Pravci trajnoga poboljšavanja CRM strategije

The concept of relationship marketing has led to a paradigm change in marketing. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have analyzed the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) programs on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Quite a few CRM programs have been found to have little or no impact. Having already published several articles and cases on the subject, in this paper we set out to answer the following question: assuming a company already has a reasonably successful CRM strategy in place, how can it continuously adapt and improve that strategy? Our recommendation is that such companies implement a continuous improvement process at four different but complementary levels: first, review and reinforce the company’s mission, culture and values; second, reconsider and, if necessary, redesign the CRM strategy; third, manage the various relationship-building activities more effectively; and lastly, review and, if necessary, improve the quality of material and human resources, program execution and process governance. A systematic review of these four levels or “paths” of improvement should help generate and maintain high quality relationships over time.Koncept marketinga odnosa doveo je do promjene marketinške paradigme. Tijekom posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća u brojnim je istraživanjima analiziran učinak programa upravljanja odnosima s potrošačima (CRM, od engl. Customer Relationship Managament) na njihovo zadovoljstvo i lojalnost. Pronađeno je svega nekoliko CRM programa s malim ili nikakvim utjecajem. S obzirom na to da smo već objavili nekoliko članaka i poslovnih slučajeva s ovom temom, ovim radom nastojimo odgovoriti na sljedeće pitanje: Ako se pretpostavlja da poduzeće već provodi uspješnu strategiju upravljanja odnosima s potrošačima (CRM), kako se ona može neprekidno prilagođavati i poboljšavati? Naša preporuka je da takva poduzeća uvedu kontinuirani proces poboljšanja CRM programa na četiri različite, ali nadopunjavajuće razine. Prva je osvrt na misiju, kulturu i vrijednosti poduzeća i njihovo ojačavanje. Promišljanje o strategiji odnosa s potrošačima i, ako je potrebno, njihovo redizajniranje predstavlja drugu razinu, dok je treća učinkovitije upravljanje različitim aktivnostima koje služe izgradnji odnosa između potrošača i poduzeća. Zadnju razinu predstavljaju provođenje ispitivanja i, ako je potrebno, poboljšavanje kvalitete korištenih materijalnih i ljudskih potencijala, izvedbe programa i upravljanja procesima. Sustavno ispitivanje ovih četiriju razina ili pravaca poboljšavanja trebalo bi tijekom vremena pomoći stvaranju i održavanju visoke kvalitete odnosa s potrošačima

Paths to continuous improvement of a CRM strategy

The concept of relationship marketing has led to a paradigm change in marketing. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have analyzed the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) programs on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Quite a few CRM programs have been found to have little or no impact. Having already published several articles and cases on the subject, in this paper we set out to answer the following question: assuming a company already has a reasonably successful CRM strategy in place, how can it continuously adapt and improve that strategy? Our recommendation is that such companies implement a continuous improvement process at four different but complementary levels: first, review and reinforce the company’s mission, culture and values; second, reconsider and, if necessary, redesign the CRM strategy; third, manage the various relationship-building activities more effectively; and lastly, review and, if necessary, improve the quality of material and human resources, program execution and process governance. A systematic review of these four levels or “paths” of improvement should help generate and maintain high quality relationships over time