The CRM Road Map Planning phase (we call as Phase Zero) is the most important phase of the entire project. If started incorrectly, time and costs increase.
CRM projects consist of many stages and the most important stage is planning [2]. During the preparation of the Road Map [3], careful and intensive work is required. In this period, intensive efforts in the right direction affect the success of the CRM project positively. It provides a shorter and more efficient application.
Some companies want to start the project as soon as possible and present something to the boss. However, when starting out without good planning, the chance of success in the medium and/or long term is negligible. In fact, the time spent preparing the Road Plan prevents unnecessary time wasted in the later stages of the project, going back and starting many times later.
In this article, we will discuss the principles of road map planning.
As in every industry or every company or every project, the road map planning in CRM is the result of investigation:
- What do we want to be in the future?
- How are we now?
- What is the difference?
The preparation process starts with the definition of the ideal environment to be seen after the CRM project.
Important note: Here, when we say ideal, we mean the affordable & applicable ideal, which we call “reasonable ideal“, not an ideal in which technologies that are not common or expensive today are used.
In other words first of all, where you want to be in the future is determined. Management is asked what they want to know, do or learn. Thus, concepts that are thought to be marketing jargon (or CRM bull shit) are made concrete.
We ask a question to the managers working at various levels of the departments that come into direct contact (such as sales team, branch / dealer / agency employees, service stations, repair maintenance team, call center employees) or indirect contact (such as operations, collections, loans, logistics) with customers: “If everything went as desired, at the end of the CRM project what questions would you like answered?”
Often the following questions are encountered:
For financial services:
- Which of my clients are likely to take their account balance to another bank?
- What are the profiles of my most and least profitable customers?
- What is the risk associated with loan applicants?
- What is the profile of low-risk and high-risk customers?
- Who is more at risk of default?
- What are debt movements that indicate a possible bankruptcy?
- What purchase transactions indicate credit card fraud?
For the public sectors:
- What actions can be associated with taxes, benefits, contraband drugs, and other illegal acts?
- What kind of people, which means of transportation, material are indicative of possible illegal movements?
- Which military personnel would be the better leader in war conditions?
- What methods are helpful in monitoring stock market movements?
- What are the indicators of violations in investment transactions?
- What indicators reveal money laundering cases?
For telecommunications:
- Which customers are likely to leave the Firm or move to another Firm?
- Which are the most and least profitable customers?
- What products and services should be offered to potential customers?
- What is the customer profile that defines frequent card users?
- What usage patterns indicate fraud?
For tourism:
- Which of my customers are likely to travel with another company?
- What are the profiles of my most and least profitable customers?
For insurance agents:
- Why was my offer not accepted? (Relationship or price?)
- Will my other jobs be affected because I lose this job?
- What other jobs can I get for my current client?
For companies in every industry:
- Which product/service groups sell better to which customers?
- How do I understand my client’s life stage or lifestyle changes?
- Which customer profiles are the most promising for which campaign?
- Who are the customers who are most likely to respond positively to the presented offer?
- Which proposals are most likely to receive a positive response?
- How should existing and prospective customers be segmented for maximum profitability?
- What are the customer characteristics that will generate high lifetime revenue?
- How often and when should customers be approached?
- What are the cheapest but most efficient ways to acquire new customers?
- Where can we find the most efficient customer segments?
- Which customers am I likely to lose?
Apart from these questions that indicate the needs of the institution or company, the needs and expectations of various departments should also be specified.
Expectations of Marketing Departments:
- To save on promotional expenses by not offering products that it will not use;
- Predict future yields (life time value) of customers;
- To identify the customers that can be profitable and the segments where this customer potential exists;
- To determine which products are more suitable for “cross-selling” with which other products;
- Studying or weeding out how we can make profitable customers with negative or zero profitability;
- To be able to see whether the customers that dealers, branches and agencies call “profitable” are really profitable;
Expectations of Operation Departments:
- To receive the most up-to-date data when the existing customer has a new request,
- To be able to meet the new product demand of the existing customer at the first contact point (branch, call center or internet) thanks to the decision mechanisms embedded in the system,
- Being able to determine whether it is worth losing or risking if “not a good customer”;
At Customer Touch Points
- Respond quickly to customer demands
- Seeing the necessary customer data on the screen immediately, reaching the next ones quickly,
- To see the latest status of the customer on the screen,
- Not having to fill out the form again when the existing customer has a new service request,
- To be able to meet the new demand of the existing customer at the first contact point,
- Being able to enter the changed data into the system immediately,
- For various products, entering various systems and not waiting,
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Don’t think that there are so few questions that need to be drilled down to the finest detail, thus revealing your data and process needs. You must have at least 100 – 120 questions or need statements.
Managers who voice these questions and expectations are assumed to know their job better than the CRM project Leader or Consultant.
For each of their questions or expectations, it proceeds with further question-answers focusing on the details. The answers received are questioned down to the smallest detail. Every answer becomes a question again. It is desirable to exemplify with real events or to explain with scenarios. It is continued in this way until a significant part of the data and process needs required for the company to achieve its ideal environment.
Now, the necessary information, data and process needs for the road plan have been determined. After that, the preparation of a consistent road map planning for the CRM project that will meet the expectations of the departments and the company may start.
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Additional Materials to read
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1981 yılında ODTÜ – İşletmecilik Bölümünden mezun olduktan sonra, Price Waterhouse Consultancy’de iş hayatına başladı...
