CRM Consulting

In 1999, it was declared that CRM consulting and CRM consultants would be driven into obsolescence due to the growing use of software-as-a-service or SaaS models. It has been foretold that companies and industries would be less likely to invest in a CRM firm due to their inflated installation and maintenance fees. SaaS vendors, on the other hand, have kept their software and services cheap, causing companies and businesses to turn to these new models and to snub the on-premise CRM implementation software. With the rising of SaaS, one tends to wonder, what will become of CRM consulting jobs?

Even with the invention of SaaS, on-premise CRM software still hasn’t faded away into nothing. Of course, there will always be those people who still use on-premise CRM implementation. But since this market for this type of implementation is lessening with the changing times, CRM consultancies have decided to adapt to change as well.

So what is it that CRM firms are doing now to keep themselves afloat? The answer is simple. CRM consulting firms are revolutionizing the way they deliver their services. Instead of focusing on the technology area of CRM implementation such as technicalities of the software, CRM experts are shifting their attention towards how this technology would benefit the company and fit in the companies' CRM work flow. As the experts say, maintaining customer relations is not about on-demand or on-premise usage. Rather, it is about keeping your customers. A CRM consultant right now would tell you that whatever application you are using, the bottom line is, the company needs to be more customer oriented in order to succeed.

This is where CRM strategy comes in. Many businesses and industries are hiring CRM consultants not to teach them about software or tool usage, but rather they get consulting to teach them the best way to fit these tools in their already existing business model.

A CRM advisor once explained that when she meets clients, she first inquires about how the business is doing and what employees are facing each day. She focuses on learning the business first, before even attempting to tackle the client’s new technology. After understanding how the business works, she then gives her recommendations on what the company should do better, what type of training should be given to the employees, and what software would be a good fit (here is a good resource on how to compare CRM software).

In the past, businesses and companies would hire consultants to teach them how to make the technology fit their system. But now businesses hire consultants to teach them how this technology fits their system. Nowadays the experts spend less time with the technical aspects such as configuring an implementation and they spend more time doing exactly what they should be doing, offering you CRM solutions.

Another thing that is keeping consultancies afloat is the sudden cut in the price of companies regarding the CRM implementation process. On- premises implementations traditionally would take two to three years to fully implement. This meant high costs in implementation and maintenance on the company’s part. However, due to SaaS, the implementation process has been shortened considerably. And the costs have been cut considerably as well. Due to this cut in costs, companies have more flexibility in terms of money, and can invest in hiring a CRM consultant.

SaaS means that instead of consultants configuring a bulky technology for years to make it work, they are able to finish the job in weeks. On the downside, this means cutting their salary a bit. This is why CRM companies, perhaps even Microsoft CRM consulting, have innovated their services to include training programs to ensure that businesses enhance user adoption and the technology does not go to waste. Also, without the burden of bulky technologies on their minds, consultants now have more time to try and find CRM for small businesses.

So with consultancies fighting for their existence and cleverly innovating their services to still be of great use, how do you choose which firm is best for your company? Well, every company has its needs and objectives. If the company is determined to succeed in customer relationship management, then they will certainly be able to identify which skills and expertise they need the most. Once these items are identified, then you will better be able to match your criteria with what consultancies have to offer. Based on your checklist, you can then see which consultancy is your best match. Also, looking into return-on-investment estimates is always a good idea. Other companies may even be able to recommend a firm that worked well for them.

In the end, CRM consulting is not altogether fading into dust. Like any species, one must really fight for survival. The growth of SaaS has given both advantages and disadvantages to experts in the CRM field, causing them to revolutionize their services, perhaps for the better.