Boost ROI on CRM by effective change managementCRM software tools have improved almost beyond recognition over the past few years. Where the old systems were clunky, cumbersome and difficult to use, the latest generation boasts seamless integration with tools people are already using every day. The barriers to successful use are much lower than they have ever been before. So why do so many CRM implementations still struggle? Several years' work implementing CRM in a wide range of organisations points to a single, overarching factor: inadequate change management. Integral part of company strategyA successful CRM implementation must be an integral part of overall company strategy, driven by senior executives. But that is not enough: it must also pay very careful attention to the needs, desires and work practices of those who will actually use the system every day. The need for good change management is greatest where a new CRM system is replacing something that has already been in place for several years. No matter how many problems the old system has or fails to solve, users will have invested a lot of time in learning their way around it. When that accumulated expertise suddenly becomes redundant, it's entirely reasonable to be upset - especially if your position in the office has relied on that expertise. On the one hand, unless a new system is actively sold to its end users - and they buy it - the most likely outcome is that people will do the bare minimum they can get away with. Minimal compliance will tick all the boxes, but the real value of the system will go undiscovered and unused. On the other hand, genuine and enthusiastic user buy-in will boost the ROI you get out of the system. Techniques that workSo how do you sell a new CRM system to its users? "We told everybody it was happening" is not change management. Here are some techniques that work:
CostsThere is a cost to doing proper change management, but the costs of leaving it out can be even higher in the long run. If you communicate early, often and honestly with your users, the task of changing over will be immensely easier. If you force compliance on the unwilling, your system will wither and die. About the authorAs a CRM consultant at Liquid Thought (liquidthought.co.za) for the last five years, Diane Bartlett draws on over 10 years' experience in the local IT market. Her passion for CRM started back in 1999 when she started working for then Voicematix, now AmVia. This passion grew to include change management after joining the customer advocacy team at Dimension Data under the mentorship of Cathy Branquinho. After a two-year break from the IT industry, she joined Liquid Thought Business Solutions, where CRM and change management are the order of the day. Contact Diane via email diane@liquidthought.co.za or tel +27 (0)21 422 2616. |