Is Implementing a CRM Project Really That Different
Posted by Danny Estrada at 11/5/2009 10:30 PM 
Categories: CRM Implementation, CRM Adoption, CRM, CRM Culture, CRM Technology
Tags: CRM in New York City CRM blog CRM Expert Practical CRM Danny Estrada
Categories: CRM Implementation, CRM Adoption, CRM, CRM Culture, CRM Technology
Tags: CRM in New York City CRM blog CRM Expert Practical CRM Danny Estrada
After years and years of working in this industry one of the things that clients tell me is that the method in which consulting firms approach implementing a CRM system has a great deal to do with whether or not that particular firm is considered to be a standalone CRM shop or if they implement CRM as one of a few different types of technology. I have worked for both types of firms, software publisher as well as reseller, and been on the other side as part of the project team for an implementation. In my humble opinion these firms absolutely take different approaches in trying to reach the same goals of taking a customer live.
I don't want to be too simplistic but after a decade of doing this I am of the firm belief that implementing CRM is a completely different animal than putting in an accounting system or deploying a warehouse management system. The challenge then becomes whether or not the consulting organization can deliver projects in a different way or if it makes management of the process and the people too difficult. The answer is...it depends.
Ironically, I think this entire discussion comes down to people and not technology. If the consultants and project managers are focused on solely executing CRM and they management projects according to those standards I think the outcome can be as good or better than a consulting firm that only does CRM. If, however, the consultants are jumping back and forth and implement CRM as one of three or four types of projects they work on I think your results will be much different.
I am not sure whether or not there is a great analogy to use here but I am going to use two to try and get my point across. Consider a CRM consultant more like a scientist working on a hypothesis. That person starts out with the assumption that they are trying to prove something (hypothesis) and they use process of elimination to figure out the best way (because there are unlimited ways to execute various deliverables in CRM). The ERP consultant is much more like an Architect. That person must understand and know all of the requirements in order to build an acceptable solution that meets specification within the limitations of that particular ERP package.
As you can see if I am a person charged with implementing both of these types of technology it is very hard to take learned processes on how to approach a project and apply a different approach to another. Also take into account many consultants that "double-dip" have done one type of project for much longer and that is what you will find as far as where they lean in their tendencies. Next time you start into a project you should find out a little more about the people who will be working on it and how long they have been doing CRM.
I agree with you that successfully implementing CRM is much different then Accounting etc. In most other types of business software; once the software is installed and running, half the battle is over - either business processes do not need to be implemented (ex. business productivity software) or the processes are already imbedded in the software (accounting) - CRM on the other had requires a fair amount of process building - "out of the box" it's just a glorified database. Setting it up to make people more effective and efficient in their jobs requires planning and execution that unfortunately is often not planned (i.e. budgeted) for - that's why so many CRM projects fail (don't result in a meaningful ROI.
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Thanks for the article – I appreciate it very much. Today more than ever, companies are seeking to ensure that they will realize a valuable return on investment from their CRM system. Another article that can help is “Choosing a Business Solution”. Check it out; http://blog.suradocrm.com/2010/03/04/choosing-a-business-solution/
-Nicole Miller
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