Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

1. CRM • What is CRM? • Any activity in an organization that has one end as customer, apart from actual project execution • Any activity that helps the organization to contact customers and grow business • Any activity that helps to indirectly create awareness with customers about the company/brand • Key Elements • Contacts • Accounts • Leads • Opportunities • Activities & history • Product catalogs • Quotations • Orders • Contracts • Email templates • Documents • Knowledge/FAQ • Incident/case/issue tracking • Customer Satisfaction Survey • Marketing Campaigns • Partner Details

2. Contacts • Contact is an individual who can potentially give business to us • All individual details must be managed (email, mobile etc) • Status of contact to be maintained so that we know whether there is a continuous flow of business • Contacts need to be assessed for their credibility • Any documents signed with contact must be maintained in a repository like NDA, NC, MoU etc. • Every information that we store on a contact must be useful at a later stage

3. Accounts • Accounts are customers – includes potential customers as well as current customers • All company details must be stored like locations, important contact people, nature of business, turnover etc. • Subsidiary/financial information to be stored as well • All details when a sales person approaches the account must be stored • Status of account must be maintained

4. Leads • Any information that can be a potential business opportunity • Leads come thru known/new contacts • Leads may come thru email queries • Leads may come thru partners • Leads may come when we do road shows/campaigns • Who needs product/work, when is it needed, whom to contact in that account etc need to be maintained

5. Opportunities • A lead that has been assessed and analyzed becomes an opportunity • Leads must be followed up by phone or email or in-person or other modes and history must be kept • So this must be tied up to tele-callers and others to update the follow-up status on a lead • Lead qualification have several stages like initial touch, presentation, demo etc. • Many new details on a lead may be obtained when we follow up (like allocated budget, timeframe, etc.) • Typically at this stage, a sales value is attached to the lead

6. Activities & History • One can assign action item to others • Status of an action and notes must be tracked • Every change in the action details must be captured • An action can be associated with a contact or to a lead, so that we know what happens at individual levels and at lead levels • Individuals must be able to reassign actions and follow it up • Auto alerts and reminders are key elements in action items

7. Product Catalogs • The product or service offerings must be clearly defined • Sub-Products, options, plans will be captured • Standard material that can be distributed to customers must be stored • This is an inventory of he products and services; they need to be attached to an effectivity period • If we use other’s products, then all manufacturer details must be stored

8. Quotations • When a specific opportunity matures to a level when we need to submit a quotation/proposal, that information must be stored • Attachments must be supported • We must be able to choose products to the quotation • Associate terms, price and validity to quotation • Status of quotation must be tracked • Standard quotation templates must be stored

9. Orders • Order is given by an account (customer) • Order is based on some quotation or it may be a direct order • Order must be tracked for its status, value etc. • Attach an order to a contract and track the status • Orders can be of different types like work order, purchase order etc.

10. Contracts • Contracts must be tied to accounts • Status of contract, period of contract, type of contract, contract value, etc. must be tracked • One contract may be tied to multiple orders • Auto notification on contract expiry is required • One contract can be mapped to multiple opportunities as well • Contract templates must be available in repository

11. Email Templates • When we need to generate leads and follow up leads, standard email content needs to be circulated • Auto response to queries require standard templates • Customer support issue tracking requires this • Email templates need to be customizable to the needs of customers • Email templates will include standard news letters as well

12. Documents • Sales people may require many templates and checklist documents • There must be a way to view historic quotations, contracts etc. • Document categories and versions must be maintained • Standard templates must be available • Search in documents is essential • Document management requires strict security rights

13. Knowledge/FAQ • Based on historic data and experience, many customer queries are already addressed and answered • All this knowledge must be stored and must be searchable • Keyword based search, category based search must be available • This must be available from every screen • FAQ will be classified for customers, sales people, support people etc.

14. Incident/case/issue tracking • Essential part of customer support is issue or incident tracking • There must be a way to create a new ticket and track its status • Auto generation of tickets based on emails must be available • Incident escalation and closure cycles must be configurable • This is nothing but a structured defect tracking • Customer must also be able to see the status from a web interface

15. Help Desk • Help desk is the one that handles customer issues and complaints • Usually this will have L1, L2 and L3 – 3 levels • L1 is usually phone or email or chat • L2 is semi technical to further assist to resolve a problem • L3 is the technical team that will definitely sort out the problem • Every customer complaint must be tracked and closed and it follows a cycle

16. Customer Satisfaction Survey • Different survey calendars/schedules will be defined • Questions/answers to each survey will be defined and approved • Customers who will participate in the surveys will be communicated • Customers enter their answers to the survey questions within a stipulated time • Sales department collates all answers and present it to the management • Summary view and detailed view will be available for surveys • Survey answers are kept as confidential content

17. Marketing Campaigns • Companies must plan for campaigns • Email, road shows, demonstrations, job fair, tech fair, banners etc. • Each campaign must be defined and approved • Each campaign must be tracked for the number of leads that is generated by that campaign • Campaigns improve awareness and increase brand name • Periodic news letters and advertisements in media are part of campaigns

18. Marketing Vs Sales • Many times companies do some activities to a big audience • They will not know who will be our definite customer, still conduct the activity • Roadshows, emails, advertisements etc will fall under marketing • It provides visibility, creates awareness • Helps in the minds of potential people to recall your brand name • Once a contact or lead is known, after that it is sales till the end of contract signing

19. Campaign Management • Every campaign must be tracked to ensure that it results in business • Every campaign has many stages thru which a team needs to work • For example, to conduct a road show we must do • Print invitations • Send invitations • Confirm registrations • Arrange the meeting place • Arrange for food • Welcome the audience • Ensure the speakers are equipped well for the presentation • Etc • Campaigns do help in creating visibility

20. Partner Details • Different types of partners are tracked • Channel partner, marketing partner etc. • Leads, contacts etc. provided by partners must be tracked • Implementation partners interface with customer support • Beta test partners are also tracked • Partners based on territory and products/services need to be tracked • Partners must be assessed periodically

21. Big Players • Siebel • Salesforce.com • SugarCRM • RNOW • Oracle CRM • PeopleSoft CRM • SAP