A CRM implementation is not an easy thing to execute, which is why it’s probably best to have a person dedicated to the implementation and management of your CRM implementation process. While you can take every necessary step as a precaution, you will still need someone to manage and control the project from the outset. Fortunately, there are specific ways to determine if your CRM implementation is failing, using a few simple indicators. In addition to that, if you notice any of those indicators, you can use that information to mitigate those issues.
1. CRM User Adoption Issues
If the users of your CRM system are resisting the system, this will have an negative effect on the value, effectiveness and usefulness of the CRM. User adoption is one of the main reasons most CRM projects fail. User adoption is crucial to succeeding in your CRM implementation.
User adoption failure may result from choosing a CRM product that is not just the right fit for your business or not allocating proper resources and resources during the pre-implementation stage of the process. SugarCRM has to be one of the most versatile CRM software’s out there, but you should still research it and others to see if it’s the right one for you. One key indicator of failure due to user adoption is when the users begin reverting to their old ways. You can see this when users are still using old spreadsheets, instead of the CRM you’ve recently implemented.
2. Lack of training for management teams
Another key indicator that your CRM implementation is failing is if your management is not using the CRM to get the information they need or can’t get it. If the management teams are not finding the information they need and are still contacting subordinates for information, then the issue may be a lack of training or data capture.
Lack of CRM training unfortunately often comes coupled with lack of support, which indicates that you need to make changes to your CRM implementation process on the fly. Support issues should be handled by a person who will be in charge of the whole CRM system. Since they will be in charge of the entire system and they will know the ins and outs of it, they will be able to provide support at least to upper and middle management, if not every user of the system. The key to having this option is to ensure that proper communication channels are set in place.
3. Poor planning and unclear objectives
The key to recognizing if your CRM implementation is failing is to have measurable goals and an adequate plan in the first place. Implementing a CRM is no easy task, as it has many stages, but this also allows you to make many modifications to your strategy on the go. One of the more common mistakes people make is that they do not have a plan past the success of the final step of implementation.
If you have a plan on how your business is going to evolve, after the successful implementation, you will eliminate the stale-mate position that can occur just after the CRM system has gone live. Last but not least, you should always ensure that the centrepiece of your CRM strategy is still the Customer and that you did not wander off from the initial objectives you’ve set.
If you find yourself in need of an expert opinion on the state of your CRM implementation process, feel free to contact us here for a free-hour discovery call.