Dive Brief:
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A new study from ZS Associates found that many CIOs use CRM mainly as a management tool rather than as software that can help them improve sales through customer insight.
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The businesses surveyed utilize a variety of CRM platforms, with Salesforce.com in the majority (54% of respondents), followed by SAP (19%), Microsoft Dynamics (17%), Siebel (13%), Oracle (10%), and other systems (29%).
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Respondents reported the least number of positive results for incentive compensation management, collaterals and proposals, and partner management. Around 75% of respondents said they also wish to see improvements made in the quality of the data used in CRM.
Dive Insight:
Ron Siahpoosh, a principal in ZS Associate's Chicago office and the CRM practice lead, said the key to strategic CIO use of CRM is to use it to gain customer insights, rather than simply as a management tool for sales.
“The CIO needs to use CRM to think about the customer experiences, the user experiences, and only then about the nuts-and-bolts of the technology,” Siahpooshm said. “CRM should be more than just a process technology. It should be a way to create better customer experiences and relationships."
