5. People changes
Implementation of enterprise technology, such as CRM and ERP, requires
changes to organizational culture (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 2000). While both
technology and business processes are both critical to successful CRM
initiatives, it is the individual employees who are the building blocks of
customer relationships. There are several underlying dimensions surrounding
management and employees that successful CRM implementations require.
Top management commitment is an essential element for bringing an
innovation online and ensuring delivery of promised benefits. Top
management commitment, however, is much more than a CEO giving his or
her blessing to the CRM project. Customer-centric management requires top
management support and commitment to CRM throughout the entire CRM
implementation. Without it, momentum quickly dies out. Furthermore, top
management should set the stage in CRM initiatives for leadership, strategic
direction and alignment of vision and business goals (Herington and Peterson,
2000). This view was reinforced in a recent META Group Report (1998) that
singled out top management support and involvement as a key success factor
for CRM implementations.