The Jetsons, Self-Driving Cars, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Success

When I was a kid, my dad would always try to get me to join my brother in learning what at the time was thought to be a life skill - repairing cars. My best "Elroy Jetson" influenced response was always, "Dad, I won't need that when I grow up, cars will fly by then."  

A few decades later, well ... I was mostly wrong. Cars certainly don't fly and the vast majority use a technology-ensconced version of the same gas engine my Dad worked on. These days, however, given the technology wrapped around that engine, even my most mechanically savvy friends barely touch them.  

While cars don't yet fly like in The Jetsons, many are beginning to drive themselves.  Google has attached a layer of lasers, GPS, and assorted sensors and software to test a small fleet of otherwise standard cars to make them self-driving. Apple is said to be talking with experts about building its own self-driving car. By all accounts the key to making this technology work is the focus on making constant corrections from multiple inputs.  For example, the car isn't safe with GPS only, it needs the lasers, cameras and other sensors.

What Does a Self-Driving Car Have to Do With CRM?

As a CRM guy, it's always interesting to apply "what works" in other areas to our field of CRM.  

Back when CRM first started, we would often explain that CRM was a journey. This journey encompasses building a company's people, processes, and technology around their customer.  Fast forward to today and unfortunately we are learning that by many analysts' ...