Top 5 CRM Investments for 2014

A lire sur: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/top-5-crm-investments-for-2014-58612

Customer relationship management (CRM) has at times seemed a concept without real form or substance, but today, cloud computing and Software as a Service have made CRM both attainable and essential. So, the question now is not whether a business invests in CRM, but how it invests in CRM. The answer to that question will determine just how successful the business can be.

Going Mobile

Not surprisingly, Gartner predicts that CRM will be the top spending focus for enterprises in 2014, and mobile CRM is at the head of the list as more and more customers and salespeople make the move to mobile computing. With sales of mobile devices outpacing computer sales, there is no question that mobile CRM should be a critical focus of businesses’ CRM spending plans.

Sales forces will need the ability to access CRM data on their mobile devices. Mobile platforms such as SalesForce.com offer the ability to generate leads and opportunities as well as manage those leads, drive conversions, and shorten sales cycles.

Getting Social 

These days it’s difficult to consider mobile data without considering social data as well. Social media is a way of life, and if a company isn’t capturing social data and targeting customers where they live on the social networks, it’s missing opportunities to provide contextual services and targeted promotions that lead to higher sales and better customer relationships.

At minimum, businesses should budget for a social presence—without it, a business doesn’t exist. But a more comprehensive plan is to for businesses to create their own presence while interacting with their customers in their own social worlds.

Automate or Be Buried Alive

The sheer volume of data generated by mobile and social applications could quickly overwhelm an existing CRM system. Automating processes is one way to combat this potential hazard. Companies must be able to store more data and analyze that data more efficiently.

To collect and analyze the volume of data its customers generate, companies should automate the tedious business processes. Then, collaboration that leads to bettercustomer relationships can take precedence over the labor of understanding the customer well enough to have a relationship.

Don't Build Islands

The pitfall of having a CRM system that allows for mobile and social data and automates the tedium of assessing that data is that the information generated could end up as islands that are never actually integrated into the overall corporate structure. Companies must invest in the tools necessary to avoid data silos.

Tools for integrating CRM into everyday workflows are essential. Pockets of data that aren’t working for the business are simply wasted resources. Instead, businesses should implement a system that integrates that data into existing systems in such a manner that the complete customer image appears where sales and marketing users can best take advantage of the information.

Secure It All

The volume of data gathered about customers increases daily, and generally, the vendors that provide those facets of a CRM solution have taken great pains to ensure that the data are secure. But organizations should not rely entirely on their service providers. As we move deeper into the mobile world, it’s not a question ofwhether a company’s devices will be lost or stolen but when.

When the worst scenario does occur, will customer information be compromised? Companies must ensure that proper security is in place to protect not only their customers but also the business, because a data breach—no matter what the cause—is more costly than the investment necessary to properly secure devices and data.

Tying It All Together

For 2014, there are no surprises as to where CRM budgets should be focused. Mobile and social CRM are now essential elements in any CRM solution. Therefore, collecting, storing, disseminating, and integrating this valuable customer information—not to mention keeping it secure—is paramount.