Attributes of a CRM Specialist

I have been looking at obtaining some new work of late. One thing that strikes me is the fact that our (UK) government is forging ahead in large bounds to implement “citizen centric” “joined up government” services. Indeed the number of project manager, business analyst and work flow specialist jobs out there for the public sector probably account for more than half of all jobs available. This is worrying.

I happen to know that they were all meant to have their Citizen Relationship Management systems in play by now, but most are only now expecting to start implementation. Almost all job adverts request similar experience for a local authority (county council) or other public enterprise. It seems highly unlikely that the Government will ever get the few really good people out there to deploy across so many installations, especially if there are so many of them. Needless to say they expect to pay relatively low rates for relatively high experience.

This leads me to explaining what a really good CRM expert ought to have in their kit bag of experience and background. Firstly a formal understanding of commerce, accounting, inventory, services and or any specific vertical such as financial or insurance industry. This means a degree in business or similar, plus the person should also have a high degree of knowledge and understanding of marketing, direct (below the line) especially, as well as indirect (above the line). Understanding the mathematics of marketing is essential, as is business strategy and multi-channel routes to market assessments. A solid grounding in data analysis and all manner of data related aspects for cleansing, structure and high level database design is also useful. Transaction processing and a rigorous exposure to business processes are vital for analysing an organisation and its components for weaknesses as well as connections. Thorough knowledge of work flow and process automation both operationally and technically is essential for driving efficiency and productivity. A good empathy for the human condition, motivation and facilitation of work parcels is critical for the adoption of new ideas and methods. Psychology is useful for not only the organisation side but also appreciating the segmentation and targeting of the market. The CRM person must be able to speak intelligently and with authority at all levels whether the board, senior / middle management or contact-centre agents. All have something to contribute and the CRM specialist is the conduit as well as “nano-technican” who will put all the small bits together into a coherent and workable form. It also helps if they can design/develop and install solutions, not just talk about them. They should be creative, pragmatic and rigorous, as well as open to new ideas. They should have good ears.

I guess the description above is not complete however one could easily calculate that it takes a life-time or more to get part of the way there, let alone all of it and more. You also have to zoom out for a “view from the moon” perspective or zoom right back in to look at “intercellular” activity to appreciate the totality of the organism which CRM tries to create. Not everyone can do this and remain objective. Some call this the holistic approach, however looking back at job specs I have been reading, it is apparent that neither the advertisers, nor the agencies, truly appreciate what they really need to take on the mammoth task of being client centric. At least they move the posts a little in the right direction.

Which brings me back to rates: A serious top class CRM Consultant, with the necessary 15-30 years experience to do the job justice, probably has as much knowledge as any aged professional. (self justification!). Therefore they should be paid a premium to ensure a cost effective and successful installation. People like this rarely stay for the long term after passing on their knowledge except for reviews and audits. In the UK the public sector offers from £300 to £450 per day (inclusive) for such people. I am not sure who actually gets these jobs, but a decent 5 year experienced JAVA programmer gets as much. The guy who services my old Porsche charges £50 per hour and a main dealer nearly £70. There seems to be some disparity making me consider if I ought to be either a plumber or house calling washing machine technician. Too late now but the market is a little wonky at present. The private sector downgraded CRM to being nothing more complex than installing accounting software or a simple database of names and addresses. This is an ill-informed attitude suffering from the lack of understanding proper CRM approach has on the whole organisation including its customers. My view is that over time, quality CRM installations that have achieved great change and great success will root out the reasons for all the failures to see clearly and concisely. Less than two years ago the latest Gartner and expert reviews indicated less than 40% of CRM installations achieved a break even and very few an adequate ROI. Either the calculation excluded potential advantages or as I suspect, most failed to deliver the promises someone sold or someone dreamed. CRM takes diligence and discipline, as well as commitment from all concerned.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know is about to do CRM suggest to them that it is wise to get at least one authority to assist in the process to avoid ghastly and costly mistakes. The upshot of which could be failure of the business or a loss of market share and reputation. It makes a decent day rate for the right person a real bargain.

Predictive Diallers & Scam Callers

After reading Ian Dewar's (GrumpyDM - see link on side bar) latest tirade about predictive diallers, I must confess to having exactly the same response. I have been barraged by callers with 2-4 second delays after the phone is placed to my ear this past month or two. Usually the caller comes from India, probably exacerbating the time delay having to go through a convoluted switching mechanism. This entry is not to discuss the technology, nor the practice, but to state categorically that it doesn't have to be the way Ian describes or the way I have experienced PD calls myself.

What I can attest to, having designed and implemented a pretty sophisticated soft-dialler including the algorithms for predictive dialling and intelligent routing, is that as long as you are dealing directly with the switch that actually holds the line to which you are to be connected, then switching to an available agent should be within a half to one second at most. The software should be set up to be efficient and fast taking no more tan a CPU cycle or two to decide if someone can take the call or take evasive action. That action could be to hang up (possibly rude) or pass the call to an IVR script stating the nature and source of the call and asking the called party to wait a few seconds more until an agent is free, or offer other options, including a call back function with preferred date and time. It's all about having manners and being confident that the called party (the client) is treated with respect and dignity.

Another complaint I wish to make is the barrage of calls I get from USA based operators trying to tell me I have won a cruise or other prize via pre-recorded voice (generic outbound IVR!). I think that these types of cold direct marketing ought to be illegal (IMHO). Worst of all are the scams that are preceded by direct mail enticing you to dial a premium rate number at say £1.50 per minute to listen to your prize which might be £20,000, but invariably ends up being some derisory little watch made in a third world factory with recycled rubbish bags. This is one use of call centre technology and CRM practices that borders on the indecent. It would be interesting if Ian could comment on the industry watchdog view of this type of operator. Already BT seem to do the right thing and automatically BAR such numbers from being used by the poor unsuspecting receiver of such rubbish. Well done BT!

The FeedBurner Button on the side bar

To the right of these words you will see a little orange button marked XML. This is a link to an RSS feed. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for syndicating news. It allows you to receive automatic updates about my blog and any other news you would like to be kept up-to-date with, without having to regularly revisit a web site. The BBC provides an RSS service, as do many other news organisations.

To view an RSS feeds on your computer, you will first need to acquire an RSS Reader – they’re usually free. Click on the FeedBurner button and find out all about them.

Then to add my blog to your newsfeed, copy and paste

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A practical guide to organisational design and technology infrastructure for CRM/CIM - Strategic Thinking

3 Strategic Thinking

CRM is primarily a strategic and tactical approach for managing events between an organisation and its clients.

Just like a military activity, CRM expects the organisation to structure and organise its activities through campaigns (strategies) and media (tactics) via jobs (tasks) and techniques (processes). Whether directing contact with clients (outbound targeting) or receiving requests from clients (inbound requests), CRM activities should contain functional processes to automate and facilitate the entire contact event.

To assess the effectiveness of various decisions regarding approach, methods and timing for any business activity, the CRM solution should maintain various functional (operational) histories. These include contact history, whether by telephone, mail, facsimile, email or personal appointment, as well as response history for buying patterns of recency, frequency and value. Analysis reports should be provided and as with the entire system, the user must have the choice to modify or create their own reports.

A major problem with most software solutions is that they rarely provide anything more than bland single or two dimensional sets of facts. If one is lucky, they may even provide this information over a pre-structured time interval for period reporting. You look for the opportunity to analyse by time many multi-dimensional relationships. This type of facility is more commonly known as data analysis. It is a powerful means of statistically analysing the relationships behind results. For example, one may want to know the common denominators behind clients who have purchased goods of a value greater than a certain amount. This may give insights into the nature of your most valuable clients. You can then appeal to clones of these clients from amongst your prospects, via the most appropriate medium, at a more efficient acquisition cost, for a better or more consistent return on investment. This is the heart of strategic CRM.

Ultimately any organisation seeks to provide satisfaction to their clients. Whether this is in the form of goods or services, from distribution to consulting. The delivery mechanisms, the processes, the people and information procedures should all be organised into disciplined capabilities for facilitation and completion of client requests.

Management requires knowledge about whether or not the organisation is meeting their client satisfaction targets. For example:

Are we turning around loan application requests on time?

Are we meeting sales forecast targets?

Are we generating enough leads?

Are we getting the best response?

Are we achieving expected levels of service?

Are we taking too long to process claims?

Do we provide the facilities that our clients want?

Is John Smiths productivity above average?

Are we operating this job at the best time of day?

Good CRM software provides management with performance statistics in the areas where duration, productivity, activities, returns on effort and processes are measured. This enables proper value assessments to be undertaken, whether about an individual, a client, a strategy, a tactic, a technique, a location, a group, a product or service, or indeed many other relevant views of performance.

In its full, CRM may be used for the following purposes within an organisation:

Lead generation

Appointments

Seminars and Presentations

Field sales management and reporting

Marketing development and analysis

Computer Aided Telephone Interviews

Process Automation (automating work procedures)

Quotations and Responses

Surveys

Client Service Centres

Publishing Subscriptions and Order Processing

4. Possibilities

Depending upon how you currently run your business or organisation, different things will be of importance to you. So, to guide you through the possibilities of CRM let us look at the basic business uses so that you may appreciate the possibilities.

The most important thing to realise is that for CRM to be of great benefit, the quality, consistency and content of the information stored must not be compromised. A well-maintained database of information will be of tremendous benefit when applied to the business in appropriate ways.

This guide will not teach you how to become marketers, managers or researchers. It assumes that you already have an understanding of the necessary principles and your needs are about facilitating these areas more effectively and consistently. You will learn about the supporting techniques, issues and methodologies for each of the possible CRM modules in this guide.

Due to the number of ways in which CRM can be applied, this guide will only cover the specifics of each possible module and how to go about taking advantage of the features. The procedures and staffing requirements may vary, depending upon how the application is to be used.

5. Change Management

The basic business functions that CRM supports are:

Strategic planning and tactical approaches

Implementation of procedures

Decision rules and processes

Reporting and feedback

Integration of data and creation of knowledge

Because CRM should be developed with a marketing bias, it is assumed that marketing is driving the conceptual approach and strategy of the organisation. Strategy, including the underlying tactics, could be developed by the sole proprietor, the board of directors, middle management or other persons.

CRM simply requires that the organisation structures its strategies as a series of campaigns using various tactical media with activities for specific jobs (tasks). These may be in the form of one-off efforts, or be a consequence of normal daily routines. Because organisations experience change and are constantly adjusting and moving with the environment, CRM expects that campaigns, media and jobs will reflect the strategic decisions of the organisation. As such comparisons between various efforts (ideas) can be made. This enables strategy to be accountable, not just outright performance.

All campaigns and media must have a finite life cycle. This will represent the dynamic quality of change in the organisation.

To take the full potential of the knowledge making capability of CRM, the organisation should use CRM as a conduit wherever client contact, or requests are being performed. This will enable the acquisition of productivity statistics, data relating to relationships, performance and other important marketing details. For example, it may be essential to keep a track of all client contact, whether by telephone, facsimile, email, or web. It may also be essential to keep a track of all responses, whether orders, surveys, etc.

Whatever the need, you will have to assess the various transactions that your organisation processes and determine what information and or details that CRM should keep successful control and effectiveness. You should be selective and accurate. Decide what information is necessary and which is not. Work out the most efficient ways to handle the required work and develop procedures to accomplish the tasks.

Another key element to the success of CRM is management commitment. Management must understand the potential change and discipline that will be wrought upon the organisation. CRM makes strategies and tactics accountable and therefore can make change politically and socially difficult. Management must lead the change and adopt a positive and active involvement with strategy development.

6. Business Process Re-engineering

A term that has become synonymous with the change that CRM will inevitably cause, is Business Process Re-engineering. Although CRM software is not a tool for re-designing an organisation's processes, it should be structured in such a way that it can be used to implement the changes as the foundation for new processes. This can be called Business Process Automation. This is usually undertaken to improve quality of service, reduce the cost of processing, or increase the efficiency of processing of specific tasks. CRM software should contain core capabilities for the implementation of contact strategies for sales and marketing. Other capabilities or additional modules for specific functions should be assed with the whole business requirement, to ensure a synergy for client satisfaction and efficiency.

CRM can be viewed as a means of policy automation. Automating the organisation's procedures invariably means development of logic flows and integration of external procedures. CRM invariably requires expert systems knowledge. This is also known as domain expertise and is vital when analysing and reshaping business processes. It will allow you to develop multiple choice and complex decision criteria with the ability to process non-CRM and CRM requests.

7. Knowledge Based

The fuel to decision making is knowledge.

Knowledge has to be at the right place, at the right time, in the right format, for the right person for the right reason. A good CRM solution should give you the facilities to alter the procedures and strategies, as well as to change the environment, so those positive reactions to the market can be made swiftly, assuredly and automatically.

CRM solutions should contain powerful statistical reporting facilities that enable the user to define clearly the relationships that need to be monitored and reported. These include multi-dimensional tabulations and correlation's, as well as conditional logic profiling and segmentation. The outputs from these tools, whether during transactions, or used separately, can give management very detailed knowledge that otherwise would require the services of an experienced research consultant.

A practical guide to organisational design and technology infrastructure for CRM/CIM - Purpose

A CRM/CIM solution should be a set of functional modules specifically designed for facilitating, controlling, monitoring and measuring strategic and tactical business processes for marketing, sales and contact management. There are many other supporting and back office functions which can be undertaken via the various channels available and this document is meant as a general guideline, regardless of any functional requirement.

To cover this large, diverse and complex series of requirements adequately, CRM solutions should be designed to address the relationship between the organisation and recipient of the organisations' activities and the routes to market chosen by the organisation.

The components of a comprehensive toolset for CRM are:

Database Management

For setting up and maintaining the base system. Including de-duplication, cleansing (washing), loading (importing) and formatting (addresses). Mail merge, document development, appointment handling and other related functions.

Database Analysis

For analysing relationships between data elements within the database and other sources, including response transactions, contact transactions and alternative files. Tabulations, Profiling, Segmentation and graphical output should be provided.

Call / Contact Centre Control

Full call management and scheduling facilities with powerful multiple choice and flexible logic scripting, as well as maximum integration capabilities between the user and the various systems required during a call. Comprehensive statistics by Job, Operator and Script for flexible reporting capabilities. Inbound or Outbound with transfer capabilities. Also links to CTI or many telephony systems (switches & PABX's). Preferably including strong dialling functions and call routing capability, as well as transparent automation of processes. The latter may include call backs, letters, emails, faxes, orders and much more. It should also be easy and low level enough that non-technically qualified staff can do most set up and configuration without the need of a large IT staff.

Lead Management & Tracking

Lead management, field sales force management together with quotations, forecasting and pipe-line analysis, are some of the capabilities that should be provided and requirements will vary from company to company.

Process Automation (Work Flow Management)

Similar to contact centre scripts and processes, but for the automation of specific office procedures and follow up work made of several separate or dependent stages and completed work. Improved control and consistency of quality of work can be completed wherever and by whoever is appropriate, when implementing an organisation wide work flow solution.

Campaign Management / Fulfilment

For strategic and tactical development of direct marketing and client relationship building campaigns. Response entry (generic capabilities only) with full campaign, media and product analysis maintained on a daily basis. Recency, frequency and value history kept, by contact, as well as on-line lifetime value analysis with campaign, media and method included. This should be fully integrated with order functions, payments, service, as well as contact management.