Many business professionals consider customer relationship management (CRM) the new frontier in marketing. Despite widespread integration of CRM technologies across the globe, companies are still learning how to adopt and adapt new CRM applications, and how to choose systems that best align with their respective business needs. While some businesses have ventured into CRM territory unscathed, others have stumbled and been forced to re-evaluate their strategies to avoid repeat mistakes.

Whether they’re rolling out a new technology or trekking across the Oregon Trail, the first pioneers who venture into uncharted territory often encounter the most resistance. In the early years of CRM, for example, the most forward-thinking and ambitious companies faced the most critical issues, many of which can still pose serious problems today. Nevertheless, when today’s executives evaluate CRM applications, they have the advantage of learning from the various miscalculations of those who came before them.

Six Problem Areas in CRM
Specific CRM mistakes are too numerous to mention. After all, implementing a CRM system is both a significant technology project and a disruptive change in business processes. However, most CRM errors can be grouped into six major areas: