Most modern CRM systems come equipped out-of-the-box with sales, marketing and operational boosting productivity tools to help any business streamline otherwise mundane manual tasks and improve overall productivity. While “bells and whistles” of any CRM is usually concentrated the features and functionality of the product, how the CRM system is actually implemented has the ability to either increase productivity or impede it.
Choosing the Right CRM Implementation Partner
Choosing the right CRM implementation partner is just as important as choosing the right CRM software solution for your business. To understand what goes into a successful CRM implementation, let’s break down the anatomy of a great CRM implementation.
Successful CRM Implementation: Key CRM Strategies and Components
Every CRM implementation has two main components: the back-end configuration, and the front-end user experience.
The back-end configuration can be split into the server and database implementation for on-premise implementations. For cloud-based CRM solutions with no server and database implementation, the back-end configuration lies more along the lines of setting up sandboxes or test environments and database imports.
The front-end user experience, which is usually where most the CRM implementation time is spent, has to do with customizations and configurations to automate processes and make the CRM system user-friendly. To ensure that everything is working the way that it should, the implementer usually after configuring the CRM systems also does some testing and then, goes on to set up workstations.
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CRM Back-End Configuration
Server Configuration
Any on-site CRM implementation needs to start with the server configuration. It forms the framework for data storage, now and in the future. Most CRM implementation manuals come with server configuration instructions and hardware requirements. Be sure that you have more than the minimum required server memory and disk space to make room for data growth in the future. For instance, if your system requires you to have about 2GB RAM memory space, you may want to have at least about 8GB RAM to make room for any database growth in the future. The last thing you want is to implement a new CRM system and have the server crash due to memory issues.
The good news is your CRM implementation partner should have access to the configuration details for your CRM system, which will have the minimum and recommended requirements for CRM server configurations. It’s important to note however that, most CRM implementation manual recommendations are based on simulated number of users. Always check to make sure that the number of users that you are implementing the CRM system for is less than the simulated number of users. If it’s more then, you may need to adjust the minimum requirements accordingly.
In a cloud-based CRM implementation, since data is hosted on an external server, you will not need to worry so much about the actual server configuration. Nonetheless, depending on your current CRM database, you need to make sure you have enough space for moving your data over. Most CRM providers dish out space based on the number of users purchased if you find you need more room you may need to ask for more space.
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Database Implementation
The database implementation is also a critical component of any successful CRM implementation. In order to ensure that your CRM is up and running, there is the need to successfully import data from other pre-existing systems for a smooth transition. The formats in which you can import data will depend on the CRM system in question. Depending on the back-end of the CRM system architecture, your CRM implementer or developer might be able to copy SQL data tables over in a seamless fashion. In some cases there might be the need to do data loads at different times using database queries. The key with data querying and imports is data integrity. Be sure, to get your data in the right formats to prevent data corruption.
Note: A CRM system implementation is an excellent time for cleaning your existing database. It’s important to refrain from importing bad data, no matter how great a CRM system is, it’s only as good as the data you have.
CRM Front-End Customization
Now that the back-end of your CRM is setup and in place, it’s now time to customize your front-end, to give it that “wow” factor that will make end users happy. CRM implementation is a company-wide process improvement project. And to ensure easy user adoption and a smooth transition, it’s essential to involve the end users during and after the customization of your new CRM system. Even though the CRM customization process is never truly a complete project, it’s important to get the essential processes in place to ensure that the system is easy to use.
Here is what needs to happen before any front-end CRM customization or configuration:
- Discovery and Planning. Planning and discovery, is an essential component to any successful CRM implementation. As mentioned earlier, since the CRM system is one that’s used by the entire company, it’s essential to get as many people as possible involved during the planning and discovery process.
- Find out the core business processes. Map out all business processes that can be automated with your CRM system. Talk to key stakeholders to find out how certain tasks are completed today with or without a CRM system and create a plan to automate or streamline those processes.
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Keep everyone in the loop; make sure the entire company is aware of the new proposed solution(s) to automate manual mundane tasks. Communication is crucial to avoiding end-user adoption resistance.
- Multi-phased Approach. Have timelines and milestones for different phases of the customization process. Most likely than not, the CRM implementation will need to be a multi-phased approach. To avoid end-user frustration during the implementation period, find out which tasks are essential to the day-in-day out running of the business. Prioritize those tasks and add them to the first phase of your CRM implementation. Then move on to the second most important aspects and so on.
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Testing
It’s necessary to test all the different configurations or customizations made on different interfaces, before introducing the finished product to your end-users to avoid user frustration. Always have a sandbox environment ready for testing different scenarios and ideas to ensure that you can easily revert back if anything goes wrong during your customization process.
Mobile testing may also be essential during the testing phase to ensure that users can access their new CRM system when on the go.
Workstation (Software Client) Configuration
Once you have your system running the way you will like it to, it’s now time to install the clients or in the case of web-based CRM system, help end users with the setup.
With an on-premise CRM solution, there might be the need to go to each user’s workstation to individually install the CRM client and give the end-user a little bit of training. If you have a more savvy workforce, you maybe able to send the downloadable file with logins and only step in when additional help is needed.
In the case of cloud or web-based CRM systems, the configuration needed by the end-user could be as easy as setting up a password and a user name.
Other configurations that might be needed include, mobile application installation on mobile devices, email client integration, ERP system integration among others.
The type of installation needed for end users will be largely dependent on your existing systems that need to be integrated, the type of CRM deployment, and to some extent the features that your CRM system has.