To implement a successful CRM project, for a start, you need to have a good project manager that can manage the project (communications, scope, cost, time\/schedule, etc.) and technically competent team to develop & deploy the CRM solution.\u00a0 That\u2019s a basic starting point.<\/p>\n
A seasoned project manager will leverage his\/her past experiences and adopt various tools & techniques from one of the project management methodologies whether it\u2019s SureStep Methodology from Microsoft, Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) from Project Management Institute (PMI), Agile, hybrid, or other flavors of project delivery methodologies, based on project requirements, to plan and manage the delivery of the project.\u00a0 By the way, the SureStep Methodology was derived from PMI\u2019s PMBOK.<\/p>\n
If you have experience managing projects, you will nod your head to the statement that Project Management is 20% science and 80% art.\u00a0 You need a well-defined framework of processes and tools (science) and experience in knowing what to use, when to use it, and how to use it effectively (art) to deliver a successful project that delights the customer.<\/p>\n
Every project is unique and different.\u00a0 PMBOK defines project as \u201ca temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.\u201d\u00a0 Hence every project delivery needs to be tailored leveraging science and art to meet the business\/technical requirements, navigate through customers\u2019 culture, and deliver a solution that solves customers\u2019 challenges.<\/p>\n
Note that when I refer to the \u201ccustomer\u201d, I simply mean that whoever is the users of the CRM solution and \u201cyou\u201d can be an internal (employees) or external (consultants) to the organization.<\/p>\n
If you want to know or learn more about the science of project management, you can check out www.pmi.org.\u00a0 The science part of the project management is the foundation so you must be knowledgeable and capable of inserting appropriate science into your project implementation.\u00a0 I will not go into details of all the processes or knowledge areas of project management but will discuss on few of them below that I believe will have most impact to the success of the project and I will try to focus on them as it relates to CRM implementations.<\/p>\n
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Successful project starts with setting the right expectations and managing those expectations and communicating them to the right key stakeholders and future users of the CRM solution, in timely manner.<\/p>\n
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If you\u00a0set the scope\u00a0expectations using\u00a0\u201cBasic\u201d, \u201cStandalone\u201d, or \u201cIntegrated\u201d solution types during defining the CRM initiative, leverage that as you discuss scope on what\u2019s in or what\u2019s out.\u00a0 Sometimes, customer will ask for features that may not be as critical\/important.\u00a0 Distinguish want vs. need and manage customer\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n
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Put together a budgetary number for the project based on scope and obtain necessary funding and commitment from the management to implement the project.<\/p>\n
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Create schedule\/roadmap of the CRM release.\u00a0 Do not recommend doing a big bang approach.\u00a0 Group the scope into multi-release schedule, especially, if there\u2019s significant amount of work to be done.\u00a0 There are number of benefits to this approach including but not limited to:<\/p>\n
Share the project schedule, at a high-level, with the customer and update them on the progress and get the customer scheduled for training, support, and Go-Live preparation.<\/p>\n
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Other areas which I did not explicitly cover are Risk, Procurement, Human Resource, and Integration management.\u00a0 They also deserve attention and needs to be considered during project planning and course of the project, as applicable to ensure that the project\u2019s risk is minimized, all necessary equipment\/supplies\/services are procured in timely manner, right team members are identified and assigned work, and all of the moving parts in the project are managed and monitored by the project manager and the core team.<\/p>\n
Basic, Standalone, or Integrated CRM Solution? (Part 1 of 3)<\/a><\/p>\n Which CRM Solution is right for you? (Part 2 of 3)<\/a><\/p>\n