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  • What is CRM?
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What is CRM?

CRM, or Customer Relationship Management means many things to many businesses. They may not be aware of it, but most successful and profitable organisations will have a good grip on CRM.

Effective business people have always understood how important the relationship between themselves and their customers is, and how vital it is to repeat business. Think of the shop keeper who knows his regular customers by name, enquires about their families and makes them feel welcome. This practice keeps his customers not only happy, but has them coming back again and again, building a profitable and sustainable business.

In essence, the aim of any CRM software solution is to help a business be as effective as the shop keeper. The latest technologies however extend further than simply keeping track of customer information and encompass the activities of Customer Service, Sales, Marketing and Finance.

At SpiderGroup we see CRM as far more than just software to keep a company organised, we see it as core to a strong business model. CRM is a business strategy, a strategy that puts the customer at the heart of the business.

A successful CRM implementation in theory will enable sales teams to make quick, informed decisions and create cross selling and up selling opportunities. Marketing teams will be able to create managed and measureable campaigns whilst Customer Service delivers effective and personalised Customer care. By providing a holistic view of each existing or potential customer, available across the whole organisation, the business becomes customer-centric.

The History of CRM

The term ‘CRM’ first saw light during the mid 1990s. Sales force Automation software (SFA) which focused on contact and knowledge management, together with the ideas behind Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) formed the early building blocks of today’s all encompassing CRM systems. Recently, as mentioned earlier the term ‘CRM’ has come to describe the strategic approach by which organisations address sales, marketing and customer service processes with the use of integrated software solutions.

People, Process & Technology

Successful CRM always starts with a business strategy, designed to drive change in the organisation and work processes, powered by technology. It is estimated that the global market for CRM services and solutions is currently worth £300 billion. With a market of this size a wide range of technology and consultancy solutions are available. Make a decision carefully – a good CRM solution can revolutionise a business and add value to any organisation. A bad or failed solution will not only cost money but could result in employee loss, customer loss and much wasted time and resource.

Let’s however not lose sight of the fact that Customer Relationship Management is about people first and technology second. That’s where the real value of CRM lies, harnessing the potential of people to create a greater customer experience, using the technology of CRM as the enabler.

The question of how to provide excellent customer care may or may not be answered with a CRM solution, but the ethos of putting customers at the centre of a business is without doubt a step in the right direction.

Paul Griffiths, Product Manager