How to Put Together a CRM Implementation Team
CRM implementation is a critically important decision for any business. However, you can’t just buy a new CRM platform, hit the switch, and be on your way to better business relationships and higher revenue. In reality, it’s a much more complicated process with hurdles and pitfalls that must be navigated. Poorly planned implementations can lead to poor user adoption and a lack of understanding from daily users why they being asked to do what they are being asked to do.
Hence, an important element of implementing your CRM is putting the right team in place. This article will explore some of the strategies for getting a team together and operating effectively.
What we'll Cover:
Assess Your Implementation Challenges
Every CRM implementation has different challenges you should take into account. To better navigate these challenges, you should also consider
- the difficulty of the challenge
- the size of the challenge
How you assess these aspects will later impact your implementation project, especially if we’re discussing a large-scale, ample project. These are generally more technically difficult and properly assessing your challengers will offer you clear action points during the implementation. Then you should build out a detailed plan of what you need to do and the specific challenges you’ll face.
We also recommend getting someone to build a specification document at this stage. Most businesses appoint a project manager and then ask them to build a brief. These should be distinct processes, because the scope of the project will help determine who should manage it.
Find Your Implementation Leader
For such complex projects, you need a responsible to handle the daily implementation process. Think of a person who is ultimately responsible for the project deliverables. Make sure to ask your selected responsible for some input into the specifications and technical aspects. Ultimately, they must be comfortable with what they are asked to deliver.
These project leaders can be internal or external. However, keep in mind that internal project managers tend to work because as the project progresses, the scope almost always expands. Besides, there is a lot of implementation work that continues post-implementation. This is typically the time when issues and problems start, given that feedback from end users comes flowing in.
If you choose the external consultant path, this process might end up being pricey because of this reason. However, if you can’t find an adequate fit for such a project internally, an external consultant with the right skills can be the best option.
Whichever option you choose, be aware that the scope and time taken is very likely to expand.
Subject-Matter Experts
For a successful implementation project, ensure you have the right technical skills within the team. Your project manager should define a clear view of what needs to be done and whether this will require technical skills, what type of technical skills, and what roles are usually able to fit those skills in the specification document. Complex CRM implementations will often require developers, Excel experts, and consultants who specialize in your CRM of choice. Keep in mind that reputable vendors also offer consultancy as part of their implementation package which will also be responsible for training sessions and delivering educational content to your teams as the implementation progresses.
Worker Bees
Contrary to the popular belief, there is a lot of manual work in CRM implementation projects that mainly consists of continuous checking and uploading type tasks. Generally, being able to pull in a team of employees who can be called into the project will help to get things moving faster without exploding your budget.
Implementation Champions
Internal implementation champions are critical to your project’s success. Your implementation champions can be employees with a good organizational reputation. Such employees will motivate the team and give them public credit when it is due. The champion is also very helpful for getting buy-in from the rest of the business.
Finally, Good Fundamentals
Make sure the team have clearly set out their objectives, have a solid project management system in place, and meet regularly. These people will be working together on a difficult problem so help to build a professional but friendly atmosphere so people feel they can contribute and that they’re part of a team. As mentioned before, you should also find a reputable vendor that will be ready to jump in and give a helping hand when needed.
Want to learn more about what it takes to successfully complete a CRM implementation project from start to finish? Get in touch with us or read our customer success stories here.
