A High-Level View of the Entire Process

You have decided to implement a new CRM tool, whether you are starting from scratch or replacing an existing tool that doesn't make the grade, as confirmed through the audit process described in the previous chapter. This chapter describes an overall blueprint for the entire selection and implementation process, including key success factors and typical time and resource requirements for projects of various complexity levels, as well as recommendations for decreasing complexity when appropriate.

This is a good place to start to get an overall idea of what it takes to be successful with a CRM implementation. The upcoming chapters will expand on each step of the process so you can delve into the details. This is a more theoretical and high-level chapter than the rest of the book but it still contains plenty of practical advice.

We'll start with the key success factors for CRM projects.