Choosing a CRM Software
Aim
The aim of this study is to create a CRM related survey for our e-CRM course  at Yeditepe University, Spring 2001 tutored by Abdullah Bozgeyik. This is the 3rd  study of our total 4 studies that we have achieved during the course.
Intro
I have tried to create an online survey that could be reached through Internet while a DB is filled with answers. I have received several responses, and I agree that a better questionnaire can be prepared by a group of people(all questions are prepared by me :)), it was a fault to set strongly agree chosen as default and there should be different questions related each other to make a better evaluation. But this was my first survey after all :-). 

You can find a link at the bottom another survey done by a group in our class for our 3rd study. Please do not hesitate to visit their survey about CRM Project Failures.

Thanks for everyone who have answered the questions and helped me. I feel grateful to Emin Yeniacun for his efforts to build the site and the DB

M. Ata Nimetoglu

Answers to Questionnaire
Worldwide reputation of the Software Company is important.
Maintenance and upgrade availability of CRM software is important.
The Software Company should provide experienced consultants.
Integration availability with existing business processes is important.
The software should provide fast ROI (Return on Investment)?
Advertising and marketing of the Software Company is important.
Implementation time of the software is important.
The software should have a user-friendly GUI
Availability of tailor-made solutions for your industry is important.
The software should help company to increase revenue.
The software should help company to increase productivity.
The software should encourage cross selling and up selling.
The software should reduce cost per sales.
The software should provide data flow between departments within company.
The software should provide infrastructure for e-business and m-business.
The software should provide data mining and analysis tools.
The software should build customer loyalty.
 
The software should help you work more closely with suppliers and business partners.
What is your industry?
What is your customer base?
Number of Participants: 91
Summary

Each day companies get larger market share and meet with huge amounts of customers; they need to keep track of their customer needs and trends to survive in the tough market conditions. They have to build a good IT infrastructure to collect and analyze data and support their sales, marketing, and R&D departments.

So, they come to an end to find an integrated software, generally a CRM Software to meet their needs.

The choice of a customer relationship management solution is a mission-critical decision that will impact your competitive position for years to come. I tried to determine the point what the companies take care much while choosing CRM software.

If we look at the answers for the survey, we see that participators generally care about the maintenance and upgrade availability, and integration with existing business solutions of the software. Also, software should help company to increase revenues by ensuring customer loyalty, increasing productivity and giving cross selling and up selling opportunities by determining needs and trends using analysis tools. Software, with a user-friendly GUI, should be implemented during plausible project times, also should provide an infrastructure to process data flow between departments and partners as a part of collaborative CRM. Software should be easily integrated to Internet and give chance to use distribution channels like e-business and m-business.

Participators give less importance for fast ROI and tailor made solutions of for different industries. Also, consultants may not be highly qualified. I think you cannot expect sudden results from software, you should wait and see the company to use software much more effective. But, while you do an implementation, you become aware of how an experienced consultant makes a difference, so I feel you should maybe pay more but find people who are experienced much.

Advertising and marketing efforts and worldwide reputation are not so much important for the participators. Software, which is good at utilizing your work and enhancing your business, may have been produced locally. Important thing is to be a solution for your problems.

Link for the study of other group
Why CRM Projects Fail?
e-Mails I have received about my CRM Survey
From: "Haluk Aykul"
To:  
Subject: Anket Derinligi 
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 07:17:14 +0300 


Anketinizle ne tur sonuclar cıkarmayı umuyorsunuz? Sorular cok yuzeysel ve cevapların strongly agree'de isaretli olması bence bir method hatası. Cok genel cevapların otesine gecmeyen bir bilgi toplayacaksınız. Bu nasıl isinize yarayacak? 

Elestirilerimi mazur gorun ama bu tur degerli bir bilgi toplama denemesinde bence daha derin sorunlar sorulmalıydı, isin biraz how ve why larına girilmeliydi. 
From: "Bulent Senver"
To:  
Subject: RE: CRM Survey
Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 12:37:38


ATA BEY,

CALISMALARINDA BASARILAR DILERIM.

www.bulentsenver.com
From: "Kursad Keskinege"
To:  
cc: 
Subject: Re: [TurkeyHighTech] CRM Survey

Merhaba,
Anketi doldurdum. Ufak bir comment, CRM firmasinin marketing kuvveti disinda
hemen hemen tüm sorular strongly agree seviyesinde. belki sorular biraz
degistirilerek CRM uygulamalarindaki detaylar sorulabilir. Teknik altyapi
olabilir örnegin (Oracle Finance, SAP vs gibi istatistiki bilgileri toplamak
Türkiye CRM için ilginç bir altyapi olur.) Uygulama zamanlari konusundaki
fikirler alinabilir, business anlaminda da varolan yapilara deginilebilir.
Tabi ki abes bir comment olabilir bu, zira hedefinizi tam bilmiyorum.
My Answer to e-Mails for Survey
merhaba!
elestiriler icin cok tesekkurler,

aslinda olay soyle basladi, hocamiz bizden bir anket hazirlamamizi istedi, bende bunu guzel bir sekilde yapmak istedim ve en guzel sekilde internette yapabilecegimi biliyordum, fakat, frontpage'i biraz kullanabilmeme ragmen, asp, cgi gibi formatlar hakkinda pek bilgim yoktu.

sirketten bir arkadasimdan yardim istedim, daha detayli bir sekilde hazirladigim anketimi onunda sabirlarini cok zorlamamak icin daha basit bir formata donusturmem gerekti, haliyle biraz kusa dondu. Sondaki e-mail kismini eklememiz bile sorun oldu gibi.


Gelen tepkilerden hepsinin sanki strongly agree gibi cevaplanmasi gerektigi ve otomatik olarak isaretlendigi icin anketi doldurduklari belli olsun diye bazi sorulara farkli cevap verdiklerini soylediler :).


Bir de insanlarin fazla vaktini almadan birseyler yapmak istedim. Cunki, hernekadar yardim etmek istelerde uzun uzadiya sorular, insalarin canini sikabilir ve de yarida kesip anketi doldurmamalarina neden olabilirdi.
Neyse, aslinda sorulari daha iyi dusunup, bazi detaylara daha dikkatli yaklassaydim, daha da guzel bir is cikarmis olacaktim. Ama yaptigimda hocamizin istediginin cok cok ustunde bir sey gibi geliyor bana. Kesinlikle nette anket yaptim, kesin AA alirim diye bi kaygim yok ama mailimde belirttigim gibi e-Business ve WEB Technology track' de MBA yapiyorum ve bu isin en iyi sekilde kagit uzerinde degil de Internet kullanilarak yapilmasi gerektigine inaniyorum :).
Bir daha boyle bir ise kalkisirsam, detaylara daha cok dikkat edecegim, ferdi calisma yerine grup calismasi seklinde sorulari olusturursak daha iyi olurdu diye dusunuyorum.

Elestiriler icin gercekten tesekkurler,
Iyi gunler,

M. Ata Nimetoglu

By the way
I got AA from e-CRM lecture and anyone who is curious about me here is my photo.
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1