Digital interaction with our members has become the norm in just a matter of weeks, never have we seen anything move this fast and it’s here to stay, perhaps not to the extremes we see it today, as people like to interact with people, but it will stay and increase.
Member confidence with using online tools and reliance has massively grown, therefore, we face the next conundrum, how do we make sure that we maximise this opportunity?
If you can collect this data and analyse it you will have more insight than ever before on how they interact with your organisation, ‘what to’ focus on and ‘what not’, what content resonates or falls flat. Using this insight can help you drive your organisation forward and using data to inform decisions is important for your future growth. Click here to read how the Institution of structural engineers or the British Ecological Society have approached this.
Ensuring you have a robust CRM system is key, today data-based decisions are key to the success and continued growth of an organisation. Many organisations are at odds with their current systems, perhaps it’s due to age, they’re no longer fit for purpose, there are lots of manual workarounds, there’s a lack of trust in the quality and integrity of the data or you’re just not able to capture the information needed from members to continue to drive member value.
In our experience, there are five key areas to consider before you make any future decisions.
1 – Business Requirements – do you know what you are trying to achieve now and in the future. Understanding this will help you when looking for the right solution for you.
2 – Business Process Mapping – do you have a clear view of all the processes your organisation run that needs to be supported by the CRM? Reviewing the ‘as is’ state and mapping out the ‘to be’ state across the organisation, not only breaks down organisational silos but ensures you have an end to end picture.
3 – Data – do you know what you have and where? Many organisations doubt the data they have but understanding what’s there and making sense of the silos can often be enlightening. In our experience, it is not the lack of data, but the confidence and knowledge of what is there.
4 – Systems – have you mapped out your digital estate, what technology has been adopted over the recent years, what legacy systems might you have that need to integrate or work alongside the CRM.
5 – Users – do you have a clear view of the challenges from a user perspective?
Once you understand the above looking for potential partners becomes more straight forward. Vendors (some not all), will promote all the benefits they can offer, all the latest technology and bells and whistles, being swayed by this is all too easy, therefore, having a clear understanding of the points above will help you identify what you actually need and importantly why. You can also address the potential user adoption challenges right from the start.
You have to keep in mind that there are no perfect suppliers but when you address these areas you will be able to have a balanced and informed decision. We have written an article outlining our thoughts on the supplier selection process – ‘are you making a fully informed choice?’, that you may also find of interest.
We have also written a number of pieces that may be of interest on your digital journey. Never be afraid to ask, we are always happy to offer unbiased advice and recommendations.
Chrysalis Digital provides a digital transformation service designed to help build a more agile, efficient and innovative organisation. With its broad cross-sector experience Chrysalis has helped many organisations map their digital path and through careful planning and assessment, choose the right technology partners. Chrysalis Digital is 100% agnostic when recommending CMS and CRM suppliers to its clients.