News 5 - CRM Selection

1. This week, I learned that CRM, customer relationship management, is an information system as well as a strategy that combines sales, marketing, executive information systems and all other information related to customers. I also learned that it greatly improves a company’s ability to improve its business relationship with its customers.

2. Since there are so many CRM software being marketed out there, I think that companies face a lot of confusion when choosing a suitable CRM system. Here is a link to the article I found giving advice on this topic:

http://www.crm2day.com/library/EEEuukAukEdtvgQDjz.php

3. The author believes that choosing the right CRM system will help the company serve its customers better. He suggests that different CRM decisions should be made by big and small companies. According to the author, there are 10 factors to consider when choosing a suitable CRM system.

I agree with the author’s view that a company has to choose a CRM with functions geared toward achieving the company's goals. All aspects of a business' management should aim to the business' goals, and that includes technology. Also, the new system must be compatible with the current system in order to have a smooth installation. There should not be a chaotic installation period where existing customer service management would be interrupted. It should be reliable throughout and user-friendly. Lastly, extra embedded functions are always a plus. I think the author was thoughtful in considering the factors for a suitable CRM. However, I suggest that he should distinguish the factors in order of increasing importance as the nine factors after the first one appear to be listed in random order.