Richard Boardman

Photograph courtesy of jared

There are a number of challenges and unknowns when implementing CRM technology. No matter how thorough your requirements gathering, one or many of the following may occur:

• Users fail to engage with the system
• Additional functional needs are identified to support business processes
• Users use the system in a different way to what was envisaged
• The organisation’s processes have changed since requirements were initially defined
• Capabilities are developed that are found to be redundant when the system goes live

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Photograph courtesy of Takomabibelot

It’s been an interesting year on the CRM vendor front. Salesforce.com alone ensured it would never be a dull 2011. It felt like hardly a week went by without them buying another company.  Acquisitions included Heroku, Dimdim, Assistly, Model Metrics, Radian6, and Rypple. They clearly have a bold vision of the future and it’s going to be interesting in 2012 to see if they can harness these acquisitions and break out from their traditional CRM roots.

Oracle seemed keen to avoid Salesforce getting too much of the limelight. Firstly by cancelling Marc Benioff’s keynote at Oracle OpenWorld...

The sign in the picture has significance. Well significance to ultra runners anyway. Or more specifically ultra runners taking part in the Country to Capital at least (which takes place in January in case you’re tempted). The sign signals a left turn that takes you into central London. Miss it and you’re heading for Slough instead of Little Venice, and the only way back is to retrace your steps. And despite the fact there is a sign there’s always a few runners who miss it and end up clocking up a lot of extra miles.

I’ve been running ultra races for the last four or five years...

Photograph courtesy of Nicksarebi

You may have seen one of those documentaries about soldiers training for the special-forces. There’s normally a scene that goes along the following lines: a soldier reaches what they believe to be the end of some incredibly gruelling endurance test, presumably hopeful of some food and rest, only to be informed that actually their day is only just beginning and they are now about to embark on some even more demanding test. The aim is clearly to massively stress their resolve to carry on. Not surprisingly perhaps many drop out at these points, and only the very...