Developing and Modernising Your CRM System

What is the best approach to developing and modernising a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software system to become an intelligent system?

If your organisation engages directly with customers and clients, chances are that you will have invested in a CRM system at some point. CRMs have come a long way over time. Many organisations invest a lot of time and resources into building a comprehensive database of prospective customers and clients. This data very quickly becomes a valuable organisational asset. Few, however, seldom realise the full potential of leveraging this data to work for them intelligently.

What is a CRM?

Let’s start with what a CRM system is and its function. Whether using more traditional CRM software such as Oracle, Microsoft, etc or subscribing to a SaaS platform such as HubSpot or Salesforce, they all work like digital assistants that help businesses manage their interactions with customers. All CRMs are the sales tools and environments that store information about customers, track their interactions with the company, and serve to help businesses provide better customer service.

The primary aim of an Intelligent CRM System is to provide a more personalised and efficient customer experience. This involves leveraging your internal customer data with external insights and analytics to anticipate customer needs, tailor interactions, and optimise business processes.

A truly Intelligent CRM involves a combination of data integration, advanced analytics, AI, and social media integration. By implementing these strategies, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their customers, improve customer satisfaction, and drive revenue growth.

To take advantage of an intelligent CRM system requires developing an existing one or migrating to a new one.

In this two-part article, we offer brief advice on developing and migrating a CRM system.

Here are the key points for developing an existing CRM.

1. Data Integration and Quality:
   • Centralised Data Repository: Create a unified platform to store customer data from various sources, including CRM systems, sales data, marketing campaigns, and social media.
   • Data Cleaning and Standardisation: Ensure data accuracy and consistency to prevent errors and improve analysis.
   • Data Enrichment: Supplement existing data with external information from public records, industry data, and social media profiles.
2. Advanced Analytics:
   • Predictive Analytics: Use historical data to forecast future trends, such as customer churn, upsell opportunities, and product preferences.
   • Prescriptive Analytics: Recommend specific actions based on predictive models, such as personalised marketing campaigns or targeted sales pitches.
   • Customer Segmentation: Group customers based on shared characteristics to tailor interactions and offers.
3. AI and Machine Learning:
   • Natural Language Processing (NLP): Analyse customer interactions (emails, chat transcripts, social media posts) to understand sentiment, identify pain points, and extract valuable insights.
   • Recommendation Engines: Suggest products or services based on past behaviour, preferences, and similar customers.
   • Predictive Modelling: Develop models to predict customer behaviour and outcomes using advanced algorithms.
4. Social Media Integration:
   • Social Listening: Monitor social media platforms to track brand mentions, customer sentiment, and industry trends.
   • Social CRM: Integrate social media data with CRM to provide a complete view of customer interactions.
   • Social Media Marketing Automation: Use social media analytics to optimise marketing campaigns and target specific audiences.
5. Real-time Interactions:
   • Live Chat and Chatbots: Implement AI-powered chatbots to provide instant customer support and answer common queries.
   • Personalised Recommendations: Offer real-time product recommendations based on customer behaviour and browsing history.
   • Omnichannel Engagement: Ensure a seamless customer experience across all channels (email, phone, social media).

Are you getting the most from your CRM investment? By analysing your customer data, your business could make better-informed decisions about your products, services, and marketing strategies.

Whether you are thinking about a change or perhaps need impartial advice to modernise and develop your CRM system.

Justin Polley

Justin is senior business and technology leader with a distinguished and long career in telecommunications and IT services. As in industry veteran of more than three decades he is an accomplished data engineer, commercial leader, enterprise architect and management consultant. He has enjoyed a successful career creating client value, delivering solutions built on business value, client trust, and sustainable growth.