Evaluating the Success of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems.

Based on the Delone and McLean IS success model (1992), this qualitative study explores customer relationship management (CRM) system success factors. A case research approach was applied to examine CRM applications in three organizations. Through these case studies, five factors of CRM success were explored, namely: system quality, customer information quality, system use, user satisfaction, and system impacts. With regard to system quality, a main determinant of success was the system's primary characteristics. CRM systems can be categorized as operational, analytical and collaborative, based on their characteristics. The study showed how system's characteristics directly affect the purpose of system use. Operational CRM systems are mostly used for providing customer services. Analytical systems are primarily used for decision support. Collaborative systems are used both for work integration and providing service for internal and external customers. The study showed that if systems properly address users' expectations and employees have the required skills to work with systems, employees are more willing to utilize the capabilities of systems to support CRM processes and, in turn, are more satisfied with the outcomes. Customer information quality relates to system quality; integrated CRM systems that are based on standard platforms are more capable of generating high quality customer information in a timely manner. Individual and organizational impacts of CRM systems were explored. Individual productivity, improved decision making and planning, learning and awareness were shown to be important individual benefits that CRM systems provide for employees. At the organizational level, the study showed that CRM systems help organizations to acquire and share more knowledge about their customers, and improve business processes, products and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]