The steps of the online CRM process

A successful business always involves growth and scaling, in which business process optimization plays a significant role. Automation of routine and repetitive elements of the process in this case can increase the efficiency of both the work of the internal team and direct interaction with customers by an order of magnitude.

But it also happens that instead of an assistant in the face of a CRM system, a company receives an additional burden for its employees. Process for the sake of process, unnecessary “bureaucratic” links and decrease in efficiency – this is the reality that any company wants to leave in the past and come to the future, where all processes are logical, transparent and understandable.

To achieve this, before implementing a CRM system, you need to answer two main questions: “Why do you need a CRM system?” and “What result do you expect from its implementation”? The answer must be clear and measurable. For example, an increase in sales is rather vague wording, but the release of 15-20% of the working time of sales managers is already a very real task that can be implemented using a CRM system.

Step 1. Which department or departments of the company needs a CRM system?

Step 2. What processes need to be transferred to it?

We recommend combining these steps, as they contain questions that are similar in meaning.

Based on the responses received, it is necessary to form a team consisting of key people from the departments you have chosen and owners of the targeted automated processes. Such a team should be actively involved in the CRM system implementation project – attend project meetings to collect requirements for the system, make suggestions and agree on the resulting documents. Only full involvement in the process of achieving a common goal will allow you to get a product that 100% covers your needs and expectations.

Like all innovations, the CRM system is often perceived by employees as a burdensome element of the workflow, an additional burden. To avoid this and gain the loyalty of future users, it is necessary to determine which errors in the work the system will help to get rid of and which routine processes it automates. Understanding what problems CRM solves, any employee will be happy to use it.

Step 3. Identifying the problems which should be overcome with a help of a CRM system

The list of “pains” and problems existing in the organization can be quite large: moreover, in each business, there are individual characteristics and options for solving them.

Step 4. Corporate regulations

Even with the implementation of an ideal CRM system that is guaranteed to increase the efficiency of processes and bring real value to the business, employees may be faced with the fact that for various reasons employees are not ready to use the new tool. In this case, corporate regulations come into force.

The regulation may contain various motivational theses aimed at the mandatory use of CRM systems. For example, at Navicon, a sales manager will not receive a bonus from a sold deal if he has not recorded it in CRM – strictly but fairly.

Step 5. Support and development

When starting to implement a CRM system, you need to understand that this is not the final, but the starting point.

Along with your business, which receives daily challenges, and develops and adapts to the needs of the market, the CRM system must also develop. With the advent of new related systems, new departments in need of automation, new processes and the need for additional analytics, the CRM system must change. This is a natural process to avoid stagnation. It is very important to continue to refine and develop the solution so that it grows with you, meets the current needs of the business, and becomes an integral tool for work.