Most CRM systems have a storage utility, or “data library,” for
maintaining customer information for an extended time period. However,
most libraries are seen as archives with little more purpose than
providing sales teams with historical information for future proposal
development or giving managers the necessary back-up information
in the event of contract disputes. Therefore, CRM data is rarely
re-constituted in the archive, but rather takes the same form as originally
seen by the sales force. Rarely is an effort made to structure the
information to support meaningful cross-sectional or longitudinal
analysis