10 steps for the choice of the Customer Relationship Management System

Step 1: Investigate the market of CRM systems

The phase of a research of the market is one of the most pleasant in all selection process of the software solution. At this stage it is possible to surf network, to read blogs and to download so-called white papers (the analytical notes released software vendors on these or those narrow questions). If you do not know of CRM systems, it is a high time to be puzzled with a question that new is in technologies and in the market in general. If knowledge base on a subject absolutely scanty, then it is not necessary to become the expert for such short time, of course, but to make certain notion of technology and it is just necessary to place it in a context.

At this stage it is necessary to collect information on functional differences of solutions, different models of their delivery and pricing. It is also quite good to make idea of those advantages which use of CRM in your business as investments should have an ultimate goal can introduce.

Step 2: Define personal requests

At this stage it is necessary to formulate all requirements to functionality of the Customer Relationship Management System. Having firmly defined the wishes, will control much more simply a pressure of a number of vendors, whose solutions, perhaps, you are not suited at all. It is also necessary to define tasks which CRM, and shortcomings of the existing system of customer relation should solve if it is already available. When the complete list is ready, it needs to be separated into two parts: must have and nice-to-have (it is obligatory to have and well to have).

Step 3: Provide to Project Management

If you are not a key person in the project and do not make the decision on purchase, it is necessary to prove its need and advantages over the top management. Presenting the project, it is necessary to explain distinctly what advantages of a new system will allow to justify expenses on its implementation and acquisition. So at this stage a clear understanding of is necessary what there are expenses on the Customer Relationship Management System of: licenses, services, trainings and other expense categories.

Step 4: Construct the short list of vendors

If the basic decision on implementation of the Customer Relationship Management System is made and the approximate project budget is known, and one of the most difficult steps creation of the short list of vendors will become following. At this stage it is not recommended to include in the list more than 5 systems of different vendors. The problem consists that hundreds of CRM solutions are presented at the market, and only a small amount from them can suit optimum specific business. To receive the short list, it is necessary to exclude consistently from the long list all companies whose solutions do not approach on functionality, the scale and other criteria. After end of the short list it makes sense to begin negotiations with vendors on sale of solutions.

Step 5: Explain to vendor the project

Good sellers of the software set as an ultimate goal business optimization of the customer using that software which they sell. So it is necessary to explain to sales managers the concept of the project and requirement of your business. what better at this stage you explain the requirements with, especially receive the competent help from implementers. In particular, at a stage of demonstration of a system they will be able to pay more attention to those moments most of which interest you.

Step 6: Estimate a demo of systems

Acquaintance to demoversions of programs is one more crucial step for a right choice of the Customer Relationship Management System. It is a fine opportunity to look at a system in operation and to estimate that specifically it can give to your company. It is necessary to report vendor what functionality you want to see in the demoversion that it surely was included in it. Besides, it is the best of all to hold testing of a demo together with colleagues, in passing filling out the check sheet and selecting with joint efforts merits and demerits of each specific system in practice.

Step 7: Make a ranking of systems

Already upon termination of a demo buyers usually have preferences for benefit of this or that system, however you should not make the decision on purchase until all received during a demo the check sheets are compared and not to develop a certain ranking of systems. It is necessary to make sure that a favourite system maintains completely functionality from your must-have list and the most part of functionality from the nice-to-have list. If you had any doubts, it is better to request a repeated demo from vendor.

Step 8: Compare cost

At this stage it is necessary to request from each vendor from the short list detailed information on cost and licensing terms, implementation and service maintenance of a system. Though the price of a system should not be the predominating criterion when choosing systems, after all it can play a crucial role for failure from this or that expensive solution. It is in addition quite good to estimate as well the third third-party expenses on the project: for example, to consider need of replacement of network equipment or servers which can be required.

Step 9: Select vendor

At this stage it is necessary to make on the basis of all collected information a choice for benefit of specific vendor. Announce representatives of vendor the solution to move further and ask it to provide you access to recommendations and responses of already available clients. It is necessary to ask vendor all sensitive issues and to estimate reaction to them: what difficulties can be during the project what responsibility the supplier and/or the implementer is ready to undertake whether changes can be entered into the system.

Step 10: Study the license agreement

You are ready to make a purchase, but it is necessary to study the license agreement also attentively. Traditional vendors often provide a discount for projects with a large number of licenses. Often discounts are provided upon the demand of clients though evidently their existence is not provided. It is necessary to calculate number of licenses for the company and to be convinced that their number will be sufficient.

Councils of the Russian experts

TAdviser asked the Russian experts in implementation of CRM to comment on the standard circuit of the choice of a system in relation to the Russian realities. Proceeding from the project experience, they recommended to pay attention to a number of aspects.

Maxim Andreyev, the head of business applications of CROC company, considers that for a start it is necessary to examine experiment of colleagues on business, especially advanced, in terms of, managerial technologies. Understand whether they use the CRM system if yes, that why, what the purposes were set. It is also possible to address integrators, for example, we have "cards of solutions" for all industries.

According to Asatur Hachatryan, the director of the department of CRM "Sitronics IT", when choosing the CRM system it is necessary to implement several simple steps consistently:

• The first step: estimate degree of compliance of proposed solution to requirements of business and also feature of a technology platform of the solution and its functionality
• The second step: pay special attention to search of a professional command for the project implementation capable to provide both the speed, and ease of implementation
• The third step: it is obligatory to consider plans of vendor for development of the solution, to be convinced available necessary professional services at vendor and a possibility of support of the partner
• The fourth step: Estimate "ashore" a solution scaling option with a business growth, be convinced available guarantees of flexible expansion of functionality and/or performance without loss of the made investments.

Orientation to the needs

Specialists of BMicro company advise to select the Customer Relationship Management System proceeding from the tasks, but not from what is offered in the market. Together with the program it is obligatory to select also implementation (at least – training and a packet of support). The joke helps to understand rules. "Invented automatic hairdressing salon. What the head of all different – is not so terrible, it only on the first time". Also and with implementation of CRM – to copy mechanically it will not turn out, it is simpler to tell, where to you to straighten.

Focus on an implementation team

At implementation of CRM the success of the project depends not on the selected system more, and on that command which will carry out works. Therefore, being defined, it is necessary to consider that implementation of the same system different teams of specialists can result also in different results. Making this choice, it is necessary to follow at least two basic rules: the staff of the consulting company should have industry expertize; in the consulting company there has to be enough the certified specialists,Dmitry Demidov, the director of the department of CRM "NORBIT"[[Demidov Dmitry|]] noted.

Igor Pechenkin, the CEO FB Consult, warns that he a quintessence of all speeches of sellers of software of CRM is "only having purchased "mine", it is possible to manage the client relations" that is correct only partly - software is a necessary, but insufficient condition. "CRM offer everything "to whom not laziness": both producers, and system integrators and consultants. Main thing: be guided not so much by characteristics of software, how many characteristics of an implementation team ("software – as a result")", - the expert considers.

Capability to additional tunings

Any product which we compare undergoes standard selection price/quality. If you select the CRM system, then the price comparison affects not only the cost of licenses, but also surely implementation cost. And the quality is not only functionality (select on those functions which are necessary to you, but not on their total quantity in a system), but also a user-friendly interface: an opportunity to deliver any filter according to information and to make fast calculations for the arisen requirements. It is important to consider flexibility of the tool and a possibility of support by own efforts,Lev Jacobson, the deputy CEO [[Jacobson Lev Igorevich|]] said [[Jacobson Lev Igorevich|]]Compass.

Requirements to the CRM system will change together with life of firm, the expert explains. It will be new KPI for which the new reports or new realities on work with clients requiring other business processes will be necessary. Therefore the possibility of setup and completion under your new business processes should be very important criterion for the choice of the CRM system. And also possibility of independent creation of new reports, at least in common form, that as costs, but also temporary. Presently, when business realities quickly change, it is necessary to have flexibility that to adapt to them.

Integration opportunities

Igor Govorukhin, the project manager in the direction of CRM "Monolit-Info", considers that it is important to consider features of the IT solutions which are already used in the company — the main technology platform, opportunities for integration. "Often forget that CRM is first of all the customer-oriented management concept therefore implementation of the CRM solution is always a strategic task. And as a result, if the IT solutions used in the company do not provide sufficient functionality for integration with CRM, the implementation project of the CRM system can become a reason for replacement of any modules of CIS", - he explained.

It is very important to study experience of the business partners in a chain of sales (with them integration within CRM is necessary), the leading companies of the sector of the market and also allied industries and just the companies close on managerial culture.