As I noted in my last post, CRM user adoption is a challenge for many companies. There are, of course, a multitude of reasons large and small why users can’t or won’t change their ways and adapt to a new CRM system.  But, in general, there are some common root causes why users oftentimes reject CRM.   Several industry analysts have written on the subject.  An oft-cited 2002 report from AMR Research identifies these common issues:

• End users have no compelling reason to use the system
• End users fear CRM and the transparency it provides management
• End users lack buy in and reject business process change
• Key stakeholders lose interest in or support for a CRM project

So how do we as a software/solution delivery company address these issues?  For starters, we work closely with our customers to acknowledge and assess these challenges up front. Encouraging and improving user adoption, we feel, is a shared responsibility.  We have a role to play along with our customers.

We suggest that companies set explicit CRM use goals at the outset of each project.   From there, we support these goals by:

• Aligning CRM project expectations appropriately from day one
• Supporting and empowering key stakeholders
• Delivering an easy-to-use software product that helps the company meet clearly defined objectives
• Training and supporting end users to minimize resistance and create buy-in

On the project side, we work aggressively to get our customers up and running as quickly as possible because we know project delays can erode confidence and support.   We also scope and implement your solution in alignment with your corporate goals to help you achieve quick wins. These simple steps build momentum for CRM initiatives and thus encourage system use.

To build internal support, we try to integrate a variety of end users into the CRM project team.  Bringing business owners into the project at an early stage helps turn them into enthusiastic CRM champions.

Giving our clients an easy to use and fully-optimized end product, of course, is key.  SAP CRM is just that and has a variety of personalization features that give end users more control over their user experience.  The dashboards and reporting available in the system are also features that encourage adoption.

As far as training and support are concerned, both are an ongoing need to ensure CRM success.  At RunE2E, we implement a “train the trainer” approach that leaves an onsite resource available at your company to help end users at all times.

Of course, I’m just scratching the surface with these quick notes.  I’ll explore the topic in greater depth at CRM 2010 in Orlando.  Hope to see you there.