CXM Implementation

STEP 1

Key User Assignment

Key users are the highest level representatives of the next4biz CRM/CSM system within your organization. A minimum of three Key Users should be assigned for this purpose. One should represent the business units engaged in marketing/sales management and have comprehensive insight into these processes and your related businesses strategies; one should represent the business units engaged in customer/after-sales service management and have similarly comprehensive insight into these processes and your related businesses strategies; the other Key User should be a member of the IT support department.

Following Design and Customization training and the accompanying certification, Key Users will participate throughout the implementation project ensuring coordination between the project team and your organization. Following project completion and going live, Key Users will retain their role as the configuration authority for the next4biz system. The uninterrupted involvement and strict adherence to the project schedule by the Key Users is a key project success factor.

STEP 2

Design and Customization Training

Design and customization training comprises an intensive and immersive virtual classroom course for Key Users and led by expert instructors. The training materials emphasize the practical utilization of next4biz CRM CSM functionality and customization features. Additionally, they include conceptual content where needed to ensure alignment with the trainees’ organizational context. The course duration is 48 hours, planned to be completed within two calendar weeks grouped into two separate modules for CRM and CSM. Access training content and calendar for CRM here, for CSM here.

It’s important to distinguish between design and customization training and end user training. In contrast to end user training, design and customization training delves deeper into the intricacies of customization.

Full, uninterrupted attendance is mandatory. Participants who do not achieve certification during the training program may not participate as Key Users during the implementation project. If a Key User is changed, the new Key User must receive Design and Customization Training and be certified before joining the team.

STEP 3

Process Analysis and Solution Design

Requirement Gathering: The tool used for requirement gathering purposes is the Requirement Analysis Question Set (RAQS) which is distributed to certified Key Users. Answers to RAQS questions are prepared and submitted digitally to the next4biz project team by whom they are compiled and consolidated.

Project Kickoff: The project kickoff is a significant meeting that marks the official initiation of rollout project activities. It is a jump-off point for all members of the project team, both from your organization and next4biz. During the meeting responses to the RAQS are reviewed and the draft project plan shared is divulged.

Project Requirement Analysis: During this activity the Project Analysis Document (PAD) is prepared on the basis of responses to the Requirement Analysis Question Set and additional information gathered during project kickoff. PAD provides the basis and determines the scope of further analysis and design, including customer data requirement analysis and integration requirements analysis.

Customer data requirement analysis: Based on the scope defined by the Project Analysis Document, the data structures for storing CRM/CSM related data and master data are determined and defined. Existing built-in next4biz data elements are matched with your requirements, while new data elements required for the solution are identified. The identified customer data elements are either mapped to the user interfaces or to external systems that will be supplying the data.

Integration Requirements Analysis: In this activity each system slated for integration is assessed from a technical standpoint to ascertain the appropriate technologies, methods, scope, and structure for establishing an interface that facilitates inter-system communication. The results of the analysis are documented in a comprehensive Integration Plan.

Solution Design: This is the activity that brings together the results of data analysis and integration analysis as a Solution Design (SD) document which sets forth the implementation and customization roadmap.

Reporting Requirements Analysis: next4biz CRM/CSM boasts an extensive library of built-in reports that can readily fulfill many of your reporting needs. In this activity your reporting requirements that are satisfied by next4biz filter and reporting fields are identified. All remaining requirements are analyzed and earmarked as implementation targets.

Solution design review: In this meeting, the next4biz team presents the solution design to senior management of your organization responsible for the project. The design is given a final review and minor adjustments are made if necessary to bring the design in to its final form.

Requirement Gathering: Fully answering RAQS is crucial to producing a comprehensive analysis and guiding the subsequent solution design.

Project Kickoff: All members of the project team from your organization as well as next4biz should be present at the meeting.
The attendance of senior managers and stakeholders is crucial to emphasize and motivate participants, indicating the project’s top-level endorsement within your organization.

Project Requirement Analysis: The thoroughness and level of detail captured by PAD determine the ease and quality of subsequent analysis, design, and the eventual customized end-solution. Key Users play an important role in communicating with and compiling input from all relevant departments to ensure a detailed and rounded-out PAD.

Customer data requirement analysis: Key users play a pivotal role during this stage by evaluating not only current data needs but also determining data requirements arising from process improvements planned to accompany the rollout of next4biz applications. Key users ensure that this analysis accurately represents the needs of all elements within your organization by collaborating with all relevant departments and sub-departments involved in the CRM processes being implemented.

Integration Requirements Analysis: Key Users representing the IT function and the IT department play the leading role in sourcing critical input regarding the systems with which integration is targeted.

Solution Design: The Solution Design document (SD) scopes the solution to be implemented. Work outside of this scope will not be undertaken within the rollout project. However, the SD may prescribe a stepwise transition for the next4biz CRM/CSM implementation as necessary.

Reporting Requirements Analysis: Key users ensure that this analysis accurately represents the needs of all elements within your organization by collaborating with all relevant departments and sub-departments involved in the processes being implemented.

Solution design review: This meeting marks the culmination of all preceding analysis and design efforts. The outcome is a binding design which will require the input of all stakeholders as expounded in the solution design. Therefore, senior management participation in this meeting and endorsement of the solution design is required.

STEP 4

Customization

Customization is performed collaboratively by members of the next4biz team and the Key Users through the implementation of the customization requirements identified by the approved Solution Design document and in accordance with the Roadmap to Success (R2S) methodology.

It is crucial to adhere to the schedule defined in the Solution Design document. For this reason the key stakeholders should closely monitor project progress during this stage.

STEP 5

Integration

Following CRM related customizations in which customer specific data structures are created for your organization, these data structures need to be populated with data available from your other enterprise systems. For this purpose next4biz CRM API’s are employed.

Before cutting over to live production a bulk data transfer is necessary. next4biz CRM utilizes parallelization and optimization algorithms suitable for the volume of data transferred.

Once bulk data transfer has been performed and all systems share the same data, integration will ensure that data changes on one system are reflected on the other in a continuous fashion. next4biz CRM ensures the consolidation and de-duplication of all data.

For customer service management related areas two categories of integration must be considered:

Communication channels integration is the first category and covers cloud and traditional call center integration (computer – telephony integration or CTI). SMS and email integration is directly configurable from within next4biz CSM for both inbound and outbound communication traffic. Other systems have prerequisites to be fulfilled before system integration can be realized: Social media platforms such as complaint sites, in addition require API membership for interfacing with next4biz CSM. Chat, chatbots, e-commerce hubs, online services, internet banking and other applications may also have subscription related prerequisites that have to be fulfilled aside from the technical aspects of integration.

The second category is customer information integration. The integration of enterprise systems involves the two way sharing of customer information. To facilitate this web services provide a good mediation architecture. IFrame’s can also be utilized to embed access to other enterprise applications from within next4biz CSM. Where this is possible, next4biz CSM can synchronize data with external systems and trigger processing as part of cross-system processing.

Initial bulk data transfer of data to next4biz is the responsibility of your business. The next4biz team will provide API support services for next4biz applications where necessary, and extensive documentation, sample code and technical support resources are available for this purpose.

After the initial transfer only data changes need to be transferred from their system of origin to next4biz. Therefore the systems to be integrated (such as ERP, e-commerce, web applications, and other enterprise systems) must have the facility to call next4biz API’s upon being triggered by record changes. If this is not available the support of your IT department or the vendor of the system to be integrated will be needed. Alternatively organizations within the extensive network of next4biz partners can be called upon to provide support to your business for this purpose.

Once data changes begin being communicated between the integrated systems, the IT representatives within your project team will have the responsibility to monitor API call status and manage API call and transfer logs relating to these transactions.

Specific to customer service management functions, call center operations necessitate CTI that allows an HTTP call to be generated on next4biz CSM along with caller ID (telephone number). If your organization only has a switchboard, it should have softphone for the call center integration.

STEP 6

Testing and Piloting

Following the completion of customizations and integrations specified by the Solution Design (SD) document, Key Users prepare and execute test scenarios within the next4biz application environment. According to the success attained with these scenarios, a pilot run may also be performed.

Test scenarios need to be pre-prepared by Key Users as a prerequisite to this stage. It is important that all processes are covered by these scenarios executed by the actual end users, so as to accurately identify any risks looking forward to live operations. Customization revisions should be made to eliminate identified risks.

STEP 7

End User Training

In this stage the Key Users prepare training programs and content targeting End Users and personally provide training to the End Users on this basis. The prepared training materials reflect the practices of using next4biz CRM within the context of your business and reflecting the unique state of your implemented CRM system following customization. If necessary a user manual can also be prepared as part of the materials provided to End Users.

The quality level of End User training is inversely proportional to the applications for support made by End Users to the Key Users. A well-designed training program ensures End User satisfaction and reduces the need for extensive support.

STEP 8

Live Use

Congratulations! You are now an active user business of next4biz applications. During a two-week transition period next4biz product consultants will continue providing in-the-loop support to your users. After this period your users will have gained the experience and confidence to operate and manage your new CRM/CSM system autonomously. Meanwhile, next4biz is always there for help via the next4biz customer support platform accessible from the HELP menu of your system.

From this point onward, Key Users should monitor the use of your next4biz CRM/CSM system and identify emerging risks and process improvement opportunities. Their experience with the application and processes will be sufficient for them to independently evolve the configuration of your next4biz CRM/CSM system in response to your changing business requirements.