What Does Process Mean?

Gwynne Young
Managing Editor, CustomerThink
Member

Posted 08-Jul-2004 04:35 PM
We've often heard that People, Process, and Technology are important
in CRM. What does "process" mean in the context of a CRM program?

Gwynne Young
Managing Editor, CustomerThink
Member

Posted 08-Jul-2004 04:38 PM
[For Dick Lee]
First, let me give a very quick definition of business process. It's very simply how work is done, how work is performed. There are lots of intricacies beyond that, but you should stay focused on how work is performed.

Think about how functions, rather than individuals, do their work and how the flow of work from function to function—and the flow of information from function to function—can be improved using technology tools.

I would be remiss if I didn't add that, at the front end, before people, process and technology (or functions, workflow, and technology) is this big element called "customer-centric strategy," which is actually the primary driver of CRM success, and ROI from CRM.

Graham Hill
Guru
Member

Posted 23-Jul-2004 02:51 AM
Dick

The classic definition of a process includes that it adds value TO THE CUSTOMER OUTCOME through the carrying out of the work.

This is a absolutely critical.

The premise behind Michael Hammer's 'reengineering' was that processes that didn't add value should be obliterated rather than just automated. Unless you focus on the contribution that processes make to customer value add in this way, it is hard to know which ones to obliterate.

Graham Hill
Independent Management Consultant