CRM strategy

Loomis switches from Salesforce.com to Oracle CRM On Demand

Transforming an organization’s customer service operations is never an easy task, particularly for one as old as Loomis AB, which got its start picking up and guarding money from banks via stagecoach. Yet, as the Houston-based vendor told us, it can be done.

Wayne Sadin, CIO of Loomis, joined the company to help make the transition, which included swapping out Salesforce.com for Oracle CRM On Demand, adding Oracle’s Contact Center Anywhere and tying it all back into the Oracle E-Business Suite.

In this 20-minute podcast, appropriate for both business and IT professionals, Sadin explains:

• How he overcame his skepticism about software as a service

• How Loomis makes accountability to customers a priority throughout the organization

• Loomis’s method of distributing customer information through its Oracle system

• More about the organization’s data governance model

• The migration path from Salesforce.com to Oracle CRM On Demand

• What Sadin would have done differently

 

 Standard Podcast [24:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanner and Culbert on CRM strategy, trends in today’s careers

What are hiring managers looking for when interviewing candidates for today’s customer-facing jobs? How are recent trends affecting the career landscape for CRM practitioners? Is the current state of the U.S. economy hurting the job market — or helping CRM newbies?

Looking for answers to questions like these and information about CRM career trends, SearchCRM.com turned to Jeff Tanner and Bruce Culbert. Jeff is the Associate Dean of Research at Baylor University and also runs a CRM consulting practice. Bruce is the CEO of myCRM Career, a site dedicated to helping CRM professionals connect and advance their careers. He’s also the CEO of iSymmetry, a recruiting, staffing, consulting and outsourcing firm. The two joined us to speak about their experience in the industry and share insight into trends in CRM staffing and careers.

In this 13-minute podcast, listeners will learn:

• In the CRM career landscape, what’s different today as opposed to three years ago? (0:50)
• Do employers need to be hiring people with Web 2.0 expeirence or does it depend on the industry? (3:24)
• What does Web 2.0 mean for job seekers? (5:02)
• In general, what are hiring managers looking for today when trying to fill a CRM-related job? (7:50)
• How is the state of the U.S. economy affecting the CRM job market? (9:05)

This podcast is the last in a four-part series on CRM career trends. Look for the other podcasts on this page:

CRM technology in today’s CRM careers

CRM training and CRM education for today’s careers

CRM certification issues and consulting outlook

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanner and Culbert on CRM certification, consulting

What certification is most suitable for today’s CRM practitioner? How much demand is there for people certified in PeopleSoft CRM? Is a good idea for someone just graduating from college to go the consulting route? What’s the best way for someone who’s been working at a consulting firm to break out and run their own consulting practice?

Looking for answers to questions like these and information about CRM career trends, SearchCRM.com turned to Jeff Tanner and Bruce Culbert. Jeff is the Associate Dean of Research at Baylor University and also runs a CRM consulting practice. Bruce is the CEO of myCRM Career, a site dedicated to helping CRM professionals connect and advance their careers. He’s also the CEO of iSymmetry, a recruiting, staffing, consulting and outsourcing firm. The two joined us to speak about their experience in the industry and share insight into trends in CRM staffing and careers.

In this 14-minute podcast, listeners will learn:

•          For someone starting out in CRM, how can they go about getting certified? (1:01)

•          Are there some certifications that are on the decline today? Likewise, are some certifications becoming more popular? (3:14)

•          Are some candidates more suited for one certification over another, depending on their skill set? (4:59)

•         What’s the outlook for CRM consultants? Are they just as in need as ever? (6:41)

•        For someone who wants to break into consulting, what would you suggest? (9:20)

This podcast is the third in a four-part series on CRM career trends. Look for the other podcasts on this page:

CRM technology in today’s CRM careers

CRM training and CRM education for today’s careers

How are CRM strategy trends influencing today’s CRM careers? (coming Sept. 23)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tanner and Culbert on CRM technology in today’s jobs

As Web 2.0 infiltrates all aspects of CRM, how is it impacting a CRM professional’s job hunt, and how are employers attracting candidates who are Web 2.0 adept? Which technology skills are most important in today’s CRM industry? How can a professional working in sales, service or marketing get to the next level with their careers? What emerging skills are important on the technical side of CRM?

Looking for answers to questions like these and information about CRM career trends, SearchCRM.com turned to Jeff Tanner and Bruce Culbert. Jeff is the Associate Dean of Research at Baylor University and also runs a CRM consulting practice. Bruce is the CEO of myCRM Career, a site dedicated to helping CRM professionals connect and advance their careers. He’s also the CEO of iSymmetry, a recruiting, staffing, consulting and outsourcing firm. The two joined us to speak about their experience in the industry and share insight into trends in CRM staffing and careers.

In this 11-minute podcast, listeners will learn:

• What technology training is most important for someone looking to get started in the CRM field (0:57)

• What technology training is most important for someone looking to get to the next level with their career (0:57)
  

• How to avoid getting pigeonholed into one technology as a job candidate (8:50)

• The importance of Web 2.0 skills when looking for a CRM-related job today (hint: they’re more than “nice to have”) (9:36)

This podcast is the first in a four-part series on CRM career trends. Keep an eye out for the other podcasts, coming soon to this page:

CRM training and CRM education for today’s careers (coming Sept. 9)

CRM certification issues and CRM consulting outlook (coming Sept. 16)

How are CRM strategy trends influencing today’s CRM careers? (coming Sept. 23)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Christopher Carfi on VRM, social networks

Christopher Carfi, CEO of Cerado Inc., discuses the work he’s doing with VRM, or vendor relationship management, a project from the Berkman Center at Harvard. VRM is turning CRM on its head, providing customers with tools to engage with vendors in a way that works for both parties.

Chris also discusses a workshop entitled Customer Service is the New Marketing that he was recently involved with and the rise of social networking in business.

Additionally, Carfi discusses the rise of social networking in the business world and how organizations can take advantage. Blogs and communities can be difficult to get started, particularly with business-to-business firms, but the reward is worth it, Carfi insists.

 

 Chris Carfi on VRM: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Expert predictions for CRM in 2008

Three industry observers share their predictions for the CRM market in the coming year.

Rob Bois, analyst with Boston-based AMR discusses SAP’s latest release, the outlook for CRM suites and spending in the year ahead.

He’s joined by Elana Anderson, independent analyst with NxtERA Marketing, who shares her thoughts on marketing technology in 2008, including behavioral targeting, getting past the hype of Web 2.0, mobile marketing and the role of the CMO.

John Ragsdale, research vice president with the Service and Support Professionals Association, also joins the conversation. John gives his predictions for Web self-service and its effects on customer service, leveraging user communities, wikis and the job outlook for customer service.

Program guide:

• (00:01) Rob Bois
• (20:14) Elana Anderson
• (32:29) John Ragsdale

 

 Standard Podcast [45:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

SAP talks SAP CRM

After SAP introduced its revamped CRM system, SAP CRM 2007 at its annual Influencer Event in Boston, executives say SAP is now “a CRM company.” Michael de la Cruz, senior vice president for SAP CRM solutions, and Bob Stutz, president and general manager CRM global strategy product development discuss the new interface, usability and SAP’s development plans.

 

 Standard Podcast [17:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

CRM system audit: Assess before you upgrade

Saj Usman, a senior executive with Accenture, shares how to best determine whether the time is right for an upgrade of your CRM system based on your people, business and system requirements.

Preparing people and testing systems is a vital step for an upgrade of any CRM application.

 

 Standard Podcast [13:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ed Thompson on CRM and Web 2.0

Ed Thompson, vice president and distinguished analyst with Gartner Inc., shares his thoughts on the Web 2.0 phenomenon and how it’s affecting CRM operations in this podcast.

From the Gartner CRM Summit, Thompson discusses the ways CRM technology vendors are adopting Web 2.0 technology, blogs, getting started with Web 2.0 initiatives and the role of start up companies in the evolution of Web 2.0 and CRM.

 

 Standard Podcast [14:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Brad Tsai on CRM software upgrades

Brad Tsai is the vice president and head of USA delivery for HiSoft Corporation, a company that has been providing consulting help for Siebel upgrades since Siebel’s 6.0 version. Tsai offers advice and best practices on upgrading Siebel CRM software in this podcast.

Tsai discusses Siebel upgrade planning and implementation, including what to look for in upgraded software, systems integration, upgrade functionality and support and how to gauge the return on investment (ROI) of an upgrade.

 

 Standard Podcast [15:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download