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These professional services firms took their Relationship Management to the next level
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Chapter 3
Challenges when implementing new relationship technology
"Getting a sales team to join your CRM system is challenging enough. Getting your lawyers or consultants to adopt a system is even harder. That's why we make sure we bring the information to them, rather than taking up their time."
#1 challenge: adopting the system
Adoption of any CRM application is a huge challenge for professional services firms and you don't want people to spend their valuable time entering and checking data. That's why it's important to reverse the adoption process and ensure that the system and tools are brought to the teams, rather than the other way around.
Modern enterprise intelligence systems collect data and process all exchange information, they automatically make connections and relationships, add contacts and score values based on interactions or other variables. One of the conditions is complete transparency. Team members can no longer keep contacts, information and knowledge to themselves - as may have been common in the past.
3 tips for a successful CRM implementation
- A change management strategy is essential, including a well-defined communication plan. Respond to feedback. Create short surveys, such as on easy-to-deliver functionality, to get buy-in.
- Take a phased approach in terms of functionality and user base. Do not do a big bang launch, but add new teams and user groups step by step. This means addressing smaller groups of users based on specific use cases. Gather evidence and positive experiences. And take the next step from there.
- Build dashboards and reports that push information outward. Use reports and dashboards that are easily accessible and understandable.
"Implementing a data-rich relationship intelligence system is much more about change management than yet another software implementation. That's why I recommend not doing big bang implementations, but going for gradual roll-outs."
#2 challenge: integrating the relationship intelligence system with the application landscape
Modern application platforms not only provide technology for relationship intelligence, but also integrate transactional systems, time and billing software and, for example, digital asset management (DAM) applications. When choosing a new CRM system, it must connect and integrate with these other software and applications.
A secure transition to a modern infrastructure, hybrid or in the cloud, is accessible, affordable and ... within reach
Many professional services firms have made or at least started to make the move to the cloud. Where previously security and compliance were potential obstacles to bringing legal data and applications to the cloud, technology has advanced tremendously in recent years. An on premise environment can now hardly compete with the cloud when it comes to cost efficiency, scalability, security and governance.
"If you embed new technology into your teams' daily work routine, keep it simple and accessible from any application they work in, people will naturally get engaged."
The HSO approach: complete platform technologies for professional services firms
When it comes to digital transformation, professional services firms need to take a holistic view. We use a platform approach - uniting and connecting people, processes and data, to take your employees to a higher level of service and delivery that customers demand.
The starting point of our approach is the day-to-day work of professionals. From project manager and consultant to director: do you have the tools to do your job as effectively and efficiently as possible?
Collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams provide a single central access point to all tasks and associated applications. In addition to direct contact with colleagues and clients, the ability to chat and meet, save and retrieve documents, Teams is the gateway to other apps, such as CRM and ERP. As the entry point of one's daily work it’s one of the keys to productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction.
Depending on your strategy and priorities, we (re)design, build or optimize your application landscape using Microsoft business solutions. The result is smarter automated marketing, better pipeline and opportunity management, and a smooth transition from sales to project management and finance.