The CRM software market has grown to over 52 billion USD as of 2021. CRMs such as Salesforce, Oracle, Adobe and Microsoft lead the market, while newer CRMs such as Hubspot, Zendesk, and Zoho are carving out their niche. The product software market has grown, and so have CRM consulting firms that provide CRM consulting services to assist customers in selecting and implementing CRM software.
As a result, your options as a buyer in the CRM market have increased, which can be a positive thing, however, you have to know your way around the various options available & also select the right CRM consulting firm.
CRM Consulting Firms – Evaluation Criteria
Years of Experience
CRM consulting firms that have implemented CRMs for several years and business processes have built some best practices which not only fasten the implementation but also lead to process improvement. As part of their CRM advisory services, they bring in the domain and learning experience accumulated over several implementations.
Experience of Multiple CRMs
CRM consulting firms that have implemented CRMs for several years and business processes have built some best practices which not only fasten the implementation but also lead to process improvement. As part of their CRM advisory services, they bring in the domain and learning experience accumulated over several implementations.
Project Management and Delivery
A critical part of any CRM consulting services project – project management, documentation, user training and implementation support is critical for a successful CRM implementation. Ensure your CRM implementation consultancy has a clear roadmap on the delivery & has project management and documentation capabilities
Depending on your business processes, customization requirements, process complexity and budget you should choose a CRM consulting firm that can follow a
Vanilla Approach – Implement the CRM with minimal customization & quick go-live
Proof of Concept – Can build a POC to demonstrate the skill to configure the product as per requirements and processes.
Pilot Implementations – Implement the system for a few users or a selected process and expand organization-wide post successful pilot
As a result, most organizations focus on choosing the CRM product and often ignore the implementation company. Having the right CRM consulting firm can make or break a CRM project. CRM implementations have often failed because of the CRM Consultancy selected, rather than the CRM itself.