After over two decades of designing, building, and deploying Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer Engagement (CE) systems, I've identified recurring themes that make some projects more successful than others.
For this blog, I'll use the newer term Customer Engagement (CE) to refer to any CRM or CE system you might be implementing.
The graphic below illustrates some simple ideas that have helped drive success in CE projects throughout my career.
This blog will focus on explaining the yellow triangles in the center. A subsequent blog will describe the outer blue circle.
Executive Engagement
Any CE project requires an organization to change, grow, and refine business processes that involve users interacting with customers. Strong executive engagement is critical to managing and steering these changes.
This can take the form of a Steering Committee in a larger enterprise project or a single individual in a smaller project.
Consider a CE project focused on Sales Force Automation. Successful projects typically involve top sales roles (e.g., VP of Sales, Chief Revenue Officer, or CEO)
actively participating in the project's scope, direction, and outcomes.
They frequently (e.g., weekly) check in to provide management support and help determine the appropriate scope for features and business process flows.
Makes sense, right?
However, you would be surprised how many CE projects are delegated to staff (e.g., Project Managers, Sales Managers, Developers, or even the Receptionist)
who lack the authority or influence to make lasting and impactful business changes.
These projects may struggle, require expensive rework, or fail outright without ongoing involvement from top leadership.
Using tools like Microsoft Azure DevOps and Microsoft Teams can significantly improve communication and project management. Azure DevOps enables the team to track and monitor project progress in real-time, while Teams facilitates seamless collaboration among project members and executives.
Additionally, AI-driven insights from Microsoft Power BI can help executives make informed decisions quickly.
Business Fit
No two business are the same, PERIOD!
It doesn’t matter if the businesses in question are in the same vertical industry and sell to the same customers; every business has a unique personality - individual characteristics in how they market, sell, and support their employees and customers.
Many clients want to use software “out of the box”, which may have been advisable 15- 20 years ago when systems were rigid and expensive to customize.
However, modern cloud CE software, like Microsoft Dynamics 365, is built to be extremely flexible and configurable.
Configure, NOT Customize
Configurations are modifications that can be made to fields, screens, flows, and other system behaviors via admin interfaces in the CE platform.
These modifications are typically 100% supported by the CE platform and upgrade seamlessly without expensive rework.
Customizations, on the other hand, require developers to write code. Systems with custom code will always be more expensive to administer, maintain, and upgrade than configured systems. While customizations are critical for some CE implementations, consider the business value vs. cost before writing too much code.
Business Fit refers to how well the CE system automates your unique business processes, enhances user productivity, and engages customers.
Achieving a good Business Fit is essential for a successful CE project. Expecting a standard CE system to work out of the box is unrealistic—much like trying to fit into your high school clothes.
For most of us, they simply don’t fit anymore, and attempting to wear them can be awkward, depressing, and even embarrassing.
The Microsoft Power Platform, with tools like Power Automate and Power Apps, allows organizations to configure workflows and applications with minimal coding.
These modern tools allow you to rapidly configure and build a CE system that fits your business perfectly, while AI-driven capabilities in Dynamics 365 and Copilot Studio can deliver additional value, such as predictive insights and tailored recommendations.
User Adoption
User Adoption might seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised how many projects neglect it. Encouraging User Adoption starts at the very beginning of the project and continues through testing, deployment, and even ongoing operations.
Good User Adoption doesn’t have to mean involving all users, but rather representative Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) chosen to represent a collection of users. SMEs should be good with people, understand the project's goals or outcomes, be willing to learn, and be considered Power Users.
These individuals are the trainers for other users and "good-will ambassadors"
for the project, driving momentum and excitement.
Your SMEs should be actual system users (e.g., Salesperson or Customer Service Agent) who report to the leadership running the project.
They should not be surrogates from different divisions or departments who won't use the software daily.
Great User Adoption is the wind in your CE project's sails. Without it, you might build a great boat and have a good captain, but you won't reach your destination without the wind.
Microsoft Dynamics 365, along with Copilot, enhances user adoption through intuitive interfaces and AI-driven support. Copilot can assist users by offering real-time guidance and automating routine tasks, making the CE system more user-friendly and reducing the learning curve.
Additionally, leveraging Microsoft Teams for training and communication helps SMEs engage users effectively and fosters a collaborative learning environment.
Summary
Executive Engagement, Business Fit, and User Adoption are the three keys to a successful CE implementation project.
When any of these keys are absent or misaligned, the project misses the mark, costs more to deploy, and doesn't deliver on expectations.
When these keys are present and aligned, the outcomes can be dramatic, resulting in engaged employees and customers, decreased operational costs, and increased revenue.
About the Author
Optrua specializes in optimizing Dynamics 365 CRM and Microsoft Power Platform to enhance customer experience and employee engagement. We're your partner in thriving amidst change using agile methods and continuous improvement.
We offer tailored solutions, including CRM, AI, system integration, analytics, and more, to help our clients grow and stay ahead of the competition.
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