Published Articles

• 12 Steps to CRM

  CEO Refresher, February 2009 Issue
  

  Tough economic times call for measures that build – or at least maintain – revenue. Theoretically, at least, there are lots of choices but one approach helps business today and positions your company for the rebound: Better relationship management.

  In this article, we count down the 12 steps to a mature CRM practices.

• Why ROI Needs to be Re-Thought

  In the world of IT, ROI is king. But should it be? How many approved IT projects have you seen with projected returns that -- in spite of the vetted calculations -- you just didn't believe? And how many projects that were rejected because ROI couldn't be calculated or proved, would have turned your company into a well-oiled machine? ROI can be a great tool, but it's not the only mechanism for judging value.

  We explore this topic in the attached pdf. Variants of the article have been published in the following journals or websites:

  • Providence Business Journal, February 9, 2009
  • CEO Refresher, October 2008 (subscription)
  • Industry Week, October 24, 2008
  • IT World, August 28, 2008
• Ready, Fire, Aim! Do You Know What You're Shooting For As You Revamp or Implement CRM?

  The CEO Refresher, August 2007 Issue
  It's easy to get excited about buying your first customer relationship management (CRM) system or upgrading from an old one. If you find yourself dazzled by CRM vendors' pitches but are unsure which one is right - or even how you might use the one that's most appealing - you may not have the right basis for choosing. Picking a CRM system and figuring out how to use it later is risky. Why not do some business-based analysis first? This article is a guide to the thoughtful CRM assessment.

• Getting Your IT Systems to Work Together: It's Not a Technical Issue

  Journal of the Americal Water Works Association, November, 2006
  If you're thinking about integrating your information technology (IT) systems, or even buying a new system to integrate into your application suite, you're probably already researched a number of methods and potential products to enable this integration. However, finding the right technology for an integration project is only part of the challenge. In fact, it's only one of five key issues to address before starting an integration project.

• Restraining Mindsets Hold Some Companies Back

  IndUS Business Journal, December 1, 2004 Issue
  Many CRM systems could be more effective if people, culture, and mindset were properly synchronized and deployed. Most important, senior management must avoid at all costs a company-wide "restraining mindset" or CRM success will be hard to achieve.

• Twelve Steps to CRM

  Handbook of Business Strategy, 2006 Issue
  Does the idea of implementing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) at your organization seem like eating an elephant all at once? Well, it doesn't have to be that way.

• Companies Must Find Return In Customer Base

  IndUS Business Journal, December 15, 2006 Issue
  "ROI" and "CRM" usually appear together in the same sentence when thefirst is the justification for the second, particularly when installinga new CRM system. But there's a different, possibly more valuable ROI issue to consider: The return on investing in your customer base.

• "Customer Base Development" - Why It's Crucial

  IndUS Business Journal, February 1, 2006 Issue
  The term "CRM" got hijacked. Ask, and most who know the term think "system". That's not the way it was when Customer Relationship Management emerged as an important business process. But since CRM now has such a strong systems flavor, let's think more broadly about our real intent - Customer Base Development (CBD).