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Want to Future-Proof Your CRM? Get Flexible November 17, 2011 
When the so-called experts dispense advice about CRM implementations, whether they're first-timers or replacements of old systems, they always include a caveat about the future. You need to solve today's problems with the new system, but you also need a way to "future-proof" your investment so that the next set of problems to present themselves don't force you back into the CRM selection process.
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The Federal Government's Map of the Clouds November 15, 2011 
The U.S. government's plan to shift major chunks of existing and future information technology programs to cloud-based systems has proven to be easy to say but harder to do. Technical, cultural and financial issues are frequently raised by agency managers as barriers to adopting cloud technology. Various initiatives have been launched to encourage cloud adoption at the federal level.
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When CRM Stalls: Kicking It Up a Notch October 20, 2011 
As a CRM journalist, I always enjoy talking to integrators (or resellers, or VARS, or partners, or whatever term they choose to describe themselves). It's always an interesting contrast to speaking with vendors. The discussion you have with a vendor is like taking an anatomy course; the discussion you have with an integrator is like speaking to the coroner.
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The 3 Opportunities You Miss by Using CRM Only for SFA September 22, 2011 
One of the great conundrums about CRM is the disconnect between its stated intention and what it's usually really used for. Theoretically, CRM is supposed to help businesses build better and longer-lasting relationships with customers. In actuality, it's usually used to simply manage customer data as a tool for sales.
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Strategies for Smooth Social CRM Implementation, Part 2 September 19, 2011 
The first and foremost task for any organization looking to align social media with business objectives is to do a competitor and customer analysis. Understanding, measuring and controlling success and risk factors is the foundation of a successful social CRM strategy. Every organization must assess the business need for social media and social CRM initiatives before taking the plunge.
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Strategies for Smooth Social CRM Implementation, Part 1 September 09, 2011 
Customers' buying behaviors and businesses' engagement models are shifting. Traditional is out, next-gen is in. Today it is the customer who influences and forces the evolution of business models. Cloud-based Internet peer networks drive the buying decisions for large segments of customers. Enterprises will inevitably need to adopt mobility and social media platforms to keep up with the next generation.
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Successful CRM Champions Start Small, Think Big, Act Fast September 08, 2011 
I worked on an exercise in messaging for a CRM vendor this week, and it was both entertaining and frustrating at times. It was entertaining to hear smart people offer clever takes on what they do (and, perhaps more colorfully, what their competition does), but it was frustrating to realize that the definition of "CRM" is becoming increasingly complex and, I fear, confusing.
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The Enterprise 2.0 Global Delivery Model Transformation, Part 3 June 30, 2011 
Three key aspects of the resourcing paradigm will undergo a change with E2.0: resource geographic spread; team constitution; and skillsets required. With the availability of collaboration media and their ease of access, customer groups and IT support/delivery groups will operate out of their own locations without the need to work in a centralized fashion.
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The Enterprise 2.0 Global Delivery Model Transformation, Part 2 June 29, 2011 
Processes are the lifeblood of the global delivery model and the links that strongly hold together various entities to make the GDM work. Enterprise-level IT implementations owe their success largely to efficient, standardized processes, which are in turn constantly fine-tuned. The key challenge for an E2.0 will arise from the fact that all the GDM parameters will experience a change.
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The Enterprise 2.0 Global Delivery Model Transformation, Part 1 June 28, 2011 
The current Global Delivery Model is a mature and highly successful mechanism that has been empowering numerous organizations worldwide to implement value-based, cost-effective IT solutions over the past two decades. The GDM involves a geographically spread team of client and vendor personnel who are equipped to deliver complex IT solutions.
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Failed Oracle ERP Project Leads to Legal Spat June 06, 2011 
A legal dispute between Oracle and erstwhile client Montclair State University illustrates that despite the steady evolution of ERP technology and implementation methodologies, these projects can still turn ugly. Montclair has accused Oracle of violating the terms of its agreement to build a new Web portal for the school.
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Your New CRM System: Do You Want Productivity or Results? May 26, 2011
I've written several CRM Buyer Guides in the last four years, and the buying process I recommend hasn't really changed much. Unlike people who leap into the technology right at the outset, I always advocate a period of self-assessment for the company -- in other words, a thorough internal examination of how a business works and what the employees in the business do.
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3 Early Errors That Can Kill CRM in the Cradle May 19, 2011 
In long-distance navigation -- like in a boat or an airplane -- if you're going to make an error, it's better to make it later than to make it early on. A half-degree mistake can multiply itself into hundreds of miles over the course of a long voyage, but the same error made toward the end of the trip needs just a slight jog to set things right. That's very much the way it is with the CRM decision-making process.
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When It Comes to CRM, What's Your Motivation? May 12, 2011 
"What's my motivation?" Sounds like a corny question an overwrought actor might pose to a director on the boards or in front of a camera. But we all have motivations -- and it's smart to understand your own and those of your vendor when it comes to CRM. No one wakes up one morning and decides, "What my business really needs is a CRM solution." It's not an impulse buy.
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Why Does CRM Training Get Short Shrift? April 14, 2011 
SaaS applications are simple to implement (in most cases). But, oddly, I think the ease with which cloud-based CRM can be deployed and integrated creates the impression that users can then pick it up with the same level of ease. And that's a big mistake. The reality is that training is still a critical part of implementing a CRM application.
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Customer Service in GCC Retail Banks Is a World Apart March 29, 2011 
Gulf Cooperation Council banks have begun to feel the heat of competitive pressure from foreign banks that are trying to exploit the potential investment prospects in this market by riding on their vast experience and proven consumer-friendly services. In such a scenario, the banks have nothing to blame but their laid-back approach and less-than-stellar commitment to customer service.
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HITECH Could Catch Healthcare Service Providers With Their Pants Down February 03, 2011 
Have you ever found yourself paying the penalty for a rule you didn't even know you were breaking? Like getting a ticket for speeding when you didn't realize the speed limit had changed? Or paying a work-related travel expenses out of our own pocket because you didn't realize your firm's travel policy had a restriction that you didn't know about? It stinks, right?
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Cloud Computing and Enterprise CRM: The Way Forward January 24, 2011 
To remain successful against the backdrop of complex market dynamics and increased competition, it has become critical for organizations to offer more evolved products and services that are not only cost-effective, but also extendable, scalable and focused on improved customer experience.
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