Best Practices Implementing SaaS CRM

Following is a brief overview of a recently released Forrester report entitled 'Best Practices: The Smart Way To Implement CRM'. The authors William Brand and Peter Marston initially discuss how SaaS CRM is becoming an accepted platform for delivering CRM applications. They state:
“CRM SaaS implementations have moved beyond their previous status as a specialized deployment option and into the mainstream. With more frequent upgrades, faster deployment, lower upfront costs and high acceptance by employee end users, customer demand for CRM SaaS applications shows no signs of slowing down."

They go on to detail that SaaS CRM implementations need to consider multiple factors in order to help ensure success:

1) BUILD THE RIGHT BUSINESS CASE

Fully understand your desire to shift to an SaaS platform. Cost should not be the only factor. Ensure you have a firm grasp on your business needs as well.

In addition, also consider how your SaaS implementation can integrate with your legacy applications. To be effective, a CRM application needs to share and consume data from other systems. "If you are concerned about how easy it is to integrate the solution into your environment, ask for a list of partners that have integration expertise that you can leverage.” advise Brand and Marston.

2) FOLLOW THE RIGHT IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

"Eventhough one of the advantages of an SaaS CRM implementation is speed you still need to approach the implementation methodically." Brand and Marston state. They go on to say, "(a) successful implementation and integration requires that you follow sound practices...". Those practices include:

• Build an implementation team: The team should comprise of: an executive sponsor, a steering committee including a user group representative, a CRM SaaS solutions administrator, and a CRM SaaS vendor developer or consultant.
  
• Define an implementation timeline: Set expectations appropriately with both project team members as well as end users. Set and manage towards task and milestone dates.
  
• Configure the solution for user relevance: Ensure the end result solves the defined business issues.

3) ESTABLISH THE RIGHT SUPPORT STRUCTURE

More often than not an implementation contains custom design and integration supporting unique business needs. Typically, the CRM vendor's support staff provides support for the application's core functionality...not custom system enhancements. In cases where custom enhancements exist ensure to assign responsibility as to who supports what. There are three paths that can be taken when assigning support responsibility:

1. Vendor Support: If the vendor is to support custom functionality ensure that the vendor's support staff is versed on the customizations.
   
2. Internal IT Support: Here too, assuming your IT staff did not develop the custom functionality, ensure that they possess the needed knowledge so as to provide effective support for the customizations.
   
3. Consultant Support: Enact a support agreement with the consultancy in the case that a consultant designed and implemented the custom functionality.

All in all, words of wisdom to consider when implementing not only CRM on a SaaS platform but also CRM on an on-premise platform as well.