Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Automation Process

The paper describes an automated approach for a system that can be utilized to better serve consumers in a business.The article examines the application of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the automobile manufacturing industry. CRM systems will integrate business activities involving sales, marketing, and customer support, as well as associated delivery channels within the organization. It will help in obtaining clients and understanding their needs in order to better service them, as well as providing an opportunity to attract new customers. CRM will give the company an opportunity to use IT to track the ways through which the company communicates with its customers and evaluates such interactions to increase the level of satisfaction the company gives to its customers. Understanding the concept of the system in the organization will require an application of System Development life Cycle (SDLC) when incorporating it in the organization. SDLC is a traditional technology needed for development, maintenances and replacement of information systems. It entails planning, analysis, design, and implementation stages (Hoffer et al.).

Need for the System

In the modern markets, new organizations have come out to weaken the existing bigger ones since they have adapted new ways of doing businesses. Such changes exist due to continuous changes and evolution in technology. Most of the companies adapt marketing methods through which they can keep their customers and attract new ones. Therefore, to remain relevant in the car market, the organization needs a technology that would increase the customer base, hence high profitability. The organization needs to come up with strategies that are customer-centered to increase the number of cars sold annually. That is why it needs to adopt a system that will maintain quality communication between the customer acre department and the customers. The application of CRM system can serve the purpose. The organization needs a system that would encourage building of a relationship and management. Furthermore, the company will require a system that promotes understanding of the customers’ needs and allow offering of value-added services with consideration of the needs of customers above all aspects of the business. Through adaptation of the CRM system, the company will manufacture cars as required by the customer thus avid wastage of resources in making products that would fetch low sales in the market. Furthermore, the organization will be able to gain greater control of the behavior of its customers.

System Development Life Cycle

Planning

The performance of the company has enabled it to expand and its operation over the five years has stretched. The number of customers being served has increased drastically which has posed some challenges in the organization in relation to managing them. It is approximated that the number of customers the company is serving is around five thousand. The challenges faced by the company as a result of the increasing numbers of customer requires the company to identify a new technology which can assist in understanding the requirement of the customers, attracting new customers. The technology identifies which can address the above challenges the company is facing is CRM.

However, introduction of the CRM technology in the company will require several phases including forming the planning team, establishing management procedure, identifying activities involved in the implementation, and estimate the resources required in implementing the technology (Shelly et al. 23). Furthermore, planning will also entail developing the communication plan, determining the standers and identifying the risk the introduced technology would bring to the company.

The introduction of CRM in the company has several advantages than disadvantage thus the risk which it would bring to the company is minimal. Some of the known benefits of implementing CRM in the company include enabling the company to maximize its revenues in a cost-effective way through several applications to a combined database including marketing strategy decisions, sales forecasting, and identification of customers. The team responsible for the implementation must be composed of qualified professional in the IT department. Who will be responsible in identifying the activities associated with CRM and the time that it would take for its implementation. Furthermore, it would also estimate the amount needed to fully implement CRM technology in the company. The team will also be responsible for the analysis of the technology and ensure that it does not put the company at risk. During the analysis, the team would consider the critical business goals and how the introduced technology will improve the operation of the company and its organizational structure. The selected team will also be responsible for defining the requirements of CRM technology and foresee its impact at the organizational level.

Analysis

The stage involves examination of the requirements and the structure of the system (Shelly et al. 23). To come up with the best requirement and structure for CRM system for the Car Manufacturing Industry, there will be the need to engage other parties in the organization. Under this phase, there will be interviewing of managers, workers, and customers. Questions will be prepared to fit each category, both open-ended and close-ended types of questions will be used. The participation of all stakeholders will promote development of a model that fits the need of the customer. Furthermore, the organization will observe the strategies used by other organizations that have adapted the same system to know its effectiveness. Furthermore, one of the ways of coming up with the best structure will be through consultation of IT department. Also, there will be the need to consult the high performers to know their views concerning the incorporation of the system in the organization. Another way is through reviewing the performance opportunities within organization and identifies the key processes that contributed to the winning. Seeking advice from a consulting firm will also be significant. Consulting firms have adequate experience in defining CRM structure and its solutions. They are exposed to what works and fails in the business environment.

Design

The phase entails the logical and physical specifications needed for the system. There are various functional features vital for the success of the CRM system. One feature is flexible security and access permission, which will keep the system secure and grant only those who are permitted access to using the required information. Another feature is the tracking and product support feature, which will assist in the collection of information concerning business partners and product support. There is also the hardware monitoring feature, which will assist in checking the status and availability of network systems. Furthermore, it will have functionality for billing and invoicing to allow the organization to track the billing and invoicing status of every customer. Lastly, there will be the feature that allows for incorporation with external applications. It will be vital when it is aimed at collecting and maintaining accurate information of the customer.

Implementation

The implementation of CRM in the company will entail six major steps including coding, testing, installation, documentation, training, and support. Coding entails turning the physical design requirement into a working computer code. This will entail understanding the requirement of the customers and designing them in the computer so that customers can efficiently use the system to their satisfaction (Hoffer et al.). By coding the physical requirement into the computer, the company will reduce cost, save time in serving each customer, and improve efficiency which would result in the growth of the company and attract more customers. Testing is an important stage when implementing new technology in the company. To determine the capability of CRM in the company, the company would use the interview method. Customers would be asked if they are satisfied by the services provided by using CRM. Most of the factors the interview will consider included, time, easy to use, time, and accuracy. During the testing stage, the negative responses from the customers can be addressed to satisfy the needs of the customers. After testing the CRM technology and ensuring that it is working efficiently, the team moves to the installation stage. At this stage, the recommended new technology replaces the old technology which the company was relying on. After installing the system, the company will employ qualified staff with experience to manage the system and to ensure satisfaction of the customers. Furthermore, customers will also be trained on how to use CRM technology and ensure that they understand its full operation. In addition, the company will also ensure that there is online help in place to assist the user.

Maintenance

The stage entails logical repairing and improvement of the system (Hoffer et al.). Upon implementation, effective maintenance of the system is vital to ensure returns of the required benefits and minimization of interference. The individuals handling the system should be aware of problems related to adequacy, usability, and functionality and ways of interaction with the organizational and business processes. The system needs to be maintained so as to fix and limit malfunctions, to allow optimization of special functions, and to improve the general process of the system. The CRM system may also have its progress monitored to view the level to which the goals of the organization are served by the system. The strategy of use should focus on technology, stakeholders, and aspects of change of management.

Flow Diagram

Planning team, Management Procedure

CRM SYSTEM ANALYSIS

CRM SYSTEM PLANNING

Implementation Activities, Resources

Interference Minimization,

Limited Malfunctions

Progress Monitoring Interviews,

Observation,

CRM SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

Consultation

Coding, Testing, Installation,

Documentation, training and Support

CRM SYSTEM DESIGN

CRM SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

Security& Permission, Tracking &

Product Support, Hardware Monitoring

CRM Data Input Form

Company Name:

Project Number:

Project Team

Project Representative:

Customer Organization:

Customer Representative:

Customer Team:

Roll out Date:

Start the Project Date:

Item

Procedure

Units

Conclusion

Adoption of an information system that fits the needs of the organization is vital for the performance of the company. CRM system has proved significant for the fulfillment of the needs of the Car Manufacturing Company of quality customer service. SDLC application has proved important in the planning and implementation of the CRM system. Adoption of the phases in the system such as planning, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance has made the completion of the project successful.

Works Cited

Hoffer Jerphrey A., Valacich, Joseph S., and Joey George. Modern systems analysis and design. Pearson, 2016.

Shelly, Gary B, and Harry J. Rosenblatt. Systems Analysis and Design. Boston: Course Technology Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.