CRM: A Tool to Increase Productivity in SMEs

Introduction

The importance of knowing one tool by which to ensure customer retention and customer can expand it becomes increasingly imperative for companies.

The economic crisis crossed over recent years globally, had not felt since the 80's and still do not know for sure that will happen. Therefore organizations should take effective action seeking to survive in these conditions as changing external market.

Although the crisis has knocked on the doors of the big multinationals, SMEs are companies who are currently facing major challenges, because these organizations can easily be money if the balance between supply and demand do not balance quickly. The challenge for companies is to keep your liquids SMEs, learning to navigate through the turbulence.

The CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) is a tool that properly understood and implemented, could be the solution for many companies because it allows:

· Know more established businesses • Identify your best customers and therefore focus more on these · Work more effectively, without wear · Focus efforts on profitable activities · Achieve the loyalty of SME clientesCaracterísticas

SME companies are a heterogeneous group because they are located in different sectors such as electricity, construction, textile, pharmaceutical, etc.. According to Carson (1995) SMEs have very different characteristics compared to large enterprises. The main differences can be summarized as follows:

· Scope of Operations: The SMB market is generally local or regional leadership · Style: SMEs are generally family businesses or run by one person. SME companies are usually run by the owner, so the decisions are concentrated in one person · Market size: The participation of SMEs in the market is generally very small, have very low percentages of the big cake. · Lack of Qualified: SMEs usually lack qualified staff specializing in administrative and exclusively engaged in designing strategies for expansion. The staff are usually wears operational tasks and not gestión.Otra feature from the financial point of view, is the lack of resources, which is a barrier to the growth of these organizations. In addition, these companies are very sensitive to the changing situations of external circumstances.

The implementation of CRM in SMEs

The CRM software solution can be implemented by following six steps, starting from collecting customer information and process all this data, to finally use this information for decision making.

First Step: Data Collection

The priority is to gather information to identify the behavior and needs of customers. Those businesses that have a database of customers and allow a virtual support, offer a precious added value for customers.

Step Two: Storing information

The most effective way to store and manage information is through a database. This improves decision making because they have the information required at the time it takes.

Step Three: Access to information

With the information collected and stored centrally, the next step is to enable everyone in the company can access this information using a simple and useful presentation.

Step Four: Analyze customer behavior

Through the analysis of information from customer behavior, you can build relationships, offer advertising and promotion plans and general corporate-level strategies that enable the company to continually improve.

Step Five: Work more effectively

Usually in SMEs, a few customers generate a high impact on profitability. Through CRM companies can identify these customers and therefore focus on their needs and requirements, not wear in activities that are not profitable. It is preferable to reduce production batches but ensure that what is produced is sold immediately, otherwise you will incur storage costs it generates is the only administrative wear.

Step Six: Improving Customer Service

When you concentrate on more profitable business ensures that important clients will receive exceptional service. Knowing the behavior of major customers streamline service delivery and allow staff time to deal to attract more customers like these.

Obstacles to implementation of CRM in SMEs

The main obstacle in the implementation of CRM in SMEs is the reactive culture and rejection of change that occurs in these organizations. The CRM tool is a technological tool and as such does not do miracles, it requires commitment and cultural change.

The most common reasons why SMEs fail in the implementation of CRM, according to (Frederick Newell, 2003) are:

· Enterprises SMEs working for process areas and not so the information is not shared. The CRM requires changing the mindset of each of the people who are part of the company. · Confusion on the concept of CRM is, many people think that the single investment in this tool magically solve customer problems. No one considers that investment in technology must be linked to corporate strategies. Additionally it is believed that CRM is not only a technological tool is known as a marketing practice. · It is unclear the importance of meeting customer needs, these are pure gold, but often not perceived and Weakness in planning: Planning is the basis for the implementation of CRM, so when the firm lacks this component so essential problems are evident as high inventories, high operating costs and reduced profitability. · Hardware inefficient: CRM is a software that needs good equipment to work properly, if the company does not have the resources to implement may have problemas.Conclusiones

· Many companies implement CRM without a clear vision of what this tool is, and when you do not know where to go, any road is good. · The managers tend to underestimate the implementation of CRM, not taken into account that for this work tool requires a cultural change · The CRM is a tool that does not produce immediate results and 100% depending on the input information. · To implement CRM company is required to have a person with 100% availability to undertake this work. · A successful implementation of CRM can be useful for SMEs and provide a competitive advantage in the market.This prohibit the dissemination, transmission, modification, copying, reproduction and / or distribution of all or part of this document in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, being protected by the laws of Copyright, Trademarks, Fair Trading, databases and other regulations is also prohibited any use of the documents or portion thereof for commercial purposes. The violation of the rights mentioned above may result in civil judgments and / or criminal penalties established in the regulations cited above.

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Date and place of publication: Cali - Colombia, September 2010.