Why a CRM Assessment is a Necessity? Webinar Highlights

Summarized by John Chan, ISM Software Lab Director

On January 15, 2013, Barton Goldenberg, president of ISM, presented a Webinar titled “Why a CRM Assessment is a Necessity?” Highlights of the Webinar follow:
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In starting a CRM Assessment, critique your organization’s existing CRM initiative and answer these questions:

• Is CRM still in lock-step with your organization’s strategic directions?
• Is your CRM application able to deliver your organization’s functional and technical needs?
• If your CRM technology cannot deliver these needs, can other more innovative tools fulfill these needs?
• In addition to technology issues, are there relevant CRM “process” and/or “people” issues that need to be resolved to secure maximum benefit from your CRM system?

The CRM Assessment Components include:

• Strategic linkage review – Review/critique your existing CRM Roadmap and answer two questions:

– Do you have a CRM Roadmap and does it tightly align with your organization’s strategic & business direction?
– How can your CRM Roadmap be improved to achieve tighter alignment?

• Organizational Readiness Assessment – Dig into cultural issues including user adoption and examine whether your organization has reached a “tipping point” Design, implement and analyze a web-based User Adoption Survey to identify areas that require improvement.

• Business Process Assessment – Ask how well does your current CRM system address your organization’s key business processes. Document your top five “as-is” business processes and determine if users feel it is easy to implement key business processes and document findings (business process and application-related).

• Technology Assessment – Review current CRM applications to answer relevant technology assessment questions and document findings.

The CRM Assessment is a cost-effective way to identify and resolve issues that may be hampering both user adoption and payback from your CRM investment.

During the Webinar, participants answered five polling questions. Results are:

1. When was the last time your organization did a CRM assessment?

Within last 12 months – 18%; Within last 24 months – 9%; Last 36 months – 18%; We have not done a CRM Assessment – 55%

2. Our organization’s CRM system is tightly linked to our business strategy?

Yes – 30%; Kind Of – 20%; Work in Progress: 50%

3. User adoption for our CRM system is strong?

Yes – 13%; Kind Of – 25%; Work in Progress: 63%

4. Our organization’s CRM system effectively supports our organization’s core business processes?

Yes – 18%; Kind Of – 18%; Work in Progress: 64%

5. Our organization’s CRM system incorporates the latest technologies (e.g., mobile, social media integration, gamification)?

Yes – 30%; Kind Of – 40%; Work in Progress: 30%

If you would like to comment on Barton’s key highlights concerning the necessity of a CRM Assessment, please post your comments on the ISM Blog.

To access an archived recording of this ISM’s Webinar, click here and scroll down to the “Why a CRM Assessment is a Necessity” Webinar listing.