Archive

In today's challenging economy and ultra-competitive marketplace, businesses simply can't afford customer churn; retention, engagement and overall experience are more important than ever. That's why business leaders are increasingly adopting and integrating the latest customer relationship managemen...

When it comes to social media ROI, suitable performance metrics have proven to be somewhat elusive. In fact, according to survey data for the new Aberdeen benchmark report, "Social Media Marketing: The Latest Buzz on Word of Mouth," more than one-third of all companies indicated that a primary reaso...

There is a considerable amount of speculation about how the molten mass of what was once our financial system will affect our real economy and, closer to home, the CRM industry. Many observers take as their first approximation the Great Depression, which started with the stock market implosion of 19...

Good news for the economy: Small business outsourcing has gone mainstream thanks to the increased use of automation technology -- computers, software and the Internet powering cost-efficient outside service provider teams. Bad news for outsourcing service providers: Small and mid-sized businesses ar...

Despite how quickly social networking is becoming integrated in enterprises, it still isn't scaling to meet the most complex problems faced today. The well-known success stories of customer service being made more accountable and responsive are emanating out of how @ComCastCares, @JetBlue, @Southwes...

It has been eight years since the 2000 presidential election revealed the many flaws that existed in the mechanics of U.S. voting systems. Despite that debacle, many states have not made even basic improvements to assist voters -- such as providing user-friendly Web sites that tell them how to regis...

What a difference a few years make. Back when Al Gore ran for president in 2000, experts and laypeople alike engaged in lively debates about whether climate change was real or imagined. Two elections later -- after a mammoth public education effort by that same Al Gore -- most people believe that th...

Why do your best laid plans often go unfulfilled? You have put the right people in the right jobs, empowered them to achieve, drafted an excellent plan, and got the necessary buy-in and funding. Yet somehow things went into the ditch -- and now the project is late and over budget, delivering a poo...

Not that it's a done deal like the title might suggest, but Siebel seems to be reconstituting itself into a rival power in the CRM market once again. After Oracle OpenWorld, I made the observation that Siebel appeared to be returning to its old prominence. The introduction of new products based on W...

For public utilities, the world seems to be taking on a green hue. Their customers are the beneficiaries of an effort to preserve resources -- and save a bit of cash in the process -- as they move toward electronic bill payment, have their lights dimmed automatically, and place orders online. For ex...

Enterprise Resource Planning systems have become the core platform for both internal and cross-company business processes. By integrating business functions, data and interfaces, they can bring many benefits, process efficiencies, improve customer service and -- if coupled with the right business st...

Microsoft gave audience attendees at the 2nd annual Microsoft Business Intelligence conference a sneak preview of its forthcoming SQL Server this week, code named "Kilimanjaro." It was an appropriate venue for its debut, given its increased emphasis on BI. New functional areas of emphasis in the ser...

Oracle is acquiring Primavera Software -- a best-of-breed vendor in the project portfolio management niche. The company already has some in-house functionality in this asset category; it now plans to leverage its existing technology with the Primavera product line to produce an enterprise applicatio...

Partner/agent management has a moderate to severe impact on organizational effectiveness, according to 63 percent of the companies that participated in a recent Aberdeen Group study, "Channel Sales: Renaissance in Partner Management." The research explored the challenges, strategies and tactics from...

I have to admit that it's hard to concentrate on business with so many issues and crises swirling around lately. As if the presidential election was not enough, the financial meltdown is threatening an economic meltdown, and I am forever asking myself what this all might mean to CRM. The political ...