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Why Most CRM Implementations Fail
January 14, 2008
And how to make sure yours doesn't
By Adam Perlow
You probably think you know all the reasons why most CRM implementations fail: Lack of executive sponsorship and poor training typically take the brunt of the blame, while proper training and executive management support are also factors. But, the real elephant in the room is oftentimes that the wrong product is chosen to meet set goals—and, to top it off, the problem may be that there aren't any clear goals.
Here's what you should do to make sure your implementation is a success:
1. Focus on three (ok, maybe four) specific goals
When trying to cost justify a new system, the team developing the justification will be tempted to generate a laundry list of goals. To make matters worse, the list will include goals that are too general or not measurable—for example, "increase sales and improve customer service." Goals should be more specific—such as "reduce the time to communicate price changes to all sales and customer service people from five days to one day." Or "provide customer service reps with the ability to pull up an up to date list of a customer's past purchases within 10 seconds of taking the call from the customer." The focus should be on problems that can be solved that will cause the most impact.
2. Choose the product or solution wisely
Evaluating solutions will be easier once you have formulated the specific goals described above. Simply turn each requirement into a question: Will this solution allow us to…?" In addition to ensuring that the solution will allow you to achieve your stated goals, you must also weigh the softer side of the equation by evaluating the usability, intuitiveness, supportability and speed of the solution. The truth is some products just aren't very good, and even the best training and executive sponsorships one could hope for won't change that. If the solution is hard to use, unintuitive and painfully slow, then people just won't use it.
3. What's in it for them?
One of the most important and overlooked factors to examine is what’s in it for the users. If you go through the effort and expense of buying and implementing this solution, how will their jobs get better? If you can't answer this question then you must go back and look at the goals you established. If the solution provides benefits to the organization but not to the users, adoption will be low and the project will fail.
4. Involve users in the process early.
To ensure that there's something in it for the users, you should get them involved in the process early on, preferably when you are creating the specific goals. Not only does it ensure you understand what the most effective solution will be, but it will make the users feel they have "skin in the game". It's also important to include team members of each role that will be using the system. If your organization is geographically dispersed, you should consider bringing in some team members from the field.
In Summary
Following these guidelines can certainly not guarantee a successful project, but ignoring them can almost guarantee failure. Look for team members that have been through it before and tap into their experience. Choose a product and vendor with a proven track record of success. And most importantly, make sure that at the end of the project the users feel that something was done for them and not to them. Good luck!
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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