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vendredi 15 juin 2012

CRM Analysis

CRM Analysis by Luneos (29/06/10)


If you want to invest a couple thousand dollars into a CRM solution, it really pays off to perform initial requirement analysis. This analysis provides help when you are selecting the right CRM vendor and later also during system deployment and testing. If the analysis is done carefully, it helps to distinguish between really important features and nice to have’s, as well as to decide, in which order should be these features implemented.

According to our experience, the best approach is at first to divide CRM analysis into several parts (e.g. contacts, calendar and tasks, document management,..), then assign a percentage weight to each part and begin to ask specific questions. Answers can be then rated on scale from one to ten and the system with the highest weighted total sum is then the best CRM for your company.

Before signing the contract, put together an implementation plan that includes both features specification (from analysis) and their deployment date. If it is possible, attach this document to the official contract, because such step can help you to avoid potential unpleasant discussions about implementation scope and time.

Licences or hosting?
There doesn’t exist any universal answer for the question if it is better to purchase licenses, or rather decide for a hosted SaaS solution. This decision always depends on company size, its attitude to IT, trained staff availability and other internal and external factors. The hosted solution with fixed monthly price has an advantage that your company doesn’t need any initial bigger investment to purchase licenses or hardware and this fact has a positive impact on your cashflow.

Tailor made industry solutions
We also recommend to make a brief survey among your competitors and business partners to find out which systems do they use and how are they satisfied with their performance. Performing such survey helps you to quickly eliminate inadequate solutions and focus only on those CRMs that can bring your company real benefits.

Before choosing CRM system and its supplier also try to find out if some vendor doesn’t already have experiences in your industry and if there isn’t any tailor made industry solution. The main advantage of these preset systems is not only faster deployment and configuration, but also better IT support for your processes.

lundi 11 juin 2012

Dynamics CRM 2011 - The Agile Approach


There is plenty of information all over the net about AGILE, its origins, methodology, tool etc, so as I have said previously I am looking at it from within CRM and SureStep practice. Within SureStep it is somewhat of a hybrid and definitely veers away from a strict Agile approach.

What it maintains from Agile
1. Solution Backlog
A list of the requirements that have been defined during the analysis phase. The compilation of this backlog signifies the end of the Agile Preparation Phase.

2. Sprint formation
Within the Agile Execution Phase, sprints will be defined with durations of between 5 days and 30 days. A sprint cycle should never longer than a month.

3. Sprint Backlog
This defines the development activities for each sprint cycle (pulled from the Solution Backlog) – these are reviewed on a daily basis (We hold SCRUM every morning) and tasks are shared out amongst the project team.

It is essential to note that included within each sprint and on the sprint backlog are all project tasks/phases including, analysis, planning, design, development and testing. This differs from the waterfall approaches where each phase is completed before the commencement of the next one.

After the sprint is finished there is collaboration between the customer and the supplier – the development is reviewed and anything that is rejected or requires additional work is added to the Solution Backlog to be scheduled as part of a later sprint.

Where it deviates from Agile
Agile SureStep approach adopts the two final phases from its waterfall siblings – Deployment and Operation. It is here that User Acceptance testing occurs.

Best fit for this project type
- Anyone who wants to use CRM as a platform and requires integration to other third party solutions
- If you are not entirely sure of your needs this provides greater flexibility throughout the project lifecycle. Warning: This approach can be more costly as it is hard to define at the outset what the project costs are going to be, however it can result in much greater accuracy within your end product.
- Requires relative fit to the OOTB CRM (50 %– 75%)
- Those who have data to migrate from existing systems
- Single site implementation
- Can incorporate organisation change management activities if required

This approach can be highly disciplined and assist in keeping your project within scope and creates a great sense of manageability but it does come with the recommendation that those in significant project roles have significant experience with IT implementations (both the customer and the supplier) and that super users form part of the project team.

samedi 2 juin 2012

Why it’s important to define the scope of your CRM project

(29/09/11)


CRM project scoping is where your business requirements, processes, timescales, costs, and what you’re looking to achieve from your CRM software project are agreed upon and clearly set out. It is vital to the success of any CRM project.

Why? Because it sets expectations for you, the client, and the business partner you’re working with. It defines what’s going to happen, what’s not going to happen, and helps avoid project drift (project drift or creep will cause problems in most projects, and CRM is no different). It also defines the measurements of success.

Focus on business processes
Failing to understand, articulate, and include all relevant business processes within a new CRM project can result in a system that doesn’t meet the full needs of its users. This can result in lack of user buy-in and even project failure.

Scoping is the first main stage of the CRM implementation process. It’s important because it focuses the attention of staff within a business on their current business processes. It helps them fully understand the breadth of each process, how it interrelates with other departments within a business, and why something is done the way it is.

Defining your CRM project
There is of course more than one way to define a CRM project. Usually a CRM project team, consisting of key project staff from you and your business partner, will work together to define the purpose and scope of your project. From this, your business partner will produce a business requirements specification and a system design document. As well as showing how the CRM system will achieve the requirements and objectives, it may also include project plans, detailed costs and risk analysis.

So, scoping gives organisations a way of fully understanding, and articulating, their existing processes. When this is done, they can look at improving them, and implement a CRM system that will achieve this.

Understanding CRM software
As well as understanding your businesses processes, it’s also important to understand CRM software. When you’re starting out on a CRM project with a product such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, it can take a while to comprehend the depth of the product and what you can achieve with it.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a highly flexible product. As well as being able to get up and running with it ‘out of the box’, it’s also possible, for a qualified business partner, to configure or customise the product almost beyond recognition. Although you don’t need to understand the technicalities of the software, you need to understand how it will best meet the requirements of your organisation. The project scoping exercise will identify and explain this.

Solid foundation to take your project forward
Another benefit of project scoping is that it is non-committal. Scoping can be carried out by your CRM business partner, a CRM consultancy, or for larger projects you may even employ the expertise as an in-house resource. Once completed, it will provide you with some extremely useful information and a solid foundation on which to take your CRM project forward. But this doesn’t mean you have to commit to anything. You can use the information and documentation to discuss your requirements with other CRM business partners, or use it as the basis of an RFI or tender.

Benefits business partners as well as clients
Clearly defining the CRM project is not only beneficial to the client business; it’s also good practice for business partners. From a business partner’s point of view, if we have a good grasp of your business requirements, we’re in a strong position to deliver a solution fit for purpose, that meets the business objectives of our customers, and ideally exceeds their expectations. From a client’s point of view, it helps you keep control of your costs, ensures you get what you pay for, and know precisely what you’re getting.

For all parties, it enables development of KPI’s and measurement of success. So, for everyone involved, it’s important to define the scope of your CRM project – right at the start.