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Five Things to Remember When Implementing a Cloud CRM Solution

Cloud CRM Featured Article Archive

July 23, 2012

Five Things to Remember When Implementing a Cloud CRM Solution

By Rachel Ramsey, TMCnet Web Editor

Customer relationship management (CRM) classifies customers more efficiently based on the demographics of the customers. A business could analyze the types of customers who will be more suited for the conduct of the business, the buying attitudes of the customers and could target customers easily. Implementing a CRM solution in the cloud can lead to benefits such as improved relations with existing customers, better marketing of products or services, enhanced customer satisfaction and retention and increased profitability.


There are a ton of cloud-based CRM platforms out there, including ones like the service Soffront offers. Its CRM platform gives users control right from the initial deployment throughout changing business needs and offers flexible delivery, Web-based CRM architecture, screens and workflow reports, analytics and productivity.

It’s important to remember some key steps when implementing a cloud CRM solution. D’Valde, a gateway to enterprise resource planning resources on the Internet, recently listed five thoughts and things to take note of at the implementation stage of cloud CRM usage.

The first thing to remember is to come up with a data-loss management system. Cloud computing is all about the handling of data. Recent outages are a prime example of why you need to have a backup system set in place. Companies can avoid data loss by following some risk management procedures, such as using appropriate software. Today, there is software that can control and discover data flow from people based outside the confines of an office.

Take note of the importance of starting small. Starting with the cloud appliance allows companies to observe how the system works before adopting the cloud system for the whole organization or company.

Make sure the company’s data use will be isolated with other companies. Sometimes the problem with the cloud is that there are other companies or customers that can affect the data, processes and even security. For an application to run safely in a public cloud, it needs to be isolated from the environment around it all times. This isolation is not just a matter of keeping things in (protecting data and applications from threats or prying eyes), but also keeping things out (unwanted changes by the cloud provider that could compromise existing security processes.)

Make sure people understand the service offered, or if there are proprietary products or technologies that could lock them with the provider. According to OpenView, a venture capital firm and provider of financial, strategic, operational and practical support, three things to definitely consider are clarity, transparency and avoid breach of contract. You should strive to be as transparent as possible, because when you are providing a service remotely over the Internet trust is a huge issue, and transparency will help to build that trust.

Lastly, make sure to pay attention to the data encryption technologies that are used to make sure the data will be safe from threats, whether from outside or inside elements.

More companies are turning to cloud based CRM for benefits such as rapid deployment, easy upgrades, reduced costs and security safeguards. To experience these benefits, make sure you start off on the right foot with taking precautions such as these at the implementation stage.

Want to learn more about cloud communications? Then be sure to attend the Cloud Communications Expo, collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct 2-5, in Austin, TX. The Cloud Communications Expo will address the growing need of businesses to integrate and leverage cloud based communications applications, process enhancement techniques, and network based communications interfaces and architectures. For more information on registering for the Cloud Communications Expo click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at Cloud Communications Expo. Follow us on Twitter.




Edited by Rich Steeves
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