E-crm Implementation - A Comparison of Three Approaches

The success of e-CRM implementation is dependent on how the initiative is deployed initially. There are no set guidelines to assist in differentiating the options for potential adopters. This study examines three different approaches to e-CRM implementation by 3 SMEs with a view to identifying commonalities and differences in approaches and how these impact success. The three approaches are deployment of a bespoke e-CRM application, deployment of an off-the-shelf application and deployment of a proprietary application. The study indicated all three organizations gained benefits from e-CRM implementation although different processes, technological platform and costs were involved. However, the challenges faced by the organizations occurred in the medium term and ranged from application maintenance to scalability and modification for changing processes.