Comprehensive Systems Administration

By Barton Goldenberg

In my previous blog posts, I discussed effective training and a responsive help desk, the first two out of the three components that will assist in determining the long-term success of any Social CRM implementation. Here I will discuss the third component: Comprehensive Systems Administration.

In most organizations, a systems administrator is required to manage the Social CRM system.  The responsibilities of the systems administrator include the following:

• Ensure the system’s data is kept up-to-date so that it is timely and relevant
• Backup system files and data on a regular basis
• Provide new users with IDs and passwords
• Make changes to fields on the screen, pull-down menus, and minor customizations
• Roll out software releases and updates
• Create and/or report on system usage statistics
• Report on problems that occur with the system
• Write systems reports and implement related systems tasks (e.g., workflow routines)

The systems administrator, typically with the help of the Social Media community moderator, is also responsible to log in how many relevant comments concerning particular topics were monitored and filtered from the Social Media communities, and send this social insight into the correct customer profile or elsewhere within the Social CRM application.

Be sure to staff the systems administration function with qualified individuals.  Customers, executives, customer-facing representatives, and field personnel who rely on the Social CRM system expect that the system will be a properly working system that contains up-to-date, accurate information.

In closing, be sure to address early on the need for effective training, a responsive Help Desk, and comprehensive systems administration.  Sadly, there are many Social CRM implementations now prematurely in the grave yard because of the organization’s failure to realize the importance of these three components up front; they really do help to keep users engaged and happy.

In my next blog post, I will specifically look at several of the people challenges typically encountered when creating the Social Media community piece of a Social CRM initiative.

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Barton Goldenberg, is the founder and president of ISM Inc., customer-centric strategists/implementers serving best-in-class organizations globally. As a CRM leader for 30 years, he was among the first three inductees in the CRM Hall of Fame. Recognized as a leading “customer-focused” author, his latest book, The Definitive Guide to Social CRM, is hailed as the roadmap for Social CRM success. Barton is a popular speaker on “maximizing customer relationships to gain market insights, customers and profits”. He is a long-term columnist for CRM Magazine and speaker for CRMevolution and frequently quoted in the media.