8 Reasons CRM Implementations Are Never Really Finished

Here's a sobering truth: CRM implementations are a journey without a final destination. Here are the 8 reasons:

1. Lack of Clear Processes

When a CRM adoption is not completed in a company, it’s easy to blame one particular individual or group. But one basic reason is a lack of clear processes. We’ll get into this more in detail further along in this newsletter, but if a company has not detailed the goals and purposes of a CRM, and precisely the route the CRM adoption is going to take, the project will never get completed.

2. High Management Priority

A top reason, probably the top reason, that a CRM solution doesn’t get adopted is that it is not a top priority for company management.

If you think about it, CRM is more important than even a company location. Let us say we’re on the board of a company seeking a new location. Too many companies would prioritize such a relocation over and above CRM.

CRM, even in such a circumstance, must remain the top priority. Why? It is the repository and the system for customer data. If we don’t have accurate customer data appropriately utilized, we will have no customers. If we have no customers, we have no company. We won’t need to worry about moving, as we won’t have a company to move, will we?

3. Lack of Head of Project

When CRM isn’t a top management priority, someone seldom takes charge of a CRM project and runs with it.

If a company has a security issue, someone is immediately in charge of resolving it. Why doesn’t CRM have that same kind of priority? If you lose your customers, you lose everything. You need CRM to be effective and efficient; if you aren’t, you’re gone.

It can be the case that a company is overwhelmed, and there isn’t someone who can add heading a CRM project to their workload. In such an instance, the company should - again as a top priority - invest in a consultant to do this job.

4. Lack of Documented Requirements

A company, in shopping for a CRM solution, will often create a shortlist of systems to evaluate. That only makes sense, however, when the company has clearly laid out its CRM requirements and put them into a document. How can a CRM project be accomplished if such requirements aren’t clearly established and documented?

It happens all too often that we, as a CRM vendor, cannot fulfill one potential customer demand. What are they demanding? That we, free of charge, become their project manager and consult them, informing them of their requirements. Since we’re not inside that company and aren’t intimately familiar with all of its issues, this is impossible.

It would be the same as someone purchasing multiple television sets for their home. They need to connect and set them up, and they expect the company they buy from to perform this service. The company will politely refuse and inform the buyer they need to purchase such a service separately. The company selling them the TV sets may not even offer that service, in which case the customer will have to hire someone else.

5. Responsibility on Both Sides

Responsibility lies on both sides in CRM implementation. The vendor's role is crucial, ensuring timely meetings, clear agendas, and identifying potential waste of funds. They may need to guide customers who may not fully understand their needs. Integrations, once complex, are now simplified with available APIs and middleware.

Understanding customer requirements is key, leading to swift analysis and proposed solutions. With both vendors and buyers prioritizing the process, CRM adoption can be achieved swiftly, granting full use of data.

6. “Too Many Cooks”

The purchasing enterprise will realize the benefit of CRM the moment they correctly prioritize the project - when they firmly commit the correct resources both in terms of personnel and finances. It is then clearly viewed not as a technical problem but one of human willingness.

The problem with CRM implementation can often be an issue of “too many cooks.” A company must appoint someone who is allowed to make a decision. Put a competent person in charge and let them get on with it.

7. Implement in Iterations

When you put that person in charge, don’t expect the first stage to be totally correct. Every step in CRM implementation is an iteration, and you must not expect the first iteration to be perfect - learn from it and make it better with the next iteration.

This idea comes from the modern method of software development. In the old days, there was the classic “waterfall” development method in which programming of the entire requirement was done all at once, from start to finish. To make improvements, programmers had to go back and start again at the very beginning.

Today’s development approach, called Scrum, is conducted in incremental iterations. One iteration is completed, the programmers meet and go over it, and then the next iteration is done. This method created a new boom in the software industry.

Companies utilizing this same type of methodology for CRM implementation will see their implementation complete much more rapidly.

8. And On to Infinity

Then we reach reason #8, which turned on its side is the symbol for infinity. Because in reality, a CRM implementation, even when brought up to the point of high efficiency and success, will never be truly done. There will always be tweaks and improvements.

As you can see, CRM implementation does not have to be complex. A company simply needs to be willing to sit down, learn all about their requirements, document them, and share them with a CRM vendor such as Pipeliner CRM .

What Does Pipeliner CRM Do Differently?

The above 8 points apply generally to every CRM implementation.

What Pipeliner CRM does differently boils down to engagement between our product and the people. We go the extra mile with the customer to fully address their CRM requirements.

This case study demonstrates the gratitude customers have for the extra measures, exceptional service and value Pipeliner CRM brings to the table.

That's a wrap for this week's edition! We hope you enjoyed the insights shared in this week's newsletter. Wishing you a fantastic weekend ahead!