• In order for companies to integrate CRM management
effectively with all their existing business processes
(including the supply chain, the product development
cycle, the financial systems, the delivery of services and
internal organisational structure), both management
and employees must understand and assimilate the strategic
business value of the CRM project. These key participants
must understand that CRMmanagement is not
simply a technological strategy but rather an essential
business strategy for the success of their individual
departments and of the organisation as a whole.
• The customer-oriented business model is seldom
practised and little known, at either the operational or
management level.
• Difficulty in defining a customer strategy. Companies
are not ready to act in a coordinated and participative
way with their customers. Companies feel safer acting
on the basis of their own objectives.
• Limitations concerning the systemic vision of customer
relationships. This behaviour is the result of historical
factors that conditioned people and companies to focus
on their own objectives. Consequently, initiatives directed
at managing customer relationships in an integrated
way among all those involved remain far from the actual
situation in business.
• The need for more scientific production showing business
experiences and formal methodologies.
• The need to encourage the training of staff in integrated
customer relationship management. It has been shown
that staff training programmes do not include the participation
of employees in courses or other types of events
related to CRM.
All these difficulties are related to the low level of awareness
of the importance of CRM and, therefore, of the benefits
that proper customer relationship management can
generate.