CRM Strategy for Business - Case Study Example

CRM Strategy for Business In the age of sophistication when it comes to handling customer and integrating company’s strategic direction with it, customer relationship management (CRM) has become an important point in achieving the right direction towards how an organization should manage its relationship with its customers. CRM is defined in various ways, but its point is actually to initiate a process of improving the company’s interaction with its customers (Pourasghar 2). Technically, it can be implemented through the use of software, internet or other relevant methodologies in the company’s hope of achieving good interaction with its customers.

Everything about this is not that far to what Verizon Communication is planning to do in its whole system for its business process. An ambitious enterprise CRM program to be implemented is what Beth Leonard, Vice President of Database Marketing for Verizon Communications is faced with. This has to be implemented in a way like two companies are interconnected around a common CRM strategy while ensuring their customer focus and new brands are enhanced. Calm about it, Leonard exactly did what is essential and even necessary.

As experienced as she is about CRM, she wants to ensure that everything should start from the basic and it includes understanding customer interaction. It was so a practical approach that the concerned teams within the organization are exposed to the actual process of implementation, though Leonard would call the entire activity as about “practice and learning”. Leonard understood that the real problems that might hinder the actual implementation process would most probably start within the organization.

Regarding this, she was just trying to test the readiness of the organization to embrace a new business process. It is without question that the organization and its team should work throughout the initial stages of a CRM implementation just as what Leonard has just started with her team. This is exactly the point where Leonard and her team are starting to move prior to achieving some remarkable changes. It is important to monitor the status quo, business plan and technology involved (Lombardo 73).

It was not clear in the case that Leonard eventually defined the benchmark for the success of her team. What she did is only monitor the status quo and the business plan, but there was no evaluation if there is going to be the right technology that will move along the way of their progress and expansion. In other words, there was no reference point in order to know the right path to take. Furthermore, she is focused on understanding customer interaction, but there is no clear plan how to understand if customers are ready to adapt probable changes in their company.

There is no mentioned about the use of customer survey and other relevant methods in order for the company to find out the level of readiness of their customers. In line with the above findings, it is important that Leonard and her team should consider defining their benchmark as a reference point of evaluating how far they may have achieved their goals. Furthermore, it is also appropriate to conduct researches or study regarding not only among the company’s employees, but the probable reactions of their customers and to know if they are ready to adapt some changes.

References Lombardo, Russ. CRM (customer relationship management) for the common man: the essential guide to designing and planning a successful CRM strategy for your business. Las Vegas, Nevada: Russ Lombardo, 2003. Pourasghar, Daniel. CRM in the Convergence of Telephony, TV and Broadband Internet Access (triple Play): Analysis and Evaluation of the Impact of Triple Play on Customer Relationships. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2009.