Customer relationship management

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a model for managing a company’s interactions with current and future customers. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.^[1]

Types/variations

Sales force automation

Sales force automation (SFA) uses software to streamline the sales process. The core of SFA is a contact management system for tracking and recording every stage in the sales process for each prospective client, from initial contact to final disposition. Many SFA applications also include insights into opportunities, territories, sales forecasts and workflow automation.^{[citation needed]}

Marketing

CRM systems for marketing track and measure campaigns over multiple channels, such as email, search, social media, telephone and direct mail. These systems track clicks, responses, leads and deals.

Customer service and support

CRMs can be used to create, assign and manage requests made by customers, such as call center software which help direct customers to agents.^[2] CRM software can also be used to identify and reward loyal customers.

Appointments

Appointment CRMs automatically provide suitable appointment times to customers via e-mail or the web, which are then synchronized with the representative or agent's calendar.^{[citation needed]}

Small business

For small businesses a CRM may simply consist of a contact manager system which integrates emails, documents, jobs, faxes, and scheduling for individual accounts.^{[citation needed]} CRMs available for specific markets for professional markets (legal, finance) are frequently touted for their event management and relationship tracking opposed to financial return on investment (ROI).

Social media

Some CRMs coordinate with social media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google Plus to track and communicate with customers who share opinions and experiences about their company, products and services.^[3]

Non-profit and membership-based

Systems for non-profit and membership-based organizations help track constituents, fund-raising, demographics, membership levels, membership directories, volunteering and communications with individuals.^{[citation needed]}

Adoption Issues

In 2003, a Gartner report estimated that more than $1 billion had been spent on software that was not being used. According to CSO Insights, less than 40 percent of 1,275 participating companies had end-user adoption rates above 90 percent.^[4] Many corporations only use CRM systems on a partial or fragmented basis.^{[5][citation needed]} In a 2007 survey from the UK, four-fifths of senior executives reported that their biggest challenge is getting their staff to use the systems they had installed. 43 percent of respondents said they use less than half the functionality of their existing system.^{[6][citation needed]}

Market Leaders

The CRM market grew by 12.5 percent in 2008, from revenue of $8.13 billion in 2007 to $9.15 billion in 2008.^[7] The following table lists the top vendors in 2006–2008 (figures in millions of US dollars) published in Gartner studies.^[8][9]

Trends

Many CRM vendors offer subscription-based web tools (cloud computing) and software as a service (SaaS)). Some CRM systems are equipped with mobile capabilities, making information accessible to remote sales staff.^{[citation needed]} Salesforce.com was the first company to provide enterprise applications through a web browser, and has maintained its leadership position.^[10][11] Traditional providers have recently moved into the cloud-based market via acquisitions of smaller providers: Oracle purchased RightNow in October 2011^[12] and SAP acquired SuccessFactors in December 2011.^[13]

The era of the "social customer"^[14] refers to the use of social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, customer reviews in Amazon, etc.) by customers. CRM philosophy and strategy has shifted to encompass social networks and user communities.

Another related development is vendor relationship management, or VRM which provide tools and services for customers to independently manage their relationship with vendors. VRM development has grown out of efforts by ProjectVRM at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Identity Commons' Internet Identity Workshops, as well as by a growing number of startups and established companies. VRM was the subject of a cover story in the May 2010 issue of CRM Magazine.^[15]

In 2001 Doug Laney developed the concept and coined the term 'Extended Relationship Management' (XRM).^[16] Laney defines XRM as extending CRM disciplines to secondary allies such as government, press, and industry consortia.

CRM futurist Dennison DeGregor describes a shift from 'push CRM' toward a 'customer transparency' (CT) model, due to the increased proliferation of channels, devices, and social media.^[17]

See also

Notes