Replacing Your CRM, 9 Considerations Within Digital Transformation

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You are replacing your CRM, here are 9 considerations within Digital Transformation.

In general, a Digital Transformation IT plan will be a multi-stage process that will affect many aspects of the organization. For example:

  • Implementing or replacing a CRM
  • Implementation or replacement of an ERP
  • Implementation or replacement of a management system
  • Automation of a particular process through custom development
  • Creating a Data Warehouse
  • Implementation of a platform or security layer

Your digital transformation plan may not consider all of these aspects, as each organization has its own budget, priorities, capacities, schedules, etc.

 

Main considerations in replacing your CRM

  1. Budget
  2. Cloud or On The Premises?
  3. Mobility (cellular) or not?
  4. Who in the organization will be licensed?
  5. What data will the CRM be responsible for managing?
  6. What level of security is required?
  7. What level of “customization” is needed?
  8. Historical data
  9. The way we do Business

 

Review of the 9 considerations in replacing your CRM

 

1. Budget

– Your organization’s policies deal with this aspect. Obviously, the decision to capitalize or not has an impact.  Let’s remember that in Cloud mode, we rent a service, therefore no capitalization, whereas in “on the premises” mode, we buy a product, therefore capitalization.

– In some cases, we can still find a software “on the premises” rented.

 

2.      Cloud or “On The Premises”?

– Cloud is more secure but also more expensive.

– No initial outlay in Cloud mode.

– On The Premises is less expensive, but more maintenance.

– Cloud generally supports mobility more easily.

– Of course, in Cloud mode, your data resides in the Cloud.

– The architecture and technology of Cloud products are generally more recent.

– Cloud products interface more easily with social media, be it your website, Twitter or Facebook.

 

3.      Mobility (cellular) or not?

– Today all young representatives expect to have access to a mobile version of the CRM used, generally Cloud products will better meet this need.

 

4.      Who in the organization will have a CRM license?

– The number of licenses has a major impact on costs. Obviously if we are talking about a large number of licenses, we will have to negotiate prices in relation to the volume.

– Since there is no initial outlay, the Cloud mode is more expensive per user. It is therefore important to provide licences only to employees who really need them.

– Different needs. For example, does the Customer Service department need data that sales representatives don’t use?

 

5.      What data will CRM be responsible for managing?

– Certainly static data such as contact information

– More strategic data such as annual sales

– Communication data; calls, e-mails, letters…

– The Business Intelligence that the CRM is able to capture to “feed” either the Customer Service Department or the Product Development Department.

– Be careful, in Cloud mode, data (letters, PDFs, photos…) can be heavy to store and costs can reflect this.

 

6.      What level of security is required?

– The roles and permissions of each user

– Who has access and what data?

– To which data do mobile users need to have access to?

 

7.      What level of ‘personalisation’ is required?

N.B. This is where costs can explode.

– With good reason, there will be a desire to include several functionalities in the CRM, such as opportunity management or “boxes” for Customer Service, for example.

– The important thing is not to introduce functionalities that should not be included in CRM; for example, the generation of legal documents that require data from business systems.

 

8.      CRM Historical data

N.B. This is also an aspect where costs are underestimated.

– Generally, there is no “wizard” for transferring data between different commercial products.

– Often a “CSV” will be used to transfer data between the two products.

  1. Beware of date formats
  2. Beware of accents that are not always well treated
  3. Beware of notes that are often poorly transferred
  4. Finally, the company / contact links are to be looked at with an attentive eye.

 

9.      The way you do business

– All CRMs are not created equal and some are better adapted to your specific needs.

– For example, if in your company, leads are often generated by your website or Social Media, it will be important to select a CRM well-integrated with Social Media.

 

 

CONCLUSION

These 9 elements give you tips on how to properly plan your CRM change and even its implementation in some cases.  Unfortunately, this is not a recipe and it does not answer the question “Which one to choose?”

Our role is often to automate business functions following the creation of an opportunity, the CRMs that we encounter the most are the following:

Salesforce is by far the one that steals the spotlight and has the highest growth; however, not the least expensive.

Dynamics typically in large companies already operating in the Microsoft environment.

Hubspot for Startups and SMEs who often base their marketing strategy on social media.

 

Happy Digital Transformation!

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