| Customer Relationship Management Systems is a | | | | the market place. It wasn't hard for the visionaries at |
| tactical and strategic tool. If used correctly, this tool | | | | places like GM, eBay and Kimberly-Clark to see the |
| can forecast trends and help a company with the top | | | | potential for huge profits. |
| and bottom lines. Today, many businesses do not | | | | Like many explorers and adventurers, each of the |
| look the same as they may have many years ago. | | | | CEOs and other leaders received harsh criticism and |
| They have definitely left their core competency to | | | | ne'er do wells from peers and medial alike. Many |
| move onto something more profitable. The internet | | | | engrained in tradition expressed disappointment. The |
| and information technology have made that possible. | | | | leaders were left with dreams, plans, execution and |
| General Motors and eBay are two companies who | | | | the true possibilities displayed in sales history, |
| have reduced focus from their original purpose to | | | | demographics, profiles, and shifts in buying trends. |
| reflect financing. They have both learned that | | | | This CRM uses sales force automation to expedite |
| keeping the customer in debt through interest | | | | sales and assist the sales force, customer service |
| bearing finance for longer periods of time is more | | | | and support to align sales with suppliers, and |
| beneficial to the business. | | | | marketing management and analysis to find the |
| Another example is from the best seller Good to | | | | market. These interact to align the business with |
| Great. This book lists Kimberly Clark as a successful | | | | customers' needs and meeting them more promptly |
| company that thrived in a dying industry. This | | | | at the point of sale. |
| company moved from being a supplier of coated | | | | With evolving technology and high tech consumers, |
| paper to consumer goods like Huggies and Kleenex. | | | | we can expect many more companies to leave their |
| How did these companies transform to this kind of | | | | original core competencies to ones that earn them |
| success? I believe it was from a keen insight into | | | | more money with fewer costs. Much business is |
| customer relationship management. Even at its | | | | growing on-line. Without the proper risk of visionaries, |
| primitive form, before current software availability, | | | | and data used properly from CRM a company may |
| the astute business leaders recognized the trend in | | | | die in its antiquity. |