7 Points You Need to Know Before Implementing a Customer Relationship Management Tool
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the term used to describe the management of customer relationships. In other words, a customer relationship management tool is this CRM system.
Compared to Excel and accounting software, which can only manage a limited amount of information such as customer contact information and transaction history, CRM systems can store a variety of information in a database, from information such as the purpose of purchase and customer preferences to a detailed history of products purchased.
The accumulated information can then be centrally managed and shared among members of the company.
Read more on cloud-based CRM.
Let's review some points to consider when comparing customer management tools.
Compare with customer management in Excel and accounting software
Let's consider the case of using Excel as a customer management tool.
The ease of use and familiarity of Excel is a relative advantage, but Excel is inconvenient in that it does not allow simultaneous input when the file is operated by multiple people. Also, while it is easy to duplicate and convenient, Excel itself is a customer database, so there are security issues when managing corporate customer information.
Next, let's think about accounting software as a customer management tool.
Many companies use accounting software as a customer management tool. If you only want to manage a certain number of customers, accounting software that integrates and manages transaction and sales histories may be sufficient. However, accounting software is not enough to utilize customer information for a business's strategy.
For customer management, it is better to consider a professional customer management tool.
Select the information you need to collect
When comparing customer management tools, the most important point to consider is what information to collect.
You have to be clear about the information you want to collect. The purpose of customer management differs from company to company, so the information to be collected will also be completely different.
First, make a list of the information you want to collect and categorize it according to its importance.
Another important point is to collect the minimum amount of information necessary for the purpose. Collecting unnecessary information should be avoided, both from the perspective of protecting personal information and making information management more complicated.
From the list of information, you want to collect, grouped by importance, select only the information that needs to be collected.
Related article: Advantages of CRM
Review the operational flow (in-house)
Once you have decided on the information to be collected, you need to sort out the operational flow of your company. When, where, and by whom will the customer relationship management tool be used? Who will view the tool, and who will enter the information into the tool? Identify the flow of customer relationship management tool operation, assuming various cases.
If the system is to be used by a large number of people, it is necessary to determine who will be able to access (or not be able to access) what information, who will be able to enter information by when, and who will have the authority to do so.
However, if the system is too complex and takes a lot of effort to get to the information you need, it will not be worth it. No matter how many useful functions are implemented, they are meaningless if they are not used. The key is to brush up on the operational flow.
Reviewing the operational flow (outside the company)
In addition to internal operations, it is also necessary to consider viewing and inputting data from outside the company.
Review the operational flow for accessing the system from outside the company using smartphones and tablets. Also, review the operational flow between locations if there are many branches and offices.
If salespeople can smoothly access customer management tools from their smartphones and tablets, they will be able to utilize centrally managed and useful resources outside the office, expanding business opportunities. In addition, the ability to enter the necessary information on the go will also reduce the workload of salespeople back at the office.
Please brush up on your internal operation flow as well as your external operation flow.
There are two types of customer management tools available: packaged and cloud-based. If you consider access from outside the company, you will be limited to cloud-based customer management tools.
Consider integration with sales force automation (SFA) systems.
SalesForce Action (SFA) is the term for sales support.
When CRM customer information is linked with SFA information such as business meetings and visits, it can be managed in an integrated manner.
Although it is a matter of cost, if you can develop and prepare a CRM system + SFA system that is appropriate for your business type, you will be able to gain further benefits.
When comparing customer management tools, it is also important to consider whether they have sales force automation functions.
Compare the usability of systems from various devices
Compare the usability of the tools you compare by having several people input the data. Compare and test the system when input from a computer inside the company and a mobile device outside the company. You will also try different browsers for inputting from computers. For mobile devices, it is important to compare the usability of different devices, such as iPhones, Android smartphones, and tablets, whenever possible.
Anticipate post-launch costs
Customer management tools not only have initial costs but also costs that may occur after you start using them.
Even if the initial cost is relatively low, it will be meaningless if unexpected costs arise in subsequent operations.
For example, if there is a possibility of increasing the number of tool accounts due to an increase in the number of employees or branches, it is necessary to consider how much additional cost will be required.
It is not advisable to make the system more complicated by including functions that will not be used at the time of implementation, but know in advance whether or not you will be able to use the options or extended functions when you need them after the system is in operation, and how much additional cost you will need to pay.
Whenever possible, try to anticipate the availability of options and extensions, as well as the cost of adding them.