Firstly, ask yourself do you need a CRM transformation consulting partner? Given the high stakes, massive investment, and lack of specific skills most enterprises supplement and complement their internal teams with a consulting or IT services partner in key initiatives such as a CRM transformation. Assuming you fit the mold of a typical mid-size or large firm, and the answer is yes, then the question is who do you select as your ally in your CRM transformation journey?
Who is the right CRM Transformation Partner?
In our opinion, who is the right partner is the wrong question. The right question is “who is the right CRM transformation partner for our firm?”. The company culture, the unique CRM needs, the scope and range of deployment, the sales and service models, and the specific focus of the transformation will dictate who should be your ideal transformation partner.
For example, if you are global company with the need to rollout a CRM solution in over 25 countries, it may be best to choose a consulting and IT services partner with a global footprint. If you firm is keen on a complete redesign of the CRM operating model, and create a CRM Transformation business case and roadmap then the first step may be a consulting firm that specializes in CRM strategy and CRM operating models.
If your CRM transformation program team already knows what system to buy and all you need is implementation support, you might consider a firm that is has a professional services partnership with the selected vendor. For example, if your choice is Salesforce.com, then you might as well look to the officially certified Salesforce.com implementation partners.
If you are a midsized firm, a boutique that specializes in your industry or size may be your best bet. Picking someone who doesn’t understand the nuances of your industry and or the size may design solutions that are too burdensome and costly.
The company culture, the unique CRM needs, the scope and range of deployment, the sales and service models, and the specific focus of the transformation will dictate who should be your ideal transformation partner.
Another driver in making the right partner choice is the level of integrations necessary to make the CRM transformation successful.
While we are not sure about the accuracy and impartiality, there are some sources to find a list of top CRM consulting partners.
The range of options for choosing a CRM consultants or software solution implementation partners are many and at times is a challenge to pick the right partner. There are the traditional big four consultants (Deloitte, Ernst and Young, PWC et al). Then a range of global IT services and Systems integrators (Accenture, Capgemini et al). Also, in the mix are the Indian IT Services firms (Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Infosys et al). Last but not the least are boutiques – large and small – that have aligned with and specialize in a specific CRM software platform.
The questions to ask and the things to look for in a CRM Transformation consulting/IT Services partner?
- Is the CRM transformation partner firm an official partner of the CRM systems in play?
- How many trained CRM consultants does the consulting firm have?
- How many successful CRM transformations did the consulting/IT services firm implement?
- Does the CRM transformation partner have a global footprint? (If it is a consideration)
- How many of our peers have used the consulting/IT services firm in the CRM endeavors?
- Does the consulting/IT services partner understand the nuances of our industry/space?
- What type of accelerators and templates does the consulting/IT services partner bring to the table?
- Does the consulting/IT Services partner have expertise in digital CRM and cloud-based CRM solutions?
- What is the partners’ CRM transformation framework and does it align with our thinking and philosophy?
- What is the total all-inclusive cost for assisting in the CRM transformation journey and CRM system implementation?
CIOPages.com team can assist you in evaluating and selecting the right consulting and IT services partner for your CRM transformation program. Please ping our advisory services team.
You may also cut down on the cost and time and get the customizable CIOPages.com CRM Transformation Toolkit.