Your mini guide to understanding what CRM implementation is all about

In layman’s terms, CRM implementation can be described as a series of tasks and/or milestones, with follow up being the last of these tasks. It should also be known to all of the tasks may have different owners, with you taking the ownership for some of them, and the service provider playing their role for the rest of the tasks. Furthermore, there are things that are crucial to ensure the success of implementation and so you should be aware of them. What takes to make the implementation a success is a proven methodology. In fact, a built-to-adapt solution can also bring in success.

Tasks that have to be completed before follow up

As already mentioned, CRM implementation ends when the service provider takes the ownership and performs a follow up. However, it’s obvious that if this is the last task, there have to other milestones that must be accomplished prior to follow up. There are, and a kick-off meeting usually marks the beginning of tasks that are performed before follow up. Technically, it all starts with the release of the PO but since that’s the foundation, you can focus on the meeting. The meeting is followed by several other steps, many of which involve the preparation of important documents such as the statement of work, among others.

Tasks that have you as the owner
You’d first step in during the assessment, which is one of the key milestones for successful implementation of customer relationship management (CRM). The service provider would most likely assume the responsibility of guiding you through the process of assessment. Nevertheless, assessment is done for achieving a specific result, i.e. the requirements definition document. Interestingly, the next milestone as well would have you as the owner. However, if you so desire and the service provider is also willing then the latter may take the ownership for this task. The next task anyways has the service provider as the owner because they are the ones to prepare the statement of work. Acceptance testing is supposed to be the last milestone to put you in the position of the owner.