Deck 4: Organization and CRM

Question 1

How have CRM initiatives grown from concept to practice?

Answer 1

They usually start in a small area of the company, and if successful, are brought to the attention of executive management who determines if it should be implemented company-wide and defines a strategy for implementation. Rarely has a CRM initiative populated itself, as it must be a coordinated effort across theorganization supported by executive leadership.

Question 2

Is Change Management critical to the CRM effort?

Answer 2

Yes. The degree of change required is dependent on the companyenvironment. CRM requires a customer-centric mentality. This mode of operation is usually quite different from current methods in most organizations. Employeebehavior must conform to this new methodology or the initiative will ultimately fail.

Question 3

Assuming that a company has seen some success in small areas of the company with CRM efforts, what should executive management do next if it decides that it wants to pursue CRM as a company-wide initiative?

Answer 3

While the urge to create a strategy and implement that strategy is strong, it may be a good idea to discuss the concepts throughout the company as well as with its value chain partners. These discussions will precipitate information, which can demonstrate barriers, challenges, and opportunities regarding CRM implementation.

Question 4

What can a company do to ensure a successful CRM initiative when two of itsbusiness units compete for the same customers?

Question 5

What can a company do to ensure that its employees are aware of what CRM is and how it plans to implement this methodology?

Question 6

Large organizations have advantages of economies of scale in financial, human, and technology. However, size does have its disadvantages. What are some of the challenges organizations face due to being large?

Question 7

Why does an account management structure in a B2B environment lend itself to successful CRM?

Question 8

Is a matrix structure optimal for a CRM environment?

Question 9

Integrating both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar activity are critical to the CRM effort. Why have some companies separated the two businesses?

Question 10

Define a major challenge to a value chain with respect to CRM.

Question 11

Can an internal competitive work methodology ensure successful CRM?

Question 12

A national retailer of electronic products, TV, stereos, PCs, printers, and accessories, as well as music and videos, has committed itself to a CRM strategy to help differentiate itself from its major competitors. What can this retailer do to support its employees in their effort to build and sustain customer relationships?