Keeping CRM implementation simple

Not too long ago, advice to keep a CRM implementation simple would have focused around due diligence for the application (you never buy a complex product unless absolutely necessary). It would have focused on negotiating the best deal with a systems integrator (these costs can add quickly unless the contract specifies otherwise). Most of all, it would have focused on a clear needs assessment driving the application (buying too many bells and whistles when they aren't necessary is a sure path to overly complicated implementation and a frustrated user base).

That was then, though. The new generation of CRM software is built on platforms that are almost effortlessly customisable. In other words, "keeping CRM simple" is no longer the effort it once was.

"CRM applications are definitely getting easier to implement," said Sheryl Kingstone, analyst with the Yankee Group. "A lot of vendors have created applications that allow users access to 'codeless customisation'. It has begun to sink in that users want to be able to easily build a line of business workflow that can be picked up and used immediately."

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