July 2003

Magazine Features

Driving Sales

Saab Cars USA rolled out its enterprisewide CRM solution and strategy, dubbed TouchPoint, beginning in January 2002. Saab is using TouchPoint to improve customer service efforts, as well as to support customers and dealers. The initiative focuses on the customer interaction center, marketing, lead management, and data quality.

Service on Steroids

While the performance optimization market is still relatively new, the melding of workflow automation, training, workforce management, and workforce optimization solutions is starting to provide a soup-to-nuts means of identifying and improving agent performance levels.

CRM World Domination

Whether existing Western CRM giants or new, localized CRM providers prevail, expansion into emerging markets is good news for the overall state of CRM. It's even better news for global businesses looking at CRM solutions to help improve customer relations and increase revenue.

Getting IT Together

Don't fall into the proprietary pitfalls when integrating. Just as packaged applications caused the scattered data silos and disparate operating systems, using proprietary software to integrate will open another Pandora's box.

Front Office

The Front Line Is Your Brand

Reality Check

Enterprise Schmenterprise

CRM still means different things to different people.

Insight

Migrate or Merge?

In the best-case scenario customers often stay on their current product, requiring support in return for maintenance fees.

The Great Debate

It's a product that's designed to help its customers shave seconds off calls, but the way DirectQuest works has led to both benefits and controversy.

News in Brief

Heard and Overheard

Vertical Focus: Financial Services

Eight Building Blocks for CRM Success

Gartner consultant Ed Thompson offered eight building blocks for successful CRM projects.

Required Reading

The Fight for Clean Data

CRM Defined: Collaborative CRM

REAL ROI

Donatos Delivers Satisfaction

Although the company uses a host of internal metrics and the occasional secret shopper, real-time customer feedback is its primary tool for tracking satisfaction.

HOT PROJECTS: Insurance

When customers don't know about services they may want to buy, it's like throwing away opportunity.

Using the Contact Center to Support Sales Growth

If enough employees are not happy with their plan, they can complain to their employer, which might prompt the employer to drop the financial services company for another one.

The Third Implementation's the Charm

To date, 40 of Outstart's 95 workers are using Salesnet; 25 of those 40 are sales reps (15 inside sales, the rest field sales), the remainder is business partners, Outstart executives, telemarketing folks, system engineers, and some workers in the finance department.

Secret of My Success

Seeing Green

A major way Taylor Made-Adidas Golf stays close to its customers is through email help.