Implementing business intelligence systems is one of the significant challenges currently facing the business intelligence world.
Adam Honig suggests integrating business intelligence reports into the CRM system for customer management.
This statement is not innovative nor unique to the world of customer management. However, Adam Honig takes it several steps further:
He proposes concrete steps to implement this integration.
The information presented here is a processing of his original article.
The Need:
Integrating business intelligence into the CRM system is more critical now than ever. Especially during a recession, we are compelled to work harder to acquire new customers and, even more so, to retain and develop existing ones. It is known that the investment required in marketing and sales activities for an existing customer is significantly lower than that needed for a potential customer.
Business intelligence is crucial for customer development, retention, and expansion.
The Proposed Tools:
Honig proposes two main tools:
Reports focused each time on a single, individual customer. They do not produce thick, voluminous, and data-rich reports but concentrate on the specific customer and their relevance.
Focusing on processes where data and information can be more relevant and assist in customer business development or retention.
Key work processes recommended to focus on:
Campaigns
Lead management
Ongoing customer management
Self-service tools for end-users
Service centers (information and knowledge management). Including both customer information and optimization of service center management
Sales territory planning
Matching distribution channels to customer segments
Forecast management
Sales activity measurement
Recently, proposed technologies have made integrating external data and information more accessible.
New technologies encourage customer engagement through social networks and additional Web 2.0 tools. All these allow for better measurement of customer behavior and integration of this information into processes relevant to maximizing the customer's business development.
Additionally, ready-made SAAS (Software as a Service) systems (where the computing environment is external and only usage services are purchased) enable this connection.
Activity, especially now, can help organizations not only survive but perhaps prepare for growth and prosperity, if not immediately, then certainly in the future when the peak of the recession is behind us. And it's better to prepare one hour earlier.
Comments