CRM Transformation Drivers: When it comes to CRM transformation, there are external and internal drivers that not only necessitate that transformation but that encourage and shape it. These can include digital offerings and insight, cloud-driven interactions, customer expectations, and more. To better understand these drivers and their value, it is important to look at what they each offer.

External CRM TransformationDrivers

• The Size and Uniqueness of the Market – What type of market you have for your product or service will affect your CRM efforts, because smaller markets or niche markets may have more specific needs.
• The Kinds of Customers the Company Attracts – Not all customers are created equal, and when you know your customers and your target market you know what data to collect and what to leave alone.
• The Changing Nature of Media – How customers interact with with your company through social media and other online platforms is evolving, and your company’s CRM should evolve along with it.
• The Demand for the Company’s Product – High demand requires better organization of CRM efforts in order to keep everything operating smoothly, and that can mean a transformation is necessary.
• The Marketing Channels Used to Reach Customers – Customers are not reached in the same ways they used to be, due to the popularity and usefulness of the internet, so marketing channels and CRM need to blend.

Internal CRM Transformation Drivers

• The Need for a Digital “File Cabinet” – Keeping paper records is a thing of the past for most businesses, and the quick access to customer records that are stored in the cloud is the way to keep a business on the cutting edge.
• Coordinating Everything Matters – The more coordination there is between departments, the easier a company can process orders and requests from customers, providing a better experience for everyone involved and keeping customers happy.
• Teams Need Proper Collaboration Opportunities – It can be hard to collaborate on customer needs or problems when not everyone has access to the right information, but transforming CRM can help everyone work together to give customers what they expect.
• The Characteristics of the Organization – Every organization is different, and when characteristics are properly understood then CRM can be transformed into a useful tool that works with the organization’s culture and values.
• Driving Processes Keeps a Company Synchronized – Company processes ensure that everything operates smoothly, and CRM must grow and change as those processes change, or breakdowns in communication and development can occur.
• The Specific Products Being Sold – No matter what produce or service a company offers CRM can help, but the type of customer information that is collected can vary greatly based on the company’s offerings.

Only through realizing what these drivers all bring to the table can a company truly determine how best to transform the CRM they use to meet needs consistently and appropriately. At that point, the company has transformed their CRM into what truly works.