The document discusses key criteria for evaluating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, including Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics. It analyzes both platforms across dimensions such as scalability, ease of use, deployment options, available features, integration capabilities, flexibility, reporting, costs and developer strength. While Salesforce has a larger app ecosystem and mobile offerings, Microsoft provides better integration and lower costs. Overall, the best CRM solution will depend on a company's unique needs and growth projections.

1. Customer relationship management
Evelyne Ringia
Ryan Stiles
Kemilembe Mjungu
Charles Fitzpatrick
November 25, 2013

2. CRM
dimensions
customer
identification
attraction
retention
development
Swift (2001, p. 12), Parvatiyar and Sheth (2001, p.5) and Kracklauer,
Mills, and Seifert (2004, p. 4)
Customer Relationship Management
systems are computer software that
helps the company connect to its
customers using detailed statistical and
analytic information about the people
who purchase a company's products.

3. What is happening to CRM projects?
over half of all CRM projects fail to
meet their initial ROI targets
CRM Failure Rates:2001-2009
The following slides are the 10
Executive Decision-Making
recommendations from comparing 2
vendors
Researcher
50%
Gartner Group
2002
70%
Butler Group
2002
69.3%
Selling Power, CSO Forum
2005
18%
AMR Research
2006
31%
AMR Research
2007
Not having proper guidelines when
implementing CRM projects could be
a reason for such failures
Failure rate
2001
Reasons for Failure?
year
29%
AMR Research
2009
47%
Forrester Research
Source: Retrieved November 11,2013. from
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/projectfailures/crm-failure-rates-20012009/4967

4. Vendors
We picked the 2 vendors which
are considered market leaders for
comparison. The most recent data
from G2 Crowd , the trusted
source for enterprise software
reviews showed Microsoft
dynamics and Salesforce to be the
top vendors based on objective
advice from peers and real-time
data rather than on dated,
subjective analyst opinions.
Source: G2 crowd June 2013

5. Scalability
How will it handle adding more users
and data now and in the future?
Are there possibilities for expansion
of the current capacity?
A CRM system should have higher
scalability capability
Eg. If the company has a sales team
of 20 people now it is advisable to
select a system that has the ability to
expand its capacity beyond 20 people
because companies are expected to
grow over time

6. Salesforce sales cloud
Offer pay as you grow which
makes it elastic and can increase
scale or decrease depending on
the needs of the company at the
same time.
Vs
Microsoft Dynamics
There is currently no minimum or
maximum number limit to the
number of Microsoft Dynamics
CRM online users allowed to sign
up for a subscription and no
maximum number of
subscriptions for CRM 2011&
2013

7. Easy to use
• How easy is it for users to
use/navigate through the
product?
• Is the user interface (UI) simple
or complex?
• Are there a lot of clicks to get to
where you need, or does the
product make it very easy to
navigate through it?
• How much time of training will
be required during and after
deployment.

8. Salesforce
Vs
It has Sales activity tracking to
ensure instantaneous customer
updates so there are no surprises.
Everything is connected making it
easier to operate on day to day,
only few clicks to get everywhere
the user needs to be and fast
Microsoft
The SFA software can run within
an Outlook client and gives the
look and feel of an Microsoft
Office environment. Ease of use
tools include a navigation bar,
role-based design and user
personalization of workspaces and
page views.

9. Deployment Type
• How can I access the CRM system?
• Strictly internal systems no longer viable
• Cloud and/or remote access essential
• Offer 24/7 instant access
• From any location
• Enabled for multiple devices
• Data on-the-go

10. Salesforce
• Offer a mobile app
• Cloud storage
• Offline access supported
Vs
Microsoft
• Access for desktop, laptop,
mobile phone, tablet
• Cloud storage offered
• Offers both online and offline
access

11. Feature Match
• Does it offer a wide range of
tools and features?
• Don’t get distracted by other
aspects
• Must meet firm’s basic needs

12. Sustainability
• Can it meet your needs in the
future?
• Hand-in-hand with scalability
• Must contain features that allow
for growth
• add on packages/modules

13. Salesforce
• Analytics
• Scheduling
• Securely share files
• Contact management
• Opportunity management
• Links to leading data sources
• Marketing tools
• Forecasting
Vs
Microsoft
• Audit capabilities
• Performance measures
• Contract management
• Knowledge management
• Analytics
• Scheduling
• Workflows
• Marketing tools

14. Integration
Options
For the CRM system to have higher
Return on Investment it should be able
to integrate with other systems already
in place like accounting softwares and
marketing tools.
• Intergration with social network
(twitter, facebook, Google+,
LinkedIn)
• Intergration with email (Gmail,
Lotus notes, Outlook, Yahoo)
• Ability to install wide variety of
application

15. Salesforce
• Huge market with third part
apps
• Has built in twitter and
Facebook
• Ability to sync email
Vs
Microsoft
• Very small market place
• Integration with all Microsoft
software
• Runs only on internet explorer
• no social media

16. Flexibility
CRM system should give freedom to tailor
services and programs that meet the
company needs throughout the life-cycle of
the company.
• Customization of tabs, fields, and
the interface
• Ability to Create formula-driven
fields
• Sharing of created application with
other users

17. Salesforce
• Easy customization of fields, tabs
and interface
• Ability to share custom
applications with other users
Vs
Microsoft
• Easy but limited customization
• Dependable on Microsoft
softwares

18. Cost
• Licensing
• Implementing
• Maintaining

19. Salesforce
• Relative expensive in
comparison to other CRM
• Free automatic upgrades
Vs
Microsoft
• Relative inexpensive CRM
• CRM upgrades depends on the
upgrade of Microsoft software

20. Reporting and
Analytics
• Can you create fully
customizable dashboards?
CRM should provide customized reports
and customized dashboards to ensure
that the user gets the most out of their
data.
• Forecasts
• Reports

21. Salesforce
• Can customize dashboards to
display the most important
information
• Gathers data from “report type”
sets to generate dashboards
Vs
Microsoft
• Also allows for dashboard
customization
• Allows for information to be
gathered from numerous
sources

22. Developer Strength
• Can you trust the company will
stay in business?
• Length of time in business
• Financial Strength
CRM providers should be expected to remain in
business well into the foreseeable future to ensure
that their services can be provided for the life of
one’s company.

23. Salesforce
Vs
Microsoft
• Started in 2000
• Began in 2003
• Stable financially, generates
large free cash flows
• Financially stable division backed
by Microsoft
• BB rating
• AAA rating

24. Conclusion
CRM should fit the need of a particular
business on several dimensions
including scalability, ease of use,
platform type, available features,
sustainability, flexibility, integration
methods, cost, reporting capabilities
and developer strength.

25. References:
Application of data mining techniques in customer relationship management:
A literature review and classification: Expert Systems with Applications 36 (2009) 2592–2602 E.W.T. Ngai a,*, Li Xiub, D.C.K.
Chaua
Ling, R., & Yen, D. C. (2001). Customer relationship management: An analysis framework and implementation strategies.
Journal of Computer Information Systems, 41, 82–97.
Ngai, E. W. T. (2005). Customer relationship management research (1992–2002): An academic literature review and
classification. Marketing Intelligence, Planning, 23, 582–605.
Swift, R. S. (2001). Accelarating customer relationships: Using CRM and relationship technologies. Upper saddle river. N.J.:
Prentice Hall PTR
Parvatiyar, A., & Sheth, J. N. (2001). Customer relationship management: Emerging practice, process, and discipline. Journal
of Economic & Social Research, 3, 1–34.
Kracklauer, A. H., Mills, D. Q., & Seifert, D. (2004). Customer management as the origin of collaborative customer relationship
management. Collaborative Customer Relationship Management - taking CRM to the next level, 3–6.
Top 10 evaluation criteria for CRM softwares. April 16, 2013 retrieved November 11, 2013
http://dbprosconsulting.com/top-10-evaluation-criteria-for-crm-software

26. “What Salesforce.com won’t tell you” forbes.com. Dec 31, 2012 retrieved Nov 20, 2013
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2012/12/31/what-salesforce-com-wont-tell-you/
The Top 10 cloud or Software as a Service (SaaS) Customer Relationship Management solutions as measured by global
market share. Crmcafe.com retrieved Nov 20, 2013 http://www.crmcafe.com/cloud-crm.php
Novinson E. “CRM selection criteria”ehow.com Retrieved Nov 20,2013 http://www.ehow.com/about_6361276_crmselection-criteria.html#ixzz2kJf2GisT
CRM Magazine.The 2013 CRM Market Leaders.CRM.com Retrieved Nov 20 2013.
http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Editorial/Magazine-Features/The-2013-CRM-Market-Leaders-90812.aspx
Microsoft CRM online pricing and licencing.msdn.microsoft.com. December 1, 2012 retrieved Nov 23, 2013
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh699677.aspx