1. Lack of strategic goals. CRM software should be thought of as a tool for implementing a strategic vision, not as a substitute for that vision. CRM goals should be centered on increasing profitability by getting more out of customer contacts. This can include better targeting of customers, improved customer retention rates, increased cross-selling, and more efficient handling of customer inquiries.

Companies can also increase profitability with their CRM system by analyzing metrics. By quantifying customer data, an organization can calculate a return on investment for its CRM system and refine its marketing strategy if needed. Without these goals, a CRM system is little more than a simple repository of customer data.

2. Data problems. Data problems come in a variety of forms. Some data simply may be inaccurate or out-of-date due to poor recordkeeping, while the rest may be meaningless because of poor organization, processing, or accessibility. The lack of good analytics can make it virtually impossible to turn raw customer data into valuable information that sales teams and management can use to make informed business decisions. Finally, data security should be a substantial part of any CRM plan, no matter how small or how large the company using it. The more (and better) data a company assembles, the more it has to lose.