In terms of saved dollars and happy clients, successful implementation of a CRM system is hugely beneficial to a company.
There are however, ways that a SAP CRM can go wrong. If a CRM is put into place without proper forethought or preparation, it may be hindered by poor adoption rates or worse fail altogether.
The market is growing too.According to Gartner: “Strong demand for software as a service (SaaS), which represented more than 41 percent of CRM total software revenue in 2013, was driven from organizations of all sizes seeking easier-to-deploy alternatives to replace legacy systems, implement net-new applications or provide alternative complementary functionality.”
It is important to be aware of potential problems before proceeding with CRM implementation. In this article, we’ll consider four ways of making sure your SAP CRM implementation proves successful.
IBM is at the forefront of this technology: IBM seeks to bring together new approaches to heighten customer engagement that integrate commerce, analytics and social/mobile interactions to design a “digital front office” for customer interactions.
1) Employee training
Communicate with employees and CRM system users before the application is put in place so that they know what to expect. Once the CRM is up and running, establish workshops in order to make sure everyone in the company who will interact with the CRM system is involved.
Employees need to be able to use the system both for internal purposes and as an interaction tool with customers and clients. Investing in your team and communicating clearly about what is expected of each employee may prevent many expensive and time-consuming problems from occurring.
2) Share tasks
Implementing CRM for SAP is complex work. The main directives should come from management and not from IT. Beyond that everyone involved in the implementation should have a specific task to complete, as well as a chance to make their voices heard. Splitting up the tasks involved in getting the CRM system up and running will not only make the process more streamlined and efficient it will help generate a company-wide feeling of teamwork and positive energy.
3) Implement online support
Consider your customers and their needs. How intuitive and straightforward is your CRM? These days, most applications require some form of FAQ or Help section, so be sure to make that available for customers who may require it.
For more complex CRM systems, consider using an online guidance app. WalkMe, for example can be integrated into your software to provide 24-hour performance support. By giving your customers this source of online guidance, you’ll not only provide them with an invaluable service. You will do your company a favor by keeping your customer service phone lines open for other queries that may arise.
Gartner analysts continue this point: “All organizations in the private and public sectors interact with customers, most often through the work of marketing, sales and customer service departments. However, in most cases, these organizations are not truly engaging with their customers – they have been disengaged for the past decade to reduce their costs. Furthermore, relatively few have taken an enterprise-wide approach to engaging with customers. “
4) Learn as you go
Once the system has been established, it is a good idea to provide your employees with workshops or other resources to allow them to continue to get acclimatized to new procedures. Additionally, ensure that all employees have opportunities to offer suggestions and feedback about their experience with the new CRM.
This process applies to the customer as well. A few months after the initial setup of the new SAP CRM, you will want to send your clients an email inviting them to offer their feedback on the new system. Their suggestions will help the company to identify any issues with the CRM that can be resolved later through software patches or updates.
As the above points suggest, the success of any company-wide system depends on communication and preparation. Employees and (especially) customers need to be given ample time and resources to successfully navigate the CRM. Dividing tasks and incorporating outside online support are invaluable options, particularly for larger companies. These tactics will enable you to smoothly and effectively deliver a CRM that will leave employees and customers satisfied.