The Essence of CRM Integration for Today's Successful Business

Why are new-generation companies like Apple, Booking, Zara, and prosperous start-ups like AirBnB and Uber more successful than the majority of (traditional) businesses? True, a major part of their success is their courage to leave the beaten path and adopt different, often disruptive business models. However, the other real commonality is their understanding that, nowadays, business success is dictated by customers rather than operations. If companies want to be successful in this era, it is high time to shift focus from internal processes (operations, ERP) to external activities (customer marketing, CRM), not in an isolated, siloed approach, but integrated into all disciplines.

The age of the customer

Two years ago, Gartner claimed that by 2017 the CMO will spend more on IT than the CIO. They based their findings on the fact that marketing departments started purchasing significant marketing-related technologies and services beyond the control of IT. Modern CMOs realize that with the arrival of social media, mobile and cloud computing, and big data, dedicated IT will help them to be successful in what we call the age of the customer. Forrester has conducted similar research, focusing on how companies can compete in this new age - not by being customer-oriented, but by being customer-obsessed. Or, in their words: "A customer-obsessed enterprise focuses its strategy, its energy, and its budget on processes that enhance knowledge of and engagement with customers and prioritizes these over maintaining traditional competitive barriers."

Tradition still rules

When we take a closer look at new-generation companies like the ones above, they seem to perfectly fit into ...