Relationship Management: Good Practice, Process Mapping and the CRM Self Analysis Framework
1. CRM Process and Good Practice
This site has been developed by the University of Nottingham via funding from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). It contains a self-analysis framework - encompassing guides, insights, research and tools - designed to help HEIs work through their approach to Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Background
It is clear from previous work done by the KSA Partnership 2007, and from talking directly to a wide range of institutions, that CRM is largely in its infancy within the education sector.
The KSA Partnership study of CRM issues in UK Higher and Further Education concluded that "CRM implementation in Business and Community Engagement (BCE) within HE institutions is still underdeveloped, typified by ‘islands’ of CRM with little connection, the main barriers being cultural (resistance to change), peripheral (multiple narrowly-focused operations, multiple partner/client types), and procedural and system/data related (migration/change)". This was in sharp contrast to the use of CRM within some private sector organisations.
Thus, it was concluded that if institutions were to meet the expectations of business, employers and the community then there was a need for greater consistency,greater integration and more client focused systems and processes.This self-analysis framework has been produced as part of the recommendation from these findings that JISC produce tools to "enable institutions to map, assess, and enhance their approach to CRM across the institution, driven by their BCE strategy" (JISC Circular 03, 2008).
Further background details for the project are available.
The Self Analysis Framework
What became very clear early on in the production of the framework was that there was very little in the literature upon which to draw in terms of good CRM practice within the education sector. There were no templates that had been tried and tested within HEIs or FECs. There were no definitive checklists; no worked examples. We have attempted to compensate for this by providing high level guidance (drawing upon previous JISC documentation) plus some more general examples from other sectors.
At the more specific level we have drawn upon the experiences and lessons learned by those institutions that have progressed some way down the route of CRM implementation and have been kind enough to share those experiences with us. In fact, consultations about CRM implementation were held with thirteen Higher Education Institutions, four Further Education Colleges as well as project managers from two consortium projects which together involved another nine Further Education Colleges. Their input was used to inform the main sections of the self-analysis framework. Sometimes the information they provided is included as direct quotes and sometimes as top tips. Often it is those ‘Top Tips’ that reflect most closely the real experience of CRM implementation!
Where the information is more detailed it can be accessed via hyperlinks from the relevant section. Hyperlinks are also used to access broader examples of CRM implementations in other industries. A link is also provided to a detailed report entitled ‘Process Maps’ which was another key deliverable of this project. The report overviews a number of process maps from a range of HEIs revealing key BCE processes supported by CRM systems. The HEIs included are at different stages of maturity concerning CRM adoption. It also includes suggestions of how an institution at one level of maturity might move to the next level.
This self-analysis framework is aimed primarily at those HEIs that are at the very early stages of CRM implementation. However, it is hoped that there will be information included that will be of value also to those institutions who are seeking to review their CRM systems and to improve their current processes.
We have employed the use of JISC definitions - of peripheral, tactical and strategic - to describe CRM maturity levels in the sector. However, reference will also be made to the KSA Partnership report, which termed the maturity models as operational, tactical and strategic.
You can either work logically through the different sections of the framework, or choose individual sections, depending on your requirements. Click the links below to view a summary of the section's contents and a link to view more information.
Documents
What is CRM? |
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This part of the self-analysis framework introduces the concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It includes:
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An introduction to and definition of the concept of CRM |
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An explanation of the interdependency of the three parts of CRM – technology, process and people |
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An outline of the specific challenges for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs) when seeking to implement CRM |
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The components of CRM – diagrams to illustrate the unification of front and back office activities |
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Descriptions of the application of CRM in a variety of different organizations
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View more information |
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The needs of HEIs and FECs |
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This section of the self-analysis framework focuses on the needs of HEIs and FECs. It includes:
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A stock-taking exercise – questions to ask yourself before you proceed with the implementation |
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Things to consider in terms of the type of external support you might need to help you through the implementation |
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Issues to consider in terms of the internal support you might need |
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Guidelines for measuring progress and assessing the benefits of or problems with the implementation |
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Examples of how other organizations have used key performance indicators to measure CRM success |
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Explanation of the balanced scorecard and how it can be used to measure progress
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View more information |
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Who are your customers? |
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This part of the self-analysis framework looks at customers and how to enhance the customer experience and increase customer value. It includes:
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A guide to deciding who are your actual customers and ways to think about increasing your customer group |
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How to determine customer needs: a description of the information gathering cycle – gathering information, using information, feeding back to customers |
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An outline of the main methods of consultation |
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How to create customer value |
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How to map customer value |
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Ideas for managing the customer experience and increasing customer value in HEIs
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View more information |
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Where are you now? |
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This part of the self-analysis framework asks you to consider where you are at present in terms of any CRM implementation and how you plan to move forward. Unless otherwise stated, diagrams for this section are taken from the KSA Partnership study (2007):
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Definitions of the three stages of maturity in CRM practice – peripheral, tactical and strategic |
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Diagrams to help you assess the present position of your institution with respect to CRM development |
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A diagram to help you plan where you would like to move to in terms of being more tactical or strategic in your approach to CRM |
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A description of the four main approaches to implementation - big bang, parallel, phased and pilot
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View more information |
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Are you ready for change? |
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In this part of the self-analysis framework we consider how to assess whether or not your institution is ready for change. It includes:
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An identification of the elements that affect change – people, process and culture |
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A detailed look at different types of culture within Higher and Further Educational institutions and how they impact on change |
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Recognition of the relationship between strategy and leadership, culture and change |
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A consideration of ‘people’ factors that influence an institution’s capacity for change |
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A methodology for assessing your institution’s readiness for change
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View more information |
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Process mapping |
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In this part of the self-analysis framework we introduce process mapping in the context of CRM. It includes:
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The definition and application of process maps |
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How to develop a process map (acquiring information, applying information, shapes, validation, example process maps) |
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Things to do and things to avoid when mapping processes (teamwork, structure, communication) |
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Some examples of process maps used by HEIs |
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Applying process maps to enhance existing processes – Business Process Re-engineering |
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View more information |
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Which CRM? |
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In this part of the self-analysis framework we consider the preparatory stages of choosing a CRM system. It includes:
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A consideration of the link between the system implementation and the wider strategy of the institution |
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A consideration of the whole costs of the project – financial, time and resources |
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Tasks to be undertaken during project setup:
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Constructing a business case
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Constructing a Project Initiation Document
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Constructing a Project Plan
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Providing a Statement of Requirements
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A road map to take you through the different stages of CRM implementation
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View more information |
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references
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