Competitiveness, competition, and the search for productivity and profitability are pushing businesses to integrate digital marketing initiatives. As a result, technology adoption is becoming unavoidable, but where do you start? What to avoid? What are the elements that should not be overlooked? These are legitimate questions that we hear daily and that we will try to answer.

What is a CRM and why is it important?

There are a variety of different technological solutions when it comes to marketing automation platforms, such as a CRM (Customer relationship management system), an ERP (Enterprise resource planner), a PRM (Partner relationship management system), an FSM (Field Service Management System). It is therefore quite normal to get lost through these different solutions and to be able to understand the functionalities of each of them.

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is one of the SaaS (Software as a Service) digital solutions that is among the most popular solutions on the market. CRM is a customer relationship management system that allows you to collect, organize and manage all the information relating to your customers. The buying journey of your customers is highlighted thanks to CRM, which facilitates communication with your customers and optimizes the effectiveness of the contacts you maintain with them. CRM becomes the cornerstone between your various teams, including your customer service, marketing, and sales teams.

From an operational point of view, this customer relationship management system contributes to better management of daily tasks that normally require a lot of time for an employee to perform. Indeed, follow-ups can be automated, data is self-populated, thus minimizing manual errors or oversights, and interdepartmental communication is standardized and facilitated. Your employees can put their energy into projects that are stimulating for them and helping to increase the profitability of the company.

It is undeniable that a CRM is an indispensable tool for businesses wishing to improve their digital marketing and productivity, but the implementation of the system is a crucial step and can be costly and catastrophic if done carelessly. In order to minimize the challenges in implementing a CRM, here are some steps to consider in order to have a solid foundation:

• Business analysis;
• Analysis and mapping of current processes;
• Planning and reengineering processes involved in customer experience and revenue operations;
• A technological recommendation based on the existing technological ecosystem;
• A realistic implementation schedule based on your growth goals.

Once these questions have been answered, the foundations will be well established. On the other hand, you should not underestimate the internal mobilization that this type of project requires — the technologies used internally, if they are not adapted to a CRM, will in some way hinder the company's potential short and medium term gains. Thus, the company must be aware of the efforts required to implement a CRM in order to be able to integrate it well.

What is customer experience (CX)?

Before even starting to implement a CRM, it is highly recommended to map the customer's buying journey, as well as internal processes to be able to understand how it works in relation to their experience. It will therefore be possible first to assess the situation and then to set up a digital transformation (CX) plan in order to improve its profitability.

The purpose of customer experience assessment is to analyze the current needs, goals, and processes of the business in order to quickly implement a solution. As for the transformation plan, it includes the analysis and mapping of the entire CX ecosystem and aims to develop a customer-centric digitization strategy while eliminating interdepartmental silos in order to achieve efficiency and profitability gains.

What information are we going to look for in order to maximize the success of an establishment?

It is essential to analyze the structure of the company in order to fully understand its vision, its internal functioning and its business objectives. To digitize the customer experience, you must first categorize items into two categories: those that need to be completely changed and those that need to be optimized.

This analysis phase also makes it possible to assess the company's current level of digital maturity. Such an assessment facilitates the development of a suitable digitization strategy and guarantees a successful implementation. Here are the key things to consider:

• Business vision and goals : Understand the mission, vision, and short- and long-term goals of the company.‍
• Internal functioning of departments : Analyze the current processes in each department to identify friction points and opportunities for improvement.‍
• Digital maturity level : Evaluate the tools and technologies currently used to determine the starting point and the training and support needs.‍
• Customer experience (CX) : Identify key customer touchpoints and assess how they can be improved or transformed through digitization.‍
• Technology integrations : Determine the necessary integrations between existing systems and new tools to ensure seamless interoperability.‍
• Culture of change : Evaluate the willingness of teams to adopt new technologies and engage in the digital transformation process.

By combining this information, it is possible to develop a targeted and effective digitization strategy that is aligned with the needs and priorities of the company, while ensuring a successful implementation.

Why is technology ecosystem analysis important?

It is important to assess existing technology and business data to identify optimization opportunities with high potential and where technological efforts should be put. It is important to know that technological selection is just as important as the methodology for implementing CRM.

• Assessment of existing technologies : Identify current tools and their effectiveness in identifying areas in need of improvement or replacement.
• ‍Optimization opportunities : Identify processes and systems that can benefit from a technological update to maximize efficiency.
• ‍Importance of technological selection : Choosing the right technologies is as crucial as the methodology for implementing CRM to ensure the success of digitization.
• ‍Centrality of data : Data is essential for understanding customer needs and guiding strategic decisions. A structured and integrated ecosystem allows data to be managed effectively, offering a competitive advantage.
• Responding to digital marketing : The rise of digital marketing is pushing companies to rethink their business development and the customer experience, making optimizing the technological ecosystem essential.
• ‍Productivity and profitability gains : A well-established and integrated CRM offers significant gains in terms of productivity and profitability.

Another central element linked to the digitization of an ecosystem is: data. Data is the key to many successes within a business and helps to understand customer needs. A company can therefore have the impression that it is always running in order to obtain, maintain and understand data, but a structured and integrated ecosystem becomes an unsuspected competitive asset.

The rise of digital marketing is forcing businesses to rethink their business development and the customer experience they offered until then. In a short time, CRM has established itself as an essential solution offering the productivity and profitability gains that are so sought after. While it is possible to digitize almost everything, including the worst, the key lies in pre-analyzing existing processes so that they can be redesigned and optimized for the business. It will thus be possible to determine a selection of technology and an adequate configuration, which will adapt perfectly to the company's strategy as well as to its teams.