What's the Place of IT in CRM Initiatives?Should IT be kept away from CRM projects because CRM projects are really all about the business function? No, that would be a big mistake for three reasons.
Should IT be at the center of CRM projects? No, again that would be a big mistake because CRM projects cannot succeed without strong and direct business user sponsorship, guidance, and feedback. IT should not attempt to drive CRM projects because buy-in from the users is critical. However, IT should suggest CRM solutions to functional managers who may not have the time or the expertise to delve into automation issues. Ideally, IT and the business function owners should work on CRM projects as equal partners , each concentrating on their area of expertise. The role of IT increases for enterprise-wide deployments since IT often provides some of the coordination required between the various functions, but I would strongly caution against IT playing a lead role in enterprise-wide projects for fear that the functional owners will disengage. Political will from the functional owners is the first requirement for the success of CRM projects. CRM implementation can bring both tangible and intangible rewards to your organization, whatever its size. Your chances of success are excellent as long as you follow a sensible strategy, as will be outlined in the rest of the book. CRM nirvana may be a completely integrated system, but you can be very successful with a piecemeal approach, provided that the right players are involved. Let's begin. |