Taking a second look at SAP CRM
While some SAP customers may already have SAP CRM, others are now looking at SAP CRM2007, the company’s latest version, with renewed interest. In the past, SAP SCM and SAP CRM were mainly reserved for early adopters. A common view was that CRM struggled with a mediocre implementation record, a low perceived return on investment and low user acceptance.
The major reason for that poor track record in my experience was the fact that most CRM implementations were department-driven and consequently lacked a company-wide CRM strategy. In addition, the product took some time to mature and was crippled by its poor user interface. As a result, existing SAP CRM customers quite often found themselves with a functioning, but half-baked CRM solution that was difficult to implement, and didn’t deliver the anticipated ROI. As a result it was shunned by its users.
So while most companies agree they need to be customer-driven and strive to achieve a 360 degree view of the customer, their previous experiences with CRM solutions have made them cautious about embarking on another CRM initiative. However the time seems right for existing SAP customers to take a closer second look at CRM.
New web client user interface
With the release of version CRM2007, SAP has addressed the previous shortcomings in the user interface (UI). With the WebUI, the look-and-feel has become a lot more appealing to end users. This applies especially to the interaction centre module.
End-user requirements can also now be met a lot easier since changes to the user interface, such as the re-positioning of fields and the changing of field and tab names, no longer require development, but can be performed through configuration. The new interface has won overwhelming praise in the SAP community and is regarded as the long-awaited breakthrough for SAP CRM, as comments by these industry analysts testify.
AMR’s Robert Bois, in his paper, “SAP CRM 2007: Worth the Wait?” (13/12/07), says: “Any SAP customers intending to implement or upgrade any time in the next 12 to 18 months should look no further than CRM 2007. Usability, particularly for the sales audience, has been dramatically improved and should result in much higher success rates. While continued improvements to the UI can be expected in subsequent releases, this is likely the biggest step change we will see for a long time.”
Ed Thompson from Gartner, in “New SAP CRM Release Has New User Interface and Capabilities” (17/12/07) agrees that previous customers should give the application another try: “SAP CRM customers that have piloted, trialled or had limited success with SAP CRM v.2, v.3 and v.4, should request a demonstration of the new version.”
Best practice content
Another significant improvement with CRM2007 is the release of a rich set of best practice content for CRM. CRM best practice provides easy to install base scenarios across sales, service and marketing functions, including configuration and process documentation. This new feature enables consultants to set up a fully functioning prototype in less than a week, which can be used as a proof-of-concept during the blueprinting phase or as an accelerator during the implementation process.
New functionality: BCM and Adobe Forms
SAP has addressed some of the remaining functional gaps as well. The most significant change here is a direct result of SAP’s acquisition of Wicom Communications in Finland. As a result, SAP CRM 2007 customers are now afforded direct access to Wicom’s telephony solution (called BCM = Business Communication Management) that is now fully integrated into the new SAP CRM2007 suite. CRM customers can now implement a fully functioning call centre including telephony, VoIP and IVR without having to involve a telephony provider such as Genesys. This reduces the potential cost, risk and complexity of any implementation of the SAP CRM interaction centre.
Other benefits include the introduction of Adobe Interactive forms that allow users access to new functionality. For example, users are now able to maintain a PDF form offline and then email it to a dedicated email address. The emailed PDF form is automatically processed in CRM, with an automatic record being created in SAP, for example, as an activity.
Recommendations
Existing SAP CRM customers should seriously consider upgrading to the new version of SAP CRM in order to breathe new life into their existing CRM solution. They will gain access to some of the user and functional benefits outlined earlier such as the new WebUI, Best Practice content, Business Communication Management and Adobe forms and will get another chance of realising their initial ROI (an upgrade path to CRM2007 exists for all versions from CRM 4.0 upwards).
R/3 customers with an interest in CRM should request a demonstration of the new CRM solution and consider a proof-of-concept exercise. Another option for R/3 customers, that may mitigate risk and reduce the exposure of a full implementation, is to consider the CRM All-in-One solution (CRM A1) for up to 60 users offered by SAP and its SAP A1 partners for a discounted entry-level price.
For more information about Oxygen’s SAP CRM capabilities please email Jens Tonn: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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