Read this article and focus on how different departments within a business use customer data for CRM. Then, complete the case study. What data did the company collect for database marketing? How did this company use database marketing to improve customer relationships (CRM)? The case study was an example of a real-world CRM process used to improve customer interaction.
CRM includes many aspects which relate directly to one another:
Front office operations - Direct interaction with customers, e.g. face to face meetings, phone calls, e-mail, online services etc. Back office operations - Operations that ultimately affect the activities of the front office (e.g., billing, maintenance, planning, marketing, advertising, finance, manufacturing, etc.) Business relationships - Interaction with other companies and partners, such as suppliers/vendors and retail outlets/distributors, industry networks (lobbying groups, trade associations). This external network supports front and back office activities. Analysis - Key CRM data can be analyzed in order to plan target-marketing campaigns, conceive business strategies, and judge the success of CRM activities (e.g., market share, number, and types of customers, revenue, profitability, etc.).
There are several different approaches to CRM, with different software packages focusing on different aspects. In general, Campaign Management and Sales Force Automation form the core of the system (with SFA being the most popular).