What defines a successful CRM implementation?

A successful CRM implementation can be defined by the 3 following elements;
1. Access
2. Interaction
3. Improved Service Value

1. Access: After the CRM implementation I should have easy access to information, data and reporting that let me know how I am doing from second, to minute, to hour, to day, to month to year in the service and value I am delivering to my client.

2. Interaction: The customer should be able to interact with my business in an innovative way they could not before, in a way they prefer and in a way that will allow the business to capture the information/data and captivate the customer enough that they won't mind.

3. Improved Service Value: When the business surveys the external clients and internal clients (employees), I should see improved, scores in the areas of my KPIs for overall delivery satisfaction, quality and timelines for delivery.

Whether implementing for my business or for that of a client...this is what we keep at the forefront of our mind.

Tonya,

This is really an outstanding answer. If I can add a few things to it:

1) Access: Regarding data, it is important to consider appropriate and seemless integration with other business systems. This can include ERP, Accounting, Email Marketing and Website Integration. Frequently, these other sources of information are needed, but overlooked as part of a CRM solution. Sometimes these needs can be met with simple programming and others by using CRM add-on solutions.

2) ROI: Many companies can use CRM to streamline their processes, rather than automating a bad process. A company can measure their return on investment by taking a small daily process, such as receiving and transferring a lead to a sales rep. in a timely fashion, and calculating the time in hours and assigning a cost to that time. They can then automate that process via the CRM solution and calculate the ROI. When companies see real life solutions that return real dollar value, this can be used to determine whether the CRM implementation was a success.

3) User Adoption & Attitude: Finally, I would add if your CRM users are trained and happy, then this is another way to measure CRM success. At the end of the day, the users of the system need to adopt it and rely on it as a mission critical business solution.

Sincerely,
Pamela Pearl
Business Automation Solutions, Inc.
www.moreproductive.com