When people talk about CRM in everyday life, they usually mean CRM systems. That is, the software services that support the salespeople with their sales work and manage customer data in a more efficient way. It can e.g. be systems such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Hubspot or Upsales.
When we talk about digitization, we're not just talking about the transition from analog to automatic processes - but about the entire digital development. Digitization is about using new, digital technology, systems and solutions to make businesses more modern, efficient and flexible.
It is about starting to use the technology to streamline internal tasks and to better understand the customer's needs and behavior, as well as prioritizing data (data collection, data quality, and data availability) in the organization. It is and must be part of a larger strategy: the digitization strategy.
In a change work that takes the organization from the current situation to a future where you act on data and base your decisions on facts, technology is only a piece of the puzzle. However, people and processes are the force behind the change. Technology is only as good as the processes implemented around it, and processes are only as good as the people who execute them!
Therefore, technology will never be the solution to any problems in itself.
It should be easy. A system that automates certain tasks, helps save important customer data and gathers all interactions with customers and potential customers under one roof. In addition, it has become much easier to work in systems recently. Most vendors offer a variety of functionalities that create advanced automations with just a few clicks - without a single line of code. But:
Why should you take external help in a CRM project?
Choosing the right CRM system
From choosing which CRM platform best suits your needs, to supporting employees both during and after implementation, there are many aspects that can lead to failure if not handled correctly.
CRM systems are usually very similar when compared in general. It's not until you start diving into the details that the systems start to differ. This work, in turn, is important for managing expectations and can be used as an educational opportunity in the possibilities and limitations of the various platforms. It is just as important to buy into a solution's possibilities as its limitations, and it is not always easy to know the limitations as suppliers like to leave these out of the picture in their demos.
An independent consultant can help you understand which functions are important for your particular business, help the team discover the differences between the platforms and prioritize the right thing instead of falling into the shiny-object trap.
Time & Resource
“Practice makes perfect”
The CRM industry is a very dynamic area where new trends, technology and solutions appear every day. Consultants specialize in this area, work with different industries, create an understanding of pitfalls and how to avoid them. This gives them the opportunity to carry out implementations both time and cost effectively.
Your internal resources can also carry out the work, but alongside all their other tasks, the implementation is slowed down. This, in turn, increases the risk of parallel databases that make the migration more difficult and less smooth. Unfortunately, these costs are rarely included in the project and come as negative surprises afterwards.
Best practices
One of the main reasons to hire CRM consultants is their vast knowledge of a variety of CRM best practices. When you hire an external consulting team, you're not just engaging people who are technically certified in your chosen CRM system. But you hire a team of professional experts who have encountered a variety of business situations with years of expertise and know which strategies and technical methods work best and which don't. Not knowing the exact challenges you have had before gives the consultants the advantage of thinking "outside-the-box" and comes up with suggestions for solutions that you might not have thought of yourself.
Man before technology
"It's business processes that should drive technology, not the technology that defines the business processes!"
It is important to define the business processes independently of the technology and systems in which the business processes will be implemented.
Bringing along all the stakeholders who are affected by the system choice right from the first step, collecting their requirements and getting buy-in from them throughout the entire process will be a success factor before the implementation.
An independent partner who does not come from a specific department with a cross-functional approach makes requirements gathering more efficient. Consultants are experts at this. They do not end up in the company's hierarchical structure, can interview different stakeholders, collect requirements and produce information that would otherwise not have come to light.
Pre-developed solutions for advanced functionalities
When you hire an experienced CRM consultant, it may be possible that they have encountered some similar business problems to your company's during their previous consulting engagements. Therefore, the consultant can then recommend the best proven methods to solve these business problems within a CRM solution.
It can be anything from previous experience with data migration from the old to the new CRM system, to advanced functions that have been developed for similar challenges.
CRM projects require a full commitment to follow best practices. When you implement the solution without going through business process modeling, change management, testing and other critical tasks, you reduce your chances of achieving widespread user adoption or even having a well-functioning system.
Consultants have several projects within the framework. They understand the importance of providing appropriate user training and following a proven strategy to ensure your instance supports your goals.