Fresh CRM research from Microsoft and CRMA Canada

WM Circle Logo

By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on August 29, 2002

Fresh CRM research from Microsoft and CRMA Canada

A new research initiative, from Microsoft and the CRM Association of Canada, is to help Canadian businesses avoid the pitfalls of implementing customer relationship management.

The results of the CRM study of Canadian retail, telecommunications and financial services organisations are to be released in November 2002.

The study, CRMA Canada Industry Report Card 2002, is to focus on the issues and processes that companies face as they adopt CRM, and identify possible solutions and challenges. Microsoft and CRMA Canada expect the study to help these early-adopter sectors improve their own CRM efforts.

"We recognise that businesses in Canada face some tough decisions when it comes to deciding how to best implement a CRM solution," said Garth Dean of Microsoft Canada. "With the upcoming release of Microsoft's CRM and business intelligence offerings, we're aware of the need to drive a CRM culture shift throughout the organisation. By this study we hope to identify key obstacles that organisations face, and help them bridge the gaps to achieve a cohesive and successful CRM solution."

Planning for success According to CRMA Canada there is a high failure rate for organisations adopting CRM solutions. This is generally attributed to 'silo' solutions of the past that met the needs of specific business units and didn't provide a consistent customer view and experience.

Such problems can be reduced with disciplined enterprise planning, executed in profitable, integrated steps. The study will help identify common pitfalls while at the same time helping to establish enterprise-view best practices, providing a framework for education to develop successful CRM capabilities.

"CRM is considered a strategic driver by the companies we talk to, and these investments are expected to increase in 2003," said Laura Pollard, president of CRMA Canada. "Our objective for this ongoing study is to develop and analyse the information, isolate workable best practices, and provide unbiased and credible knowledge-transfer to Canadian companies."

For more information: ·  Visit CRMA Canada at www.crmacanada.com ·  Visit Microsoft at www.microsoft.com