. should be Incorporated). #Clean #Data before @Mapping : Sometimes the person cleaning data is not the true owner of the information and may not understand what is needed. Make sure that the data is cleaned by the person who knows how it should look. It might need a team - depending on the #complexity and size of the data - and it will need to adhere to the new naming conventions, before being imported. A record owner should be assigned to pre-load. It is not fun to have to remove the data from the system or assign it manually to every sales representative. #Security Roles, Org Chart #Integration : Discuss how each group of users will and should use the system from the outset. Who should see which data? Can managers just reassign #leads and #opportunities for their team? Will only system administrators be allowed to export data? Who gets approval from whom to close an opportunity? All these issues are pivotal to making sure the right people can use the system from the beginning in the way the #organization envisioned when the #project started. #Legacy Software #Implementation : If legacy systems need to report to the CRM or vice versa, integrating them with the CRM system should be one of the first #objectives. The legacy systems which have not been implemented until six months after launch #disastrous results. This opens the door for #redundancies, confusing mapping and the inability to use both systems appropriately. Of course, there is always a way to get this done after the fact, but if it is known from the beginning that all the information needs to come from an in-house database, sync them first. Sales Test Group : Once the first four concerns have been addressed, it is time to see what users think. No matter how much prep work is done and how many #experts have been included, some things will need to be tweaked. To minimize confusion and re-training, employ a user test group that is willing to be early adopter and give its insight. It will identify certain errors or question areas that the implementation team may not have considered. The idea is that this phase will be minimal and will be a short time period before the total launch. In-house CRM Specialist. Many companies do this from the beginning of the process. Others wait until the CRM is mostly complete and ready to launch. If the organization does not have a #dedicated CRM specialist yet, get one. This person doesnt have to write code, but he or she should be able to run reports, ensure data integrity and make changes as needed. They believe in the system and will help others see the light. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but it covers the areas that are often neglected by organizations during the initial implementation process. CRM is one of the most useful tools for sales and other teams when done correctly, so its worth the resources in the beginning to ensure success.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 11:22:28 +0000
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