Buying a CRM Solution - Part 2
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So you can see that having the right Customer Relationship Manager on your side can make a considerable
difference to the effectiveness of your business practices. However, a quick review of the market will reveal
that there are many providers offering CRM packages, and previous experience tells you that implementing new
technology can be expensive and complicated. Things to look out for to ensure that you get the CRM software
package to suit your needs include:
- Whether the software developer understands your level of IT expertise and your current business practices
and is able to accommodate these things into the development of the software.
- How much training your employees will need to operate the CRM software effectively and whether the software
developers include the necessary training and implementation as part of the total price of the CRM package.
The last thing you want it to have to hire an outside consultant to help you understand the software.
- The provision of a 24 hour help desk to assist you with any enquiries by phone or through email offering
support with the operation or technical capabilities of the software at any level or stage.
- The scalability and adaptability of the software. Say you are a fairly small company at present, but
anticipate a considerable amount of growth over the next eighteen months. Will the CRM software be able to
accommodate this? At what additional cost and how much further can it be customised or upgraded to keep in
line with industry standards and address your needs?
- The format your software comes in. Ask the provider whether the software they are using is open software or
proprietary software with open standards. Naturally, if the software is open it should be cheaper and if it
includes open standards it will be usable by new employees who have worked in similar industries. CRM
systems can also be installed on the premises or delivered over the internet, so decide which service suits
your needs best.
- Your CRM software is only as good as the information it contains, so identify who will be able to create,
insert, modify and delete records, how their security access is determined and that they have the necessary
expertise to monitor the CRM database, keep it up to date and create back ups for all information.
Now that you have a better idea of the CRM programme you want, it is time to look for the right provider who can
deliver the software package to suit your needs. An obvious place to start looking is the software of
competitors who are about the same size as you. Ask them about its usability and compatibility to their business
needs and whether they have received a satisfactory level of support. Another excellent place to look would be
the Approved Index, the UK 's leading business to business referral service, which has a number of certified CRM
providers in your area on its books. The site (www.approvedindex.co.uk) is extremely easy to use and provides
and overview of CRM providers and a link to their web page.
But whichever way you locate a suitable CRM provider, here's wishing they will be able to answer all your
customer relationship needs and enable you to instantly view a customer's history and identify who in your
company has spoken to or corresponded with them in the past and who is dealing with them now, so that they can
they can receive the best possible attention, both at the present time and in the future.
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