CRM implementation
Investment in IT is a long-term commitment and CRM is no exception. David Membrey reviews the findings of a recent report
Some of you might think that the selection and implementation of a new CRM system is not wildly different from any other large project in your charity.
The recent collaborative effort from CFDG, the Institute of Fundraising and ACEVO on the publication CRM Implementation1 provides further insight on this – customer relationship management (CRM) is fundamental to all of our members. Try to define where CRM sits within your organisation; your CRM data could include funders, beneficiaries, members, suppliers, volunteers, and media, to name but a few.
Once you have listed all potential stakeholders that you will need to keep track of, it will become obvious that this is a system that directly impacts every part of the organisation.
Project risks
It can be seen from the case studies in the report that the importance of the person responsible for over seeing the CRM project is a common theme.Too often such projects are regarded solely an IT task. Although this technical aspect is essential, it only accounts for a small part of the full complexity of the project.
The other major risk here is the perception that as staff are too busy doing their daily work consultants are needed. Consultants can play a very important role, but where they are used successfully they are given discrete tasks that promote staff engagement, rather than the work that users cannot be persuaded to focus on. Key team members need to be freed up to get the CRM project right.
If too much responsibility is given to consultants, when the project is over they leave with the systems knowledge, meanwhile your staff have no ‘ownership’ of the system (if you are lucky you may get a good user manual).
In other words, the project needs to be owned and led by the staff who will be most impacted by its success or failure. A working group including senior staff from across many departments would be advisable IT is very important but rarely should it lead.
Supplier relationships
Often a large amount of time and resource is devoted to selecting the right piece of software, compared with that given to deciding whether a new piece of software is needed in the first place.The business case is often pretty thin; often revolves around cumulative staff dissatisfaction with the way things are at the moment. Dissatisfaction with the current system may have more to do with poor implementation, poor systems and a lack of ownership rather than the product itself.
In many cases the relationship with the supplier has broken down to the extent that it is felt that a change is essential. On both sides, this absolutely key relationship can be downgraded once the project goes live, and left to junior staff once the final cheque has cleared. After the honeymoon is over, you will become just another existing customer whose loyalty needs to be ‘managed’; but it is up to you to ensure that they do not forget you.
Your website
There is also the problem of getting your CRM system to share information with your website. Such integration does not come easily, or cheaply, despite the likes of Amazon making it look simple. If one company is building or maintaining your website and another supplying your CRM, it is fundamental that you get them talking as soon as possible and that all three organisations have a clear statement of understanding. Managing your project with two suppliers is ten times harder than with just one!
Do you need wholesale changes?
Because a CRM system has to model all the relationships your organisation has with stakeholders, it is easy to end up with a very convoluted map of the system you need. There is strong temptation to conclude that your organisation’s needs are unique, requiring a specifically designed bespoke system. The evidence in our case studies is that it is wise to resist this temptation. Having such a system is very expensive, time consuming and is likely to lead to upgrade problems down the line.
New code is also much more likely to have bugs in it.
On the other hand the basic software that has been developed over time with customer input will be much more stable. If there is a function that you need that nobody else has ever demanded, start by asking yourself if your needs are really unique. You will undoubtedly need some bespoke reports and modular adjustments – any good system should be able to accommodate such changes easily.
When asked what is the most useful thing you can do when considering replacing your CRM system the majority of people will say ‘talk to somebody who has already done it’ (and consult this report). Implementing a new CRM system is never going to be easy but if you listen to others and share your own experiences you can help ensure the process is as painless as possible. 2
1. www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/ press_release_160211.asp
2. See also Phil Callaghan’s article ‘Joined up resources’ in Caritas, issue, 30, May 2010, page 31
Author: David Membrey
David Membrey joined CFDG in September 2003, coming from the international development charity Book Aid International where he had been deputy director.
Over his 25 years in the sector David has been extensively involved in finance, IT, project management and facilities management.
Recently he has held the role of acting chief executive at CFDG prior to the arrival of Caron Bradshaw.
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