ECRM: The New Ebuzz

By K.S.Mukund

What is CRM?

At the core CRM is an enterprise-wide mindset mantra and a set of business process and policies that are designed to acquire, retain and service customers.

CRM is not a technology but technology is a CRM enabler

It is a comprehensive set of process and technologies for managing relationships with potential and current customers and business partners across marketing sales and service

Change in Business Scenario

• Before it was Company competing against Company. Now it is value chain competing against value chain.
• E-Markets dominating the business world.
• Understanding B2B in CRM.

• Setting up a website is insufficient but getting inputs from the customer is what is required.
  
• Customers are aware than you and than before.
  
• Customers always have options.
  
• Customers are fickle.
  
• Evaluate your current systems:
  
  1. What do you have?
     
  2. How is it used?
     
• Evaluate your current customers.

Questions to ask before setting up CRM

• How good are you compared to your competition?
  
• How different are your from your competitor?
  
  1. Does your company have the right resources to function
     
  2. Sales
     
  3. Management
     
  4. Marketing
     
  5. IT
     
• Who are your customers?
  
• Does your technology support your strategy?

Components of CRM

• All sales channel
  
  1. Direct
     
  2. Tele
     
  3. Web
     
  4. Sales
     
  5. Email
     
  6. Push Technology
     
• Sales Force Automation
  
• Call Center
  
• Help Desk
  
• Database Marketing
  
• Internet Self Service
  
• Analytics reporting and review
  
• Workflow
  
• All aspects of customer entry points
  

CRM Success

• Technology to suit business idea
  
• Total understanding of the requirements
  
• Participation of all departments
  
• Coordination with IT
  
• Customer and the organization benefits from it
  
• All aspects of business should be involved in CRM decision
  
• Technology must be flexible

 

CRM In the Past

ECRM - The Future

 

ECRM - Self Service

 

• Customer sends the Email
  
• The Email reaches the ECRM solution
  
• Auto answering feature can be enabled to answer the Emails automatically based on subject or title or any set rules
  
• The CSR's can also process the incoming emails
  
• The processed mails are sent back to the customer
  
• This promotes the EBusiness venture

 

CRM Not Just Software

 

• CRM starts with a business strategy
  
• This enables the work flow process
  
• This is in turn assisted by IT
  
• The process cannot be reversed
  
• Business strategies cannot be reversed

 

CRM and SFA

A recent study conducted by Gartner group revealed that it was economical to retain an existing customer compared to acquiring a new customer.

Sales Force Automation is the process of automating your sales process and combining it with CRM for maximum ROI.

Data synchronization is a key aspect of CRM and SFA integration.

A sales person should have access to all data even remotely this made possible by using of CRM tools. The data resides on the host server and the sales person would be able to access this data by means of an Internet connection.

Remote databases are created for mobile salespersons. Each database is a replica of the corporate database.

Any changes made to the remote database are automatically reflected in the corporate database.

Types of CRM Technology

There are three types of CRM technology Operational, Analytical, Collaborative:

Operational CRM
These deal with the primary business functions like billing/invoice, order management, marketing automation.

Analytical CRM
It is the capture, storage, extraction, processing, interpretation and reporting of customer data to a user. These applications use various algorithms to analyze and interpret data.

Collaborative CRM
It serves as communication center. It assists more in PRM. It could mean communication channels like voice, chat. It acts as a bridge between customer and the channels.