2. Questions for you?
• Please raise your hand if you have been
involved in a CRM / Database
implementation project?
• How many of you feel those projects
succeeded?
• On average what % of CRM projects do
you think succeed?
3. • Approximately only 50% of CRM
implementation projects succeed!
(Gartner Research, Forrester 53%, Economist Intelligence unit 44%)
• ‘Did it meet expectations?’
• Are expectations too high or not managed
in the first place?
OR
• Do projects sometimes just fail to deliver?
• These things can be
overcome and you will
succeed. We hope this helps.
4. Background
CLIC Sargent:
• CLIC and Sargent Cancer Care for Children merged in 2005
• £26million turnover (2011/12)
• 450 staff
Database:
• 100,000 active supporters
• Database unable to cope + Services need
Issues:
• Organisational change
• New Senior Management team and other new project members
5. Stages of implementation –
Planning and Resourcing
Issues - Initial lack of understanding by management, Fundraising
database and planning objectives not clear, lack of roles and
responsibilities, no structured additional resource was planned in.
Solutions:
Workshops for staff involved and agencies where applicable
• Outline specifications
• Defined reporting needs
• Project initiation document
Recommendation:
• Scope out resources and roles and responsibilities of everyone
involved in the project early on.
6. Stages of implementation –
Documenting processes and
requirement gathering
Issues – Processes not clearly documented, lack of project plan
Solutions:
• CARE Fundraising Implementation Group created
• Top-level timetable created showing user involvement
• Dedicated resource defined to document processes
Recommendation:
• Insist on a project plan
• Ensure consistency when you are documenting processes and
ensure it is done to a specified standard
7. Stages of implementation –
Technical development
Issues – lack of resource, considerable configuration/bespoke work
of CARE to support users requirements
Solutions:
• CARE Consultants
• New IT infrastructure to support a SQL server database
Recommendations:
• Resource your team appropriately to avoid a heavy reliance on
outside help
• But also accept you will need external support (and budget for
this!)
• Be clear with your supplier about the level of support they can
offer of the core product then guidelines on development areas
8. Stages of implementation –
Communication
Issues – Low staff morale, lack of understanding by staff of status of
the project, 100+ fundraisers across the UK, relatively new senior
management team and other project members
Solutions:
• CARE Fundraising Implementation Group cascaded information
• Better communication between project board and implementation
group
• Internal communications plan initiated*
Recommendation:
• Assign responsibility for implementing a communications plan at an
early stage
• It is better to communicate too much than too little. Be open and no
conversations in the server room!
*Available on request!
9. Stages of implementation – User
testing
Issues – left too late, getting the balance right between
development, configuration and testing, how to manage it (over 100
issues from first phase of testing!)
Solutions:
• Make a plan*
• Phase the testing
Recommendations:
• Assign a team of testers and someone to manage that
• Give yourself time to implement and fix all the issues between
testing
• Beware of the link between testing and training
*Available on request!
10. Stages of implementation – User
training
Issues – no dedicated resource to manage this area or train the
users
Solutions:
• 4 members of the fundraising team took on the role of CARE
Trainer
• A member of the fundraising team took on the organisation of the
training
• Offered face to face and online training
Recommendations:
• Have a dedicated manager of this area and dedicated training
• Get support from your CRM supplier but don’t rely on it, we found
all teams needed standard and bespoke training
• Use support materials
• Use a range of training methods (online and face to face)
11. Stages of implementation –
Actually using it with support…
Issues – a project plan that kept changing, not regular updates on
the project, budget!
Solutions:
• Phased implementation, helped with business as usual
• Planned around teams busy times
• Accepting that not all configuration would be complete by the time
we implement
• A week for roll out followed by a week of dealing with queries
Recommendations:
• Phase the implementation
• Stick to your project plan and budget (if possible!)
• Communication with teams at this stage is really important
• Use a helpdesk to help you manage queries
12. After Implementation
Issues – Keeping people engaged, effectively managing
improvements, lack of strategy, using the system more widely in the
organisation.
Solutions
• CARE Fundraising Policy Group*
• Helpdesk
• Link to services
• Link to case studies
Recommendations:
• Keep the energy
• Plan upgrades and improvement projects in detail
• Create a database strategy linked to your aims
• Encourage other teams
* TOR available on request!
13. Outcomes
• Better Insight
• Better supporter relationships
• Automated data cleaning
• Reporting
• Importing/exporting data
• Easier to use: therefore more people using
it!
