Database Reference
In-Depth Information
The complexity of CRM products arises because of the multiple demands for comprehensive-
ness as well as flexibility of customization. When implementing CRM, it becomes critical to have
prior familiarity with the functionality provided by the CRM system. In an integrated system, any
wrongly configured process may have adverse and unforeseen effects on processing in some other
related functions. And this may not get detected until a rigorous integration-testing phase of the
implementation or, worse, when the system is in actual production! Consequently, the effort to
identify the all-functional gaps between the required and available functionalities, coupled with
the effort required to configure the resulting processes in an integrated CRM package, leads to
comparatively longer implementation times.
3.5 Summary
In this chapter, we introduced the concept and criteria for evaluating a CRM package that is suit-
able for the requirements of a company. After considering the basic characteristics of a full-featured
CRM system, we considered in detail various checklists for ascertaining the technical and func-
tional requirements expected of the envisaged CRM system. In the later part of this chapter, we
discussed several dimensions of a CRM that are essential for any enterprise-wide customer-centric
solution.
