CRM checklist

Alex Kwiatkowski, consulting group manager at Ovum, says the analyst defines CRM as systems designed to support analysis, research and customer-focused business processes. He suggests public sector managers should make sure they've considered the following checklist before implementing CRM software.

Evaluate your CRM strategy

Think about what types of citizens you're dealing with and what types of relationships your organisation wants to have with its users, be that regular or infrequent contact.

Devise a citizen interaction policy

Consider which contact channels are practical and appropriate for an organisation to provide services for citizens. These channels might include telephone lines and web sites. You should also think hard about how these channels will be used in the future.

Show me the money

Think about the costs associated with supporting enquiries over different channels. When you're doing this, analyse which channels citizens currently prefer to use. Does the organisation need to be the pro-active instigator of contact - or will the system be a purely reactive technology?

Legacy systems issues

Ensure that the CRM system can integrate with your existing databases. If it can't, you'll need to analyse clearly how long will it take to resolve any integration problems.

Don't place too much reliance on CRM

It's not a magic wand to cure your organisation's citizen management problems in the blink of an eye. CRM is actually a supporting set of processes and technologies that can help deal with enquiries effectively and efficiently. Remember that technology still relies on skilled people to make it work properly.