CRM Business Transformation, as the name suggests, is more than just implementing a CRM software solution. It is more than that. CRM Business transformation, in fact, is an integral part of your digital transformation of the enterprise. So, if CRM transformation involves just bolting on a new and shiny CRM software, for all practical purposes it can be considered a major miss and a mistake.

So, what is CRM Business Transformation? Another buzzword by the consultants? Or it truly a transformational endeavor that encompasses people, process, technology and data for the enterprise? Indeed, our view it is the latter.

Garner predicts that the size of the CRM market shall be $37 billion in 2017. So the bulk of that spending is going to be on technology and integration, but services such as CRM business transformation strategy, change management and adoption and others will constitute a significant portion of the spending as well.

What is CRM Business Transformation?

We can define the CRM business transformation as the holistic rethinking of the customer value chain and transforming overall customer experience and powered by analytics, and enabled by digital technologies such as mobile, cloud, and social. It is essential you follow a well-defined CRM Transformation Framework.

What are the tenets of CRM Business Transformation?

• • A customer-first vision and philosophy that is laser focused on customer experience optimization across the omnichannel
  • CRM Business Transformation Strategy and Roadmap drive and influence the CRM platform and technology decisions
  • An organizational alignment around the CRM business transformation and what it means. For example, understanding it affects business models, sales and service model, channel strategy, structure, people and roles, processes, and last but not the least technology.
  • Digitizing manual processes is a win, but not a huge leap forward. In the digital business transformation of CRM, the question to ask is “How can we remove all the friction from customer engagement and experience across the sales and service value chain?” For this comprehensive client data analysis, persona development, and customer journey mapping will be useful techniques. In addition, both the voice of the customer and voice of the frontline employees can be a great input.

• The structure, roles, and responsibilities should be anchored around the customer and primarily facilitate the customer journey from awareness all the way thru ongoing customer service.
• The CRM Business Transformation should guide and influence the technology decision. There are several great CRM software platforms to choose from. But choose one that is simpatico with your business goals, objectives, and strategy.
• A key part of the business transformation of CRM is change management, training, and adoption. Without a significant investment into adoption programs, many a CRM projects have failed to deliver the desired business results.
• Plan holistically, but implement incrementally, and roll out on a piecemeal basis. Never ever boil the ocean.
• CRM is not an island and cannot be another silo. An integration strategy that makes CRM software platform an integral and seamless part of the technology landscape is essential.

If you are intent on leveraging CRM as an integral part of the digital transformation and impact business outcomes, please talk to CIOPages.com advisory services team.

Also, accelerate your CRM business transformation with a comprehensive and integrated set of artifacts and deliverables in the CRM transformation toolkit.