User Adoption = CRM Success!
User Adoption = CRM Success!
By Tim Russell
As with any other business software application, not all CRM implementations are successful. And when CRM projects fail, the primary reason is often a lack of user acceptance. A 2007 ISM survey ranked the key factors in successful CRM projects as follows:
People: 60%
Processes: 30%
Technology: 10%
I.e., you can have the best CRM system in the world, but if the end users don t buy in, the project will fail. But why do some CRM projects fail to engage the very people who are supposed to benefit? There are five key reasons:
1. Lack of Leadership
When implementing CRM, management need to have a clear vision of why CRM is needed and how it will be used they need to communicate this vision clearly to the end users they need to show that they believe in the project and they need to appoint an effective and inclusive project management team. If management don t show faith in the project, this negativity will filter down to everyone else.
2. Poor Communication
If the goals of a CRM (or any other) project are not clearly explained, users will be less likely to get involved. Management may believe in the solution themselves but unless they can “sell” it internally, it will not succeed.
3. Poor Change Management
People are naturally resistant to change and unless the transition to using CRM is handled effectively, they will quickly revert to “the old ways”. CRM should, and will, change some of your company s business processes, and people need to be aware of this from the outset.
4. Poor Training
Insufficient TNA (Training Needs Assessment), insufficient training, or not identifying the right people to be trained can all cause a failure of the training process, which in turn can lead to low adoption rates and inconsistent product usage. It often only takes one user to break the chain for the entire project to collapse.
5. Lack of Consultation
CRM affects all areas of the business, and unless representatives from all areas are involved right from the start (i.e. the selection process), many departments will feel as if they haven t been consulted and that CRM is being forced on them, which will increase their resistance to using it.
Given these causes of project failure, there are six steps that can be taken from the start of any CRM project to minimise user reluctance and ensure that staff approach CRM with the right attitude:
1. Consult
Look at the needs of each area of your business, consult key people in each department, set up a fully representative steering committee, and ensure that every area has some input in the selection process.
2. Communicate
Make sure everyone knows the end goal of the CRM project right from the start and develop a consistent and positive message. Regular updates will reduce the element of surprise. Sell the benefits of CRM to your staff, and use case studies from similar companies.
3. Listen
Communication is a two-way process so elicit feedback throughout the process, make people feel involved, and publicly act on feedback received.
4. Prove
Talk is cheap – you need to physically demonstrate the benefits of CRM to end users. Start by simply integrating it with existing applications such as Outlook, and users will soon start to see the benefits of using it.
5. Train
Training is the best way to build user confidence in the system and goes hand-in-hand with Proving. Conduct company-wide TNA, start with the basics, measure results, and remember that training is a journey, an ongoing process, so schedule regular refresher courses.
6. Reward
The benefits to users of using CRM are not necessarily a reward in themselves! You should publicly reward successful trainees and early or enthusiastic adopters, and motivate others to use the system and extol its virtues.
So with people being the key to CRM success/failure, it is vital that you focus on your staff when considering a CRM implementation. Poor communication, consultation and training can doom a project before it even begins, so define and communicate your goals, get everyone involved, and motivate your staff, and you will have a team of enthusiastic CRM users, a successful project, and a successful business!
Tim Russell is Marketing Director at TRG International, one of Vietnam s leading providers of IT business solutions and services. Originally from the UK, he has been in Vietnam since 2003. Prior to coming to Vietnam he spent over a decade in the tourism industry in both operations and marketing, before moving into IT where he helped set up a company providing reservations software for tour operators and travel agents. He lives in Ho Chi Minh City with wife Nhung and daughter Emilie.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Russell
http://EzineArticles.com/?User-Adoption-=-CRM-Success!&id=646478
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