The global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software market was valued at $50.3 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach $103.5 billion by 2027. As the software helps build, track, and sustain customer relationships and interactions, we’re continuing to see its expansion throughout the industry.  

CRM software acts as a centralized system for all customer connections, helping to optimize sales and marketing efforts while also improving the quality of customer service. These systems also create seamless interactions by managing contacts and automating workflows based on collected data. As a result of these efficiencies, and data-based predictions of potential future sales, productivity can be greatly enhanced. 

In order to take advantage of the numerous benefits of a CRM system, however, the implementation process must be strategic and organized, and key stakeholders need to be identified and involved early on. In this article, we cover who to include on your B2B CRM implementation team.

Building Your B2B CRM Implementation Team 

When beginning a CRM implementation, the identification of participants and sponsors is essential. Who is involved should not be a siloed decision, nor should the team be siloed within an expertise or department. The importance of getting the right people involved early cannot be overstated when it comes to initial preparation and decision-making. A diverse blend of viewpoints is needed to ensure the correct problems and processes are taken into account when embarking on a CRM implementation. 

Key departments that should be represented during the implementation are IT, Marketing, Sales (including Sales Operations), and Finance. Depending on the scope of CRM, this may expand to include Customer Service as well. IT is needed so the team can have a proper view on the integration process and data considerations, as well as understand the boundaries of current systems. Marketing will ensure their day-to-day procedures are captured and help identify KPIs. Sales representatives are important as they are the conduit to the customer and must live with the day-to-day process that is implemented, especially given that this implementation will impact how the sales team goes to market. They also understand what the customer needs and what experiences and features need to be incorporated into the CRM tool. Finance brings knowledge of the current and future financial situation and can track the project’s impact on bottom line. 

Possible Challenges & How to Resolve Them 

While having key representatives from various business units involved in the CRM implementation team is critical, there will undoubtably be challenges along the way. An issue that is often mentioned is time commitment. While working on the implementation, it can be difficult for team members to complete their normal day-to-day tasks along with project work. Instead of balancing requirements, many businesses state that they cannot justify committing resources due to sales expectations, not believing the CRM system will be worth it, or other related justifications. By deprioritizing the project and excluding sales from the process, key foundational elements are often missed and left unincorporated in the system. This can result in a lack of cohesion and additional costs and delays later in the project, ultimately impacting user adoption as well. While this can be a difficult hurdle to overcome, setting expectations about the required time commitment while highlighting the benefits of the CRM system can mitigate the urge to focus on today instead of planning for tomorrow. 

Another common challenge seen during a CRM implementation relates to properly mapping out existing processes within and between impacted departments. Prioritizing this step and thoroughly identifying all the necessary requirements will ensure the system is set up to support the business. If this step is not being given the consideration it requires, the core project team should establish expectations and meet with the different business units to collect the information. An organized and direct approach is essential to overcome obstacles. After all, we live in a world of integrated systems that all play a particular role in supporting businesses. 

How Clarkston Can Help 

CRM systems are a powerful solution for a variety of problems and inefficiencies, but specific needs vary from business to business and implementation to implementation. To assist with your implementation, Clarkston can leverage its unique perspective and experience to lead you through a CRM vendor selection process, while ensuring personal requirements, like cost and culture, are prioritized. After a vendor has been selected, Clarkston can help you plan and manage your project, define your processes, integrations, and data requirements, and oversee the organizational change management and training needs. 

Contact us today to get started. 

Contributions from Addie Schmidt