cHALLENGEs OF crM
IMPLEMENtAtION
CRM is one of many technologies touted as the
panacea that led to excessive expectations and
a high rate of implementation failure. Previous
surveys show that as many as 60% of CRM implementations
fail the first time (Silverman, 2001).
A close examination of the problem reveals that
CRM is an extremely broad area, which involves
several categories of solutions and hundreds of
products and services that focus on a wide range
of business problems and technological opportunities.
For instance, CRM embraces a wide range
of processes such as product configuration, field
service, customer service, and customer analysis
(Reddy, 2001). The greatest challenge of implementing
CRM initiatives is the deployment and
integration of a number of diversified technological
resources in different ways so that an organization
can ensure that all front-office activities
and customer interactions appear seamless to the
customers. As Kandell (2000) exemplifies, CRM
adoption requires: