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EDS Becomes Enterprise Partner to Deliver Microsoft Dynamics CRM
EDS has announced it will offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM as an EDS enterprise application solution to its clients globally. With this announcement, EDS becomes Microsoft’s enterprise partner to deliver Microsoft Dynamics CRM consulting and solutions that will reduce time-to-market, lower total cost of ownership and give clients a competitive edge. EDS’ services, which include consulting, implementation, integration, management hosting, contact center outsourcing and managed services, will allow clients to confidently purchase and deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM in enterprise scenarios, such as contact centers and sales force automation.
CompuCredit and eLoyalty Join Forces to Deploy "Desktop Analytics" Customer Service Application
CompuCredit Corporation and eLoyalty have announced that they are partnering to deploy eLoyalty's state-of-the-art analytics application within CompuCredit's Customer Service division. The application, called Desktop Analytics, combines analysis of customer telephone interactions and related CSR desktop usage to identify critical events and important business process patterns.
Wolfgang Puck Coffee Perks Up Operations With NetSuite
NetSuite Inc., a vendor of on-demand, integrated business software suites that include Accounting/Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Ecommerce software, has announced that Wolfgang Puck (WP) Coffee, a licensee of world-renowned chef Wolfgang Puck and a provider of premiere coffee products to the retail, hospitality, and office coffee service industries, has chosen to manage its core wholesale-distribution business operations on NetSuite. Additionally, NetSuite helps Wolfgang Puck Coffee manage its fast growing multi-channel sales and business operations in multiple locations.
ResponseTek Winter ‘08 Release Strengthens Enterprise CEM Offering
ResponseTek, a provider of enterprise-scale Customer Experience Management solutions, has released the Winter ’08 Release for ResponseTek:CEM. The ResponseTek:CEM Winter ‘08 Release delivers new features and functionality that provides large and complex organizations with more flexibility and power with their CEM solutions. The release has been designed to ensure enterprises with multiple product lines, business units and regions can maintain brand consistency across diverse customer and user groups.
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Services Industry Summit -- eService Strategies and Challenges
April 21-23, 2008 Join us for the Services Industry Summit -- eService Strategies and Challenges, April 21-23, 2008 in historic Charleston, SC. Industry luminaries from leading organizations will share their insights and discuss the latest issues and trends in the areas of eservices, knowledge management and others!
Register today!
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| Improved Web-based Support is Crucial to Good Customer Service
InQuira Inc., a provider of integrated software applications for intelligent search, knowledge management, analytics and user experience, has announced the publication of a study conducted by ServiceXRG that examines the current state of online shopping and customer service. The InQuira-sponsored study, entitled "Influencing the Online Experience," reveals that in order to maintain customer mindshare and loyalty, companies must improve available content and provide a superior web-based service experience.
ServiceXRG surveyed nearly 1,000 companies and online shoppers to gain insights from both the consumption and supply sides of the online experience to learn how the web is changing the way businesses engage with customers, and in turn how it impacts consumer perceptions of companies. Specifically, ServiceXRG examined how consumers use search for online support, conduct product research and engage in shopping activities; and then explored the investments, tools and resources the "supply side" provides to encourage Web use, drive successful online transaction and deliver a positive customer experience.
Key findings from the study include:
- Content quality and the ability to find information remains a top concern for consumers: 74.5% indicate that they use a company's web site to get information about a product or service, but only 44% of consumers surveyed felt that the information met their needs.
- Only 38.9% of the surveyed companies say they're currently able to provide a powerful advanced search function to their site visitors. In addition, 31.2% say they specifically plan to implement enhanced search in the future.
- 97% of companies surveyed plan to make future investments to enhance customer's ability to find the service information they need, with content enhancements topping the list.
- Less than 20% of companies provide a form of escalation through live chat to help customers during their shopping experience.
More...
Top Global Contact Center Outsourcers
The ability to provide wide-ranging contact center services across verticals and geographies has long been the goal of players in contact center outsourcing space. To do so with high levels of customer satisfaction is an even more ambitious goal. However, in a new report, ‘Decision Matrix: Selecting a Contact Center Outsourcing Vendor’, independent market analyst Datamonitor reveals the five players that have proven themselves capable of doing so.
Datamonitor’s report critically assesses nine global contact center outsourcers across three dimensions, which include client satisfaction (based around feedback from clients of contact center outsourcing services), services & technologies assessment (based on the services, standards and technologies provided by contact center outsourcers), and market impact (derived from market awareness of the outsourcer, as well as their revenues). The result was the classification of these firms into shortlist, consider and explore categories.
Among the nine firms examined for this report, Datamonitor classified five as market leaders and shortlisted candidates for prospective and existing outsourcing users. Specifically, Datamonitor’s research indicated that Convergys, EDS, Sitel, Teleperformance and TeleTech had sufficient levels of market impact to provide their clients with the stability needed for long-term relationships.
In addition, each firm had varied and sophisticated offerings that could satisfy the needs of clients across vertical markets in multiple geographies and languages. It was also noted that each of these companies were strong with regards to the various contact center services that they had on offer.
When it came to client satisfaction, results among the market leaders were varied, with some performing significantly stronger than others.
Datamonitor determined that both Minacs and Sykes deserved to be classified in the ‘Consider’ category, meaning that prospective clients should examine each to assess whether they would be able to meet their exact needs.
The research notes that while each performed relatively well in terms of client satisfaction, market impact scores were somewhat lower than those of the shortlisted candidates. In addition, specialization in particular functions or verticals were seen as potentially limiting.
Candidates considered for exploration in Datamonitor’s assessment of contact center outsourcer included the ICT Group and Stream. While both have demonstrated leadership in their own right within the contact center outsourcing space, Datamonitor’s research indicated that Stream’s focus around technical support may lessen its chance of winning contracts in other functional areas. In the case of the ICT Group, its low market impact score coupled with limited capabilities in languages means potential concerns when bidding for global contracts.
More...
Enterprises Should Not Block Access to Web 2.0 Technologies, but They Can Better Secure Them
Businesses need to resist the temptation to exclude their employees' access to Web 2.0 technologies and services if they are to benefit from the considerable creativity that Web 2.0 can unleash, according to Gartner Inc.
Business demands will increasingly require security organizations to secure, rather than block enterprise access to the Web 2.0 global ecosystem. Many IT organizations are responding to the demand for Web 2.0 technologies. According to a Gartner Executive Programs survey of 1,500 CIOs worldwide, half of the respondents said they plan to invest in Web 2.0 technologies for the first time in 2008.
Web 2.0 enables masses of individuals to become application and content developers and deploy Web 2.0 applications that implement their own versions of established business rules and practices. Although this entails risks, it can also unlock huge business value. By mapping the business gain against the potential risk, organizations can determine the most effective constraints and controls for enterprise use of Web 2.0, say Gartner.
According to Gartner, with mashups, Ajax and other Web 2.0 technologies already in widespread use, saying "no" to the Web 2.0 ecosystem will generally not be an option. Instead, enterprises should take tactical and strategic steps to increase the odds that business use of Web 2.0 will increase the bottom line rather than have a negative business impact through security incidents.
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| Six Golden Rules of Dealing with an Unhappy Customer
The focus of all modern management thinking and strategic business practice has to be the customer. Keep your customers happy, and your sales will continue to soar. Neglect them or take them for granted, and your bottom line will suffer accordingly.
Full Article...
Business Yet to Harness Web 2.0
Businesses are starting to mine Web 2.0 for economic gain. To date, though, many lack a firm understanding of what Web 2.0 is and precisely what value it brings to the enterprise.
Full Article...
How Managers Prevent Salespeople from Committing to SFA
Despite market gains, SFA applications are still struggling to get widespread acceptance among the ultimate end users: salespeople. That is not likely to change soon. The disconnect between enterprises seeking to boost sales and sales representatives trying to avoid bureaucracy may be worse than management suspects.
Full Article...
Search and Leverage: Manage Your Brand's Reputation Online
Chief marketers want to understand and positively influence their brand's reputation among customers or constituents. The Web has had a huge impact on both the amount of chatter and the avenues through which marketers can listen to, understand and/or influence this dialogue. Natural search optimization offers marketers a very cost effective method of controlling talk online, and plenty of other automated search tools exist to help keep tabs on the buzz.
Full Article...
CRM Bloggers Are People Too
Bloggers -- especially those whose traffic volumes can rival a minor newspaper's — are getting used to the royal treatment. Consumer electronic vendors, hotels, auto manufacturers — heck, even politicians -- are reaching out to the people who have made it their avocation to blog about them. Everywhere, it would seem, except in the CRM industry. That changed a few weeks ago, with Oracle’s group prebriefing to CRM bloggers about its On Demand version 15.
Full Article...
Business Intelligence: Giving Enterprises More Bang for Their CRM Buck
Businesses today are successfully implementing CRM systems to help increase efficiencies, reduce costs, boost market share and improve customer service. However, by integrating business intelligence (BI) with existing CRM systems, businesses can reap even greater benefits. With a combination of the customer-centric processes used in their CRM systems and the real-time enterprise data supplied by business intelligence, businesses can learn more about their customers and target markets.
Full Article...
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|  Best Practices: Managing People: Secrets to Leading for New Managers
by Barry Silverstein
In today's hypercompetitive business climate, managers who help employees achieve their individual potential stand to get — and stay—ahead. Managing People, a comprehensive and essential resource for any manager on the run, shows you how.
For
more information, or to order your copy...
You can find
more industry sepcific books at our web site:
http://www.crmindustry.com/
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| Research Results: 2008 Trends in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
The majority of respondents (81%) in CRMindustry.com's "2008 Trends in Customer Relationship Management (CRM)" survey are happy with the overall performance of their CRM technology vendor. The research, conducted in November - December 2007, surveyed high-level CRM executives representing a range of industries. The data gathered provides valuable insight into the issues and challenges important to those responsible for CRM in their organization.
Click here to get a complimentary copy of the executive summary, as well as view the graphs...
Visit the CRM Solution Center
CRMindustry.com and KnowledgeStorm have joined forces to offer you access to the CRM Solution Center, a fast, intuitive way to locate, research and qualify potential CRM and IT solutions.
The CRM Solution Center provides you unlimited access to white papers, case studies, detailed product information and more. Registration is quick and easy -- in 30 seconds or less, you will be on your way to accessing this valuable resource
Click here to start searching!
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