Dears,
Sometimes it’s important to know who is your partner and companion in your crm journey, The thoughts expressed in this article are based on some findings and research done by stalwart research experts in this field and I am happy to share this with my readers .Clients are increasingly turning to technology services organizations with primary origins and Operations in Asia that deliver services on a global basis, including customer relationship management (CRM) specialty capabilities. For clients who are confident working within the global delivery model (GDM), the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an attractive choice for supporting CRM initiatives.
THE NUMBER OF CHOICES DRIVES THE NEED FOR BUYERS TO MAKE A CAREFUL SELECTION
CRM theories and technologies have moved from an era of over-hyped expectations, through
a period of exaggerated pessimism, to become a core pillar of competitive strategy for many enterprises. To succeed, companies continue to rely on PSPs to provide the necessary skills and experience to accelerate the capture of benefits from CRM investments.
· PSPs drive CRM strategy. Enterprises view their relationship with PSPs as very important and assign these firms significant roles in formulating strategies for, and implementing, customer facing improvement initiatives.
· PSP satisfaction is low. Although enterprises place a great deal of importance on selecting the right CRM PSP to meet their needs, a significant proportion of buyers would not recommend their PSP to others. They are wary about a perceived lack of skills and the high costs of these Services. Clearly, the CRM PSP selection decision is high risk in the minds of enterprise decision-makers.
· PSP selection is complex. Organizations have a broad range of services partners to choose from: management consulting firms, international multiservice systems integrators, regional CRM specialists, offshore/near-shore technology firms, and the professional services organizations of CRM software vendors. Offshore CRM PSPs serve a designed strategy in comparison with the other types of PSPs; for clients who are confident working within the GDM, the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an increasingly attractive choice for supporting CRM initiatives.
Many customers believe that their Indian technical services vendors can and will easily transition into providing technical and business process consulting services, and that they will provide these services at a fraction of the cost of domestic consulting services. With the exception of some technical consulting categories, consulting is a new skill set requiring domain expertise, an understanding of the client’s local culture and market, an onsite presence, and advanced training in business issues. Indian vendors typically lack these capabilities and have to make significant investments to provide them. However, in the CRM sector, these firms are building their practices rapidly, reflecting growing client confidence and acceptance.
CHALLENGE- OFFSHORE PSPS TO PROVE THEIR CRM STRATEGY CAPABILITIES
Enterprises correctly understand that their CRM PSP can make an important contribution to the success of their customer-facing improvement initiatives. For clients who are confident working within the GDM, the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an attractive choice for supporting
CRM initiatives. To take best advantage of their capabilities:
· Understand the role the PSP will play. CRM PSPs vary greatly in their ability to assume specific roles. You must define clearly the type of help you need. Do you need a customer or CRM strategy? Do you need help implementing packaged software? Do you need support in application upgrades and maintenance, or, are you looking for CRM outsourcing capabilities?
Demand references that attest to CRM strategy and business process improvement skills.
Offshore CRM PSPs are seeking to take greater responsibilities for CRM initiatives. Can the firm demonstrate that it has the ability to deliver engagements that require capabilities beyond technical skills alone? Has the firm helped clients diagnose and resolve CRM strategy questions? Does it have methodologies for defining and improving business processes? Can it provide references attesting to its ability to act in a lead program management capacity?
· Identify the unique strengths of the firm. There are important differences among offshore CRM PSPs. Do you need deep industry process knowledge? Does the firm bring a unique understanding of a specific customer-facing function that you are trying to improve? Has the firm solved the specific problems that you are facing with other similar enterprises?
· Make sure their CRM technology skills are rock solid. The most important capability required
of PSPs is competence in the technical nuances of the CRM solutions you seek to implement. Check that the firm uses recognized technology development quality control standards. Make sure the consultants assigned to your project have solid crm implementation and development Experience. Review the resumes and interview each consultant individually to ensure that they bring the skills you need. Don’t hesitate to ask for a replacement if an individual consultant is not up to the task.
· Seek a partner you can work with easily. CRM success does not depend on only technology. You need a consulting partner that can work effectively with your people. Look for consulting methodologies that build in skills transfer and emphasize strong communications structures between consultants and in-house staff. Insist on effective project management structures that make accountabilities for task completion clear.
· Require that your budget be respected. The discipline of CRM has matured to become very pragmatic. Clients and consultants now have deep experience with the costs and benefits that can be achieved in given circumstances. Insist on fixed-price contracts to ensure that the consultant bears its fair share of the risk for project delivery. Be wary of low bids that will be the basis for expanding the scope of the project at a later date. Clarify in advance how project change requests will be handled and accounted for with respect to the project budget. Insist on regular and transparent reporting of time and expenses compared to budget milestones.
· Demand value from your consulting partner. Find a CRM professional services partner that
can provide references attesting to business results it has achieved. Redefine project success metrics to include not only cost and schedule milestones but also include business outcome metrics such as faster first-call resolution, increased cross-selling, larger quantities of sales leads generated by marketing campaigns, or higher levels of measured customer satisfaction.
“When Going gets tough, tough gets going”.Enjoy your Journey
Your Partner and Companion
DC*
Sometimes it’s important to know who is your partner and companion in your crm journey, The thoughts expressed in this article are based on some findings and research done by stalwart research experts in this field and I am happy to share this with my readers .Clients are increasingly turning to technology services organizations with primary origins and Operations in Asia that deliver services on a global basis, including customer relationship management (CRM) specialty capabilities. For clients who are confident working within the global delivery model (GDM), the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an attractive choice for supporting CRM initiatives.
THE NUMBER OF CHOICES DRIVES THE NEED FOR BUYERS TO MAKE A CAREFUL SELECTION
CRM theories and technologies have moved from an era of over-hyped expectations, through
a period of exaggerated pessimism, to become a core pillar of competitive strategy for many enterprises. To succeed, companies continue to rely on PSPs to provide the necessary skills and experience to accelerate the capture of benefits from CRM investments.
· PSPs drive CRM strategy. Enterprises view their relationship with PSPs as very important and assign these firms significant roles in formulating strategies for, and implementing, customer facing improvement initiatives.
· PSP satisfaction is low. Although enterprises place a great deal of importance on selecting the right CRM PSP to meet their needs, a significant proportion of buyers would not recommend their PSP to others. They are wary about a perceived lack of skills and the high costs of these Services. Clearly, the CRM PSP selection decision is high risk in the minds of enterprise decision-makers.
· PSP selection is complex. Organizations have a broad range of services partners to choose from: management consulting firms, international multiservice systems integrators, regional CRM specialists, offshore/near-shore technology firms, and the professional services organizations of CRM software vendors. Offshore CRM PSPs serve a designed strategy in comparison with the other types of PSPs; for clients who are confident working within the GDM, the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an increasingly attractive choice for supporting CRM initiatives.
Many customers believe that their Indian technical services vendors can and will easily transition into providing technical and business process consulting services, and that they will provide these services at a fraction of the cost of domestic consulting services. With the exception of some technical consulting categories, consulting is a new skill set requiring domain expertise, an understanding of the client’s local culture and market, an onsite presence, and advanced training in business issues. Indian vendors typically lack these capabilities and have to make significant investments to provide them. However, in the CRM sector, these firms are building their practices rapidly, reflecting growing client confidence and acceptance.
CHALLENGE- OFFSHORE PSPS TO PROVE THEIR CRM STRATEGY CAPABILITIES
Enterprises correctly understand that their CRM PSP can make an important contribution to the success of their customer-facing improvement initiatives. For clients who are confident working within the GDM, the offshore/near-shore players are becoming an attractive choice for supporting
CRM initiatives. To take best advantage of their capabilities:
· Understand the role the PSP will play. CRM PSPs vary greatly in their ability to assume specific roles. You must define clearly the type of help you need. Do you need a customer or CRM strategy? Do you need help implementing packaged software? Do you need support in application upgrades and maintenance, or, are you looking for CRM outsourcing capabilities?
Demand references that attest to CRM strategy and business process improvement skills.
Offshore CRM PSPs are seeking to take greater responsibilities for CRM initiatives. Can the firm demonstrate that it has the ability to deliver engagements that require capabilities beyond technical skills alone? Has the firm helped clients diagnose and resolve CRM strategy questions? Does it have methodologies for defining and improving business processes? Can it provide references attesting to its ability to act in a lead program management capacity?
· Identify the unique strengths of the firm. There are important differences among offshore CRM PSPs. Do you need deep industry process knowledge? Does the firm bring a unique understanding of a specific customer-facing function that you are trying to improve? Has the firm solved the specific problems that you are facing with other similar enterprises?
· Make sure their CRM technology skills are rock solid. The most important capability required
of PSPs is competence in the technical nuances of the CRM solutions you seek to implement. Check that the firm uses recognized technology development quality control standards. Make sure the consultants assigned to your project have solid crm implementation and development Experience. Review the resumes and interview each consultant individually to ensure that they bring the skills you need. Don’t hesitate to ask for a replacement if an individual consultant is not up to the task.
· Seek a partner you can work with easily. CRM success does not depend on only technology. You need a consulting partner that can work effectively with your people. Look for consulting methodologies that build in skills transfer and emphasize strong communications structures between consultants and in-house staff. Insist on effective project management structures that make accountabilities for task completion clear.
· Require that your budget be respected. The discipline of CRM has matured to become very pragmatic. Clients and consultants now have deep experience with the costs and benefits that can be achieved in given circumstances. Insist on fixed-price contracts to ensure that the consultant bears its fair share of the risk for project delivery. Be wary of low bids that will be the basis for expanding the scope of the project at a later date. Clarify in advance how project change requests will be handled and accounted for with respect to the project budget. Insist on regular and transparent reporting of time and expenses compared to budget milestones.
· Demand value from your consulting partner. Find a CRM professional services partner that
can provide references attesting to business results it has achieved. Redefine project success metrics to include not only cost and schedule milestones but also include business outcome metrics such as faster first-call resolution, increased cross-selling, larger quantities of sales leads generated by marketing campaigns, or higher levels of measured customer satisfaction.
“When Going gets tough, tough gets going”.Enjoy your Journey
Your Partner and Companion
DC*
No comments:
Post a Comment