Flexing to keep-up: Building the client strategy around a consistent and smart CRM ecosystem

Any organisation future is at risk – the average life expectancy of a company collapsed from 75 years in the mid-1950s to 15 years today. More than 200 years ago, Charles Darwin concluded that is not the strongest nor the smartest species that survive but those that best adapt to change. It is even more valid in today’s world: disruptive transformation, competitors’ threats, age of aware customers, or regulatory pressure.

Let’s have a look at the major trends around the customer experience and how to best drive the efficiency of an Enterprise-wide CRM Strategy.

From a tactical and siloed to a customer adaptive approach

1. Tactical : Siloed and Short Term

This stage relates to organisations that implement solutions silo per silo, e.g. deploying one tool to manage the opportunity pipeline. This scenario creates little value for the customer

2. Partly integrated: Born of the client 360 view

Here we start to see integration with Finance, ERP to get a 360 view of the client, with more consistency as an organisation. Though, few contextual information around the client, and potential lack of goals alignment across departments, with the Client as not the priority #1 for the Enterprise

3. Integrated: Omni channel Customer Experience

A real CRM ecosystem starts to emerge, including interfacing with many client facing software and applications (web portals, e-commerce, mobile…). Decisioning and predictive analytics are entirely part of this new ecosystem

4. Predictive state: Agile Client Relationship Management

This is the most advanced stage: the CRM ecosystem is not only bringing the maximum value to the customer, but also helps to identify, anticipate and adapt to rapid changes that influence the customers. The ecosystem is constantly refreshed with clients’ behaviours data

Transforming the CRM ecosystem as a key enabler to operate a relevant and long lasting Client Strategy

1. Align all the business and stakeholders around clear and well defined requirements to create a Client Strategy and CRM vision

2. Analyse the CRM current state in the light of Industry best practices and benchmark

3. Select the most suitable solutions to support the Strategy, including the appropriate services

4. Design a multi-generational roadmap across IT, process and organisation

5. Manage deployment, monitor the value of the CRM ecosystem, and benefits that are generated

The organisation’s existence will depend on its ability to stay relevant to keep on attracting, retaining and developing customer relationships and becoming truly client-centric. In that perspective, the CRM ecosystem will be instrumental in operating this shift.

Thoughts?