Why Work With an Independent CRM Consultant

8/3/2019 Why Work With an Independent CRM Consultant

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Why Work with an Independent CRM Consultant?

2007-2010 Mareeba www.mareeba.co.uk | 1

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Why Work with an IndependentCRM Consultant?

Mareeba LtdSt Marys Court,

The Broadway, Amersham

Bucks HP7 0UT

Phone: 01494 582062Fax: 01494 582020

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IntroductionI youve ever worked or a sotware company, or know someone who has,

then youll be well aware how much pressure sotware vendors are un-

der to hit their sales targets. As the end o each nancial quarter looms

the stress o making the numbers increases. Those that succeed are well

rewardedcompanies through higher market valuations and prots, and

individuals through commissions, bonuses and stock options. For those

that ail, markets and employers are unorgiving.

Against this background, its perhaps no surprise that the sotware worldis rie with hype, hal-truths, and pushy salespeople desperate to close the

deal. These commercial realities go part way to explain why many organi-

zations have struggled to realize signicant value rom their investments

in CRM technology. The Gartner Group amously noted that 65% o CRM

implementations ailed to meet expectations, and this gloomy assessment

is supported by a rat o other analyst reports. However the good news is

that we know rom experience that those who get it right can use CRM

technology to very signicantly increase perormance and protability.

While CRM projects ail or a variety o reasons, the gap between the ven-dors goal o selling sotware and the users objective o generating value

rom their technology investment can oten be an unbridgeable chasm. The

CRM consultant, perhaps more traditionally associated with sotware se-

lection, is increasingly taking on a much broader role rom project concep-

tion to delivery, to bridge the gap between raw CRM technology and prot

creation or the client. This paper sets out how CRM consultants are help-

ing organisations deliver considerably more rom their CRM systems.


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2007-2010 Mareeba www.mareeba.co.uk |

Unlocking the potentialThe CRM consultant can play a key role in defning the initial compelling vi-

sion which sets out how CRM technology can signifcantly improve business

perormance.

Identiying how CRM can benet an organization is not always as obvious

as it might seem. From our own experience, weve ound many o the key

prot generating aspects o the projects we work on werent necessarily

envisaged beore we became involved. The CRM consultant can play a key

role in unlocking the potential o a project. By drawing on their experience

and analysis skills the consultant can identiy the achievable ways in which

CRM technology can generate the greatest returns or each client. This

articulation o the vision can in turn help secure the backing and resources

that are generally essential or project success.

Building the oundations or success

Involving a CRM consultant in the early stages is a very cost eective way oensuring everyone goes into the project with a ull understanding o whats

involved and that the project is resourced or success.

Great CRM projects dont just happen, they require good planning to limit

the risks and maximize the returns. While it may be tempting to rush into

purchasing a system, this can result in having to live with the wrong tech-

nology (or vendor), or ailing to implement the system in a way that yields

positive business benet. Eective planning doesnt have to be time con-

suming, and experienced consultants can quickly help clients ormulatea solid business case, identiy key unctional requirements, suitable tech-

nologies, reliable vendors, and perhaps most importantly help with project

budgeting. A lot o organizations over-pay or systems, while many others

under-budget and ail to achieve their goals through lack o resources.


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Making the right choice or youWith choice comes both opportunity and risk, nothing will destroy a project

quicker than picking the wrong technology or implementation partner. The

CRM consultant will continue to play a vital role in helping companies work

with the best CRM technologies and partners.

Theres never been a wider range o CRM sotware available. Enterprise

vendors have extended their oerings to small and mid-sized companies,

the array o sotware as a service (SAAS) providers ever increases, Micro-sot continues to make its CRM presence elt, and open source vendors

are having a growing impact. This complexity o choice is amplied by the

act that many sotware packages are sold through a network o resellers

and implementation companies, some o whom are top-fight, but many o

which are mediocre, and a signicant ew are downright incompetent.

The key is to make a selection thats right or you. What works or one or-

ganization may not work or another, even though they might be outwardly

similar businesses. An implementation partner who might work perectly

with one type o project, may struggle with a dierent approach. The cor-nerstone to eective vendor selection is to dene and document detailed

requirements beore entering the selection process. This enables you to

identiy which product best meets your needs, provides a basis to compare

pricing rom competing vendors, and signicantly speeds up the down-

stream implementation.

The requirements gathering process can be dicult simply because unless

you are well versed in the nuances o CRM technology, it can be challeng-

ing to identiy whats likely to be important to you when you ultimately be-

come a user o the systemyou dont, ater all, know what you dont know.A consultant can use their experience to short-cut a potentially highly time-

consuming activity and quickly deliver a set o requirements that will orm

the basis or eective vendor selection.

The vendor selection stage is traditionally where CRM consultants are o-

ten most visibly involved in a project (though we hope this paper claries

how CRM consultants generate client protability through a much broader

range o activities). While the ultimate purchase decision will always be the

clients, the CRM consultant can ensure that they are selecting rom the


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most appropriate technologies and vendors or their needs and budgetary

aspirations. The consultant can oten make considerable savings at this

stage by ensuring the client isnt paying or unnecessary bells and whistles,

on the basis theres little point in purchasing a top o the range system i the

requirement is amply met by a more cost eective application.

Negotiating the right price

The CRM consultant can generally create very signifcant cost savings or their

clients through their involvement in the negotiation o pricing and terms.

While many o our clients are skilled negotiators, the CRM consultant can

generally help them negotiate more eectively through our knowledge o

vendor margins and historical precedent. Where an experienced consultant

can add signicant value is their ability to review implementation estimates

and identiy where savings can be made in the number o man days to

deliver a project. It is not uncommon or us to reduce the overall cost o

a project by over 30%, allowing our clients to achieve considerably more

with their budgets. A consultant can also assess vendor contractual terms

and identiy potential pit-alls which can result in substantial savings over

the lie o the business relationship.

Navigating the perils o CRM implementation

Well conceived projects can still ounder during the implementation process.

The CRM consultant can perorm a critical unction in ensuring that the sys-

tem delivers the anticipated benefts.

The CRM implementation process can be a rich source o pit-alls that can

de-rail a project. Areas such as process and system design, data imports

and integration, user acceptance testing, and user adoption can be de-

manding in the hands o a skilled practitioner and particularly perilous or

those undertaking a project or the rst time. Users on the other hand can

be particularly unorgiving, and i a project ails to deliver what they were

expecting, when they were expecting it, it can prove extremely taxing to

gain their support.


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The CRM consultant can ensure the delivery o the CRM vision, by either

acting as an advisor to the client project team (many o whom may not

have worked with CRM technology previously), or by perorming the proj-

ect management unction. This involvement can signicantly reduce the

burden on the project team and considerably reduces the risk o project

slippage or budget overruns.

Reviving existing systems

The CRM consultant can play a key role in achieving greater value rom exist-ing systems. For those contemplating replacing a system, the consultant can

play an important role in independently assessing the continued viability o

the existing technology.

While outright project ailures are a rarer phenomenon these days, a lot o

CRM deployments ail to generate the anticipated returns on investment.

For most organizations the instinct is to purchase new technology, how-

ever many systems can be revived without the cost o buying new CRM

sotware. A consultant can give an independent assessment as to whethera system is salvageable, and i so, can quickly identiy how the technology

can produce higher operational value. The consultant can also diagnose

why a project has ailed and can help the client avoid the costly repetition

o past errors. There is oten considerable hidden value, even within suc-

cessul systems, and a consultant can generally nd ways to signicantly

increase the returns rom any existing CRM investment.


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Increase systempay-backEnsure long-term systemviabilityReduce costsof systemenhancementEnsure projectedbenefits aredelivered

Ensure theanticipatedbenefits aredeliveredReduce burdenon project teamKeep projecton time and onbudgetManage projectriskEnsure quickuser adoption

Select optimumtechnologiesandimplementationpartners forneedsReduce costof systempurchaseAvoidcontractual pit-fallsReduce project

team work-load

Assesstechnologiesagainst needs toestablish best fitFacilitatedetailed pricecomparisons toestablish bestvalueReducedownstreamimplementationcosts

Reduce projectscope creep

Assess processviability beforecommitmentMaximizeproject pay-backpotentialSave timeresearchingmarket placeEnsure projectoptimallyresourced toreach objectives

KeyClientBenefits

RequirementsdefinitionBusinessprocessdevelopmentNegociation ofpricingProjectcoordination/managementChangemanagement

System designUseracceptancetestingDevelopinguser adoptionstrategyProjectmanagementReport designUsagedocumentationUsage review

Identify best fittechnologiesand partnersCreate RFPdocumentationAssessresponsesCoordinate andassess vendorpresentationsUndertake duediligenceNegociatepricing andterms

Documentdetailedbusiness andfunctionalrequirementsDefine, review,and revisebusinessprocesses

SituationalAnalysisCreate BusinessCaseEstimateBudgetsIdentify InternalResourcerequirementsIdentify KeyImplementationConsiderationsIdentify PotentialTechnologiesand Vendors

KeyConsultantActivities

ProjectStage

PlanningRequirements

Definition

Ongoing System

DevelopmentVendor Selection Implementation

The Role of the CRM Consultant in System Implementation


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In SummaryThe CRM consultant can add signicant value through the whole chain o

a CRM deployment rom initial analysis through to delivery o a live prot

enhancing system and its onward development. While it might be assumed

that selecting the right vendor is all thats required to be successul, the

vendors are generally ocused and resourced to sell sotware not deliver

client value. The independent CRM consultant, with no sotware to sell, is

becoming an increasingly important catalyst in delivering CRM technolo-

gys long overdue potential.

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Why Work With an Independent CRM Consultant

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