Non Executive CRM Director Director brings many benefits

We have been in this sector for 30 years, we have seen every pitfall and witnessed the damage caused by failed projects.

By using an Interim CRM manager you remain in charge but have the project scoped and driven by experience. By using our service you avoid the mistakes and quickly bring your solution to market at a considerably lower cost.

Sometimes projects Fail

The initial strategy often lacks in house support Once ‘announced’, objections to the strategy are raised Misunderstandings of the strategy occur Lines of Responsibility and Authority become blurred Budgets and performance measures don’t align with the strategy
The strategy changes with undue regularity External stakeholders don’t ‘buy in’ to the strategy

Not only is this a waste of time and energy, but also the whole strategic planning process may become discredited.

A feasibility study answers a very important question: can the need for a new system be justified?

In other words, is it technically feasible and economically desirable? The feasibility study begins with a preliminary investigation, this may involve obtaining at least the following general information:

Details of the system currently been used, its benefits and limitations Additional requirements of the new system.
From the information gathered during this preliminary investigation, a report is produced which includes the following information.

A statement of the purpose of the system:
This includes a brief description of what the current system does, and an indication of any new developments that are required in the new system.

A definition of system scope:
This establishes the boundaries of the system analysis process and includes any constraints, such as cost of development and will include specific departmental objectives and priorities. It includes all areas of the system that should be developed and identifies any other system or process that might be affected by this development or that provide information for this system.

It is important to remember that when a new system is been developed, it is almost certain to be affected by, and have an effect on, other systems that are used within the organisation. It is important to establish in this section the exact limits of the task.

A statement of user requirements:
Clearly, this section needs to be developed in close consultation with the users and there are various ways their requirements can be defined.

One way is to ask users to compile a list of what they require from the new system. Another way is for the systems analyst to interview users to identify what they think needs to be achieved by the new system.

It is important for the users to prioritise the list of requirements, as not all may be achievable owing to constraints on time and money or other suppliers of data or systems that you rely upon. Using information provided by the users, we / you then identify the outputs that are required from the system. This enables you to decide on the appropriate data inputs and data capture methods (direct entry, from website, integration with existing systems or from other data-source). Finally, once the inputs and outputs are identified, the general processing steps required are outlined.

Cost benefits or limitations of development:
Every software development project has a limit on the funds available to complete the project, this budget is normally set by the sponsors of the project, the feasibility study will need to estimate the cost of completing the project, including the cost of hardware (if any) and software, manpower costs for both parties in regard to developing new software and training costs, and so on.

The new development will probably also have cost benefits. These might be tangible cost benefits such as reduced costs of processing or manpower, increased sales, etc.. Or they may be intangible benefits like improved customer service. You may have to identify what cost benefits the project sponsors are expecting and to consider these carefully to see whether they are achievable.

Conclusion and recommendations: This section of the report clearly lays out the best way forward for developing a new system or moving an existing installation forward. By comparing cost, benefits and limitations, we work together to make recommendations that are achievable within an agreed time plan and budget. In some situations, there may be a number of ways that the problem can be approached. It is worth making it clear that any system selected can only reach its potential if all members of the group commit to making it work.

Ensure all users understand the way the system works and test each part thoroughly Ensure all departments processes can be achieved All departments and teams to document any concerns and submit for discussion and resolution Finally, you make a decision whether to go ahead with the project. If the analyst has recommended that there may not be a workable solution, they need to decide whether:

• To remove any constraints that may be causing the analyst to give this recommendation

• To seek other alternative solutions, and/or to stay with the current system.

Let us know the role you want us to fulfil, if you want us to lead or follow, what are the reporting lines of communication and where authority and responsibility rests for each phase and the time lines for each phase.

Fail to Plan and you Plan to Fail

As a result of experience going back to 1996 we understand the strategic planning and processes, we help your team understand the difference between features and benefits and as a ‘strategist’� and sometimes as a non-executive Director of your team with responsibility for the deployment we ensure you get the results you deserve.

We firmly believe the determination of an organisations strategy is the responsibility of the Board or equivalent body �� it has to be owned by the client not us!

Whilst our experience will save you time and money our approach will also vary depending upon what stage the client has reached in developing its strategy; it could involve:

• Interviewing Board members and key players
• Designing, issuing and collating responses to questionnaires
• Reviewing strengths and weaknesses in your existing systems
• Running workshops to reach consensus on the strategy, objectives, actions and timelines etc.
• Assisting with the monitoring of action plans