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12.21.05
Implementing Successful CRM And ERP Solutions
 By
Richard Smith
One of the most common mistakes, we see, organizations make when implementing
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
solutions is allowing the technology and features to drive the process.
Unlike most software applications - from operating systems to email and office
suites, which rarely require complex configuration and/or customization - effective
CRM and ERP solutions must both address user productivity requirements, model
key corporate business processes and best practices. CRM and ERP are ultimately
only effective if they model the organization's business, and are updated to incorporate
changes over time.
There are two keys to making CRM and ERP solutions successful: the elimination
of the Mars / Venus relationship between business users and information technology,
and the ongoing review of application functionality by business stakeholders.
Whether we are working with clients that are implementing their first enterprise
application, or customers that have been using CRM and ERP for years, one of the
first hurdles we face as trusted advisors is facilitating conversation between
the business and IT stakeholders. Like many things in life, this relationship
is strained due to a lack of effective communication between the groups.
Business stakeholders rarely appreciate the time it may take to properly configure
and implement required functionality; IT stakeholders, we find, often miss opportunities
to offer the business quick solutions that increase productivity (and reduce annoying
application tasks) while allowing the time to properly architect more complex
solutions.
We have found that facilitating conversations between business and technology
stakeholders in an organization - including evaluating functional requirements
by business value and technical complexity - has helped our clients to better
phase their CRM and ERP initiatives, providing for both the quick wins and the
longer, more complex solutions.
As with most things in life, business solutions are only successful if the organization
is committed to long-term evolution of investment. While more functional tools
like email and office suites are upgraded every few years with new features and
functionality - who remembers the days of word processors without spell check
- business applications like CRM and ERP need to evolve to support the every changing
needs of the business and the users.
Developing a steering committee that incorporates key users and stakeholders from
across the organization is a great means of managing this evolution. The Steering
Committee should be tasked with evaluating ongoing business requirements, customer
requirements and productivity enhancements and empowered to approve the necessary
changes in the applications. This ongoing evaluation ensures that the CRM and
ERP become part of the corporate fabric and culture, as well as improved productivity
and customer satisfaction become entrenched core values of the organization.
Read
the rest of the article.
About the Author:
Richard Smith is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Green
Beacon Solutions, LLC. |
