Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are worth the investment and what makes it a must-have resource. However, the price tag and the time/dedication aren’t so attractive. More so, the “horror” stories we hear from failed implementations may make a manager sway back and forth before making such a huge decision. But the bright side to that is there are success stories and companies who are striving because of their CRM systems. Jennifer Karpus-Romain from Business2Community shares how we can learn from these successful implementations by fixing the common fails associated with CRM. Below are Karpus-Romain’s 12 most common reasons that a CRM fails, and how to fix them.

1. Lack of user adoption – Maybe the CRM isn’t integrating well with existing workflows and processes, or your employees are just confused. This situation can often be avoided by bringing end users into the design and user-experience testing processes, and by enhancing CRM training.

2. Lack of vision – If you don’t have a clear vision of what you need to utilize your CRM for to accomplish goals, you can lose focus and implementation may turn disastrous. The more specific your plans are for what your CRM will do for your company, the better.

3. Thinking it’s just a technology solution – The technology alone can’t improve those relationships. CRM requires proper collaboration with the user and software to generate powerful results.

4. Poor planning – Every moment invested in planning serves to prevent later confusion and frustration, ultimately helping to prevent a CRM failure.

5. Lack of support – In order for your CRM system to have its best success, everyone involved with the process needs to be on board. The better their understanding of the value the CRM brings to the company, the more invested they will become in its long-term success.

6. Choosing the wrong software or vendor – Choosing the right partner is important to your success, but so is selecting the right software. A true CRM partner will always build a customized solution that fits your needs.

7. Too many bells and whistles – A great CRM provides a lean user experience, only making use of those elements which are absolutely necessary. The more intuitive and streamlined the user experience, the better the user adoption rate.

8. No measurable objectives –  Your CRM project needs clear, measurable objectives that can be easily tracked, analyzed, and evaluated. This allows you to make timely changes to the CRM itself, workflows, and even training long before the CRM is at risk of failure.

9. Not thinking of customer perspective – If your CRM is failing, it’s worth taking a step back to see how your customers (usually through your employees) interact with your CRM. You may find some surprising disconnects, roadblocks, and other frustrations that are only obvious when you work backwards from the customer’s experience.

10. Failing to involve end users – Design your CRM around the needs of the people who will use it most – end users.  By bringing these end users into the planning and user-testing stages, these headaches and costs can often be avoided completely.

11. CRM is considered a one-time thing – A great CRM isn’t the result of a single, perfectly executed implementation. Ongoing refinements, revisions, and expansions lead to success.

12. Attempting the process alone – A CRM system can catapult your company’s efficiency if you implement it properly. The best way to do that is to partner with a customer relationship management software expert to ensure you are engaging your employees and getting the most from your investment.

Whether you’re in the process of implementing a CRM system or reevaluating the current strategy you have now, keep these tips in mind and you’ll be on your way to a successful path.

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We live in the digital age so anything new will always seem exciting to potential users. However, just because new technology is introduced, it doesn’t mean it will be life changing or better. A recent example of this is 5G. John Brandon  wrote an article on Fox News about the pros and cons of 5G and although it’s an exciting new tech, it still has a long way to go before we deem it “life-changing”. Brandon shares that the idea of 5G is that it will be integrated everywhere, in everything we use – our phones, TVs and even our lawn mowers. He remarks, “It’s often touted as one of the most important milestones in technology and, as Verizon ads suggest, it offers “unprecedented power” for consumers.” Some of this excitement and hype is warranted. 5G will definitely be a faster tech and provide near real-time communication. “This will unlock new potential in the smart home industry under the Internet of Things (IoT), and could set the stage for further developments in self-driving cars thanks to quicker communication speeds allowing for quicker decision-making abilities for cars on the road,” he says. However, there are a few downsides (or things that need significant improvement). A main concern is the availability of 5G and if you don’t like in a big city, you’ll probably have to wait a long time before 5G reaches you. Cost would also be an issue, increasing phone/cable bills for people wishing to have 5G networks. As of right now, 5G won’t be life changing unless you’re using it for things like streaming, entertainment or gaming. It’s too soon to know if 5G will be the next life-changing thing like satellite communication or Bluetooth, so we’ll have to wait and see.

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Infor announced the general availability of its Infor Coleman AI (Artificial Intelligence) Platform for embedded machine learning models. This platform offers the speed, repeatability and personalization needed for enterprises to fully operationalize AI – and is the key building block for Infor’s Intelligent CloudSuite. Per the infor website, “The Infor Coleman AI Platform is a pervasive machine learning platform that operates below an application’s surface. It mines data and uses powerful machine learning to help improve processes such as inventory management, transportation routing, and predictive maintenance.” The Infor Coleman AI Platform is named after trailblazer NASA mathematician and physicist Katherine Coleman Johnson, who’s work at the space center helped with the moon landing missions. The Infor Coleman AI Platform is a giant leap forward for AI at scale — incorporating deep reservoirs of network data to help serve the needs of human workers and to help make connected devices smarter.

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One of Infor’s latest partnerships is with Signavio, a leading provider of business transformation solutions. This Berlin, Germany and Burlington, Massachusetts based company is partnering strategically with the tech giant and will focus on delivering stronger implementation accelerators to Infor customers worldwide. This collaboration provides added value to both companies. Signavio CEO Dr. Gero Decker says of the partnership, “Ultimately, we believe customers can benefit from Signavio’s powerful process mining and process management capabilities, combined with Infor’s Implementation Accelerators, which can help enable smarter and more informed decisions across a variety of business functions.” With this partnership, both companies deliver solutions and services to organizations seeking to replace their existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions with new, modern, industry-specific applications.

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