Checklist for CRM-implementation

When you are thinking about implementing a CRM-system, there are in our experience quite a few things to consider. Both organizational needss och business needs have to be considered as well as a plan for support and how to manage the system. Here is a checklist of things to consider when evaluating what kind of CRM you are going to need in order to maximize the system value for your organization.

Clarify organizational needs

• Ensure quality in communication with clients and other external contacts to lay the foundation for long term relationships, e.g. “making sure the left hand knows what the right hand does”
• Increase collaboration across line of business units, such as admissions and alumni relations, professional education and student communications
• Increase data quality, establish a clear single point of truth.
• Reduce dependency on individuals within the organization, e.g. avoid multitude of personal systems Excel files and with information structures that is not understandable by others.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations such as the GDPR for processing personal data
• Cost efficiency

Clarify line of business needs

• Make users life easier - efficiency
• ease of use - use specific terminology for alumni, for professional education, for fundraising - generic sales terminology creates a barrier for users
• specific tools for each line of business, such as alumni registration forms, course registration forms, newsletter templates, etc.
• predefined reports with relevant key metrics for each business
• Integrated communication tools for email, text messaging and postal mail.

Evaluate IT infrastructure, potential integrations and data import

• Student administrative system. Usos
• Communications. Microsoft Office, including Outlook / Exchange?
• Migration and imports of existing data. Ensuring data quality and matching records from separate systems.

Plan for GDPR compliance and ensure a privacy first design, with regard to the specific GDPR rules for state owned entities.

Plan for support, policies and system governance

• CRM policy and internal terms of use
• Internal support organization
• Vendor support - technical
• Vendor support - internal end users