Zen And The Art Of CRM
Clearly, customer relationship management (CRM) is not a “thing”; it’s a philosophical process, an idea. The term itself has been over-used, and misused, to sell everything from phone jacks to delivery vans. By lumping products and services into a nebulous, all-encompassing category, manufacturers did not have to define what it was their offerings really were. But we’re all a lot smarter now, and recognize that the ultimate goals of this process are: providing a superior customer experience, building customer loyalty and value, and optimizing the way the first two goals are achieved.
CRM software tools are designed to interconnect customers — both directly and indirectly — with the people, processes, systems and knowledge within an organization and with the organization’s external partners and suppliers. Sales, marketing and customer service are the Big Three of CRM. Whether you are looking for a complete suite of products or desire an application that delivers a point solution, appreciate how your present processes and systems will affect and will be affected by your automation decisions. Remember, too, that CRM solutions are also about providing customers with the interaction media and channels of their choice: seamless, fluid communications for both your customers and your organization provide the bedrock of successful, ongoing business relationships. Leveraging the Internet in this regard delivers benefits to customers, including self-help, self-service, Web chat and call, e-mail, collaboration and personalization, and your company (workflow optimization; per/call cost reduction; enterprisewide views of customers; better structured sales offers and marketing campaigns; etc.). Ultimately, the “best” CRM solution will bring your customers closer to you. For some practical advice, we recommend that you read Ernie Megazzini’s article, “Selecting And Buying CRM Software”, and “Solving the Puzzle Of CRM Solutions” by Rene White, both of which appeared in the March 2001 issue of Customer Inter@ction Solutions’.
CRM software products are components of an organo-inorganic compound: your company. Successful deployment of a CRM solution represents a synthesis of people and processes — thinking, behaving and operating on a higher plane of (company) consciousness — all attuned to the impact of customer relationships and the interrelationships that propel your organization forward to sustained success. The companies and products presented in the following compilation exemplify a complete range of technologies and attendant consultative services available toward that end.
Software Categories: A=Sales/Marketing
B=Web/Contact Center Integration
C=Customer Self-Service/Support
D=Customer Analytics
E=Multimedia Contact Management
F=Customer Portals
Alcatel eBusiness Networking Division
818-880-3500
www.ind.alcatel.com
E
Alorica, Inc.
630-775-1900
www.alorica.com
A, B, C, D, E, F
AltiGen Communications
510-252-9712
www.altigen.com
A, B, C, E
Annuncio Software Inc.
650-314-6000
www.annuncio.com
A, D
Apropos Technology, Inc.
630-472-9600
www.apropos.com
A, C, E
Artisoft,Inc.
617-354-0600
www.artisoft.com
E
Athene Software Inc.
303-786-7500
www.athenesoft.com
D
Avaya Communication Inc.
866-GO-AVAYA (866-462-8292)
www.avaya.com
B, E
Beijing JIYA Telecommunication Engineering Co., Ltd.
+86 (008610) 62045511, ext 135
www.jytelecom.com
B, C
Brio Technology, Inc.
877-289-2746
www.brio.com
D
Broad Daylight, Inc.
408-551-4765
www.broaddaylight.com
C
Buzzpad Inc.
781-416-2752
www.buzzpad.com
B
Chordiant Software, Inc.
408-517-6100
www.chordiant.com
A, B, C
Cicero Technologies
919-380-5025
www.level8.com/cicero
B
Cintech Solutions
800-833-3900
www.cintechsolutions.com
B, E
Cisco Systems, Inc.
800-553-6387
www.cisco.com
B
Clarity Incentive Systems, Inc.
212-563-4433
www.clarityis.com
A
Commence Corp.
732-660-1010
www.Commence.com
A, B, C, D
Convergys Corp.
800-344-3000
www.convergys.com
A, B, C, D, E
Database Systems Corp.
602-265-5968
www.databasesystemscorp.com
A, B, C, D, E, F
deuxo
303-382-1245
www.deuxo.com
A
digiMine, Inc.
425-460-5000
www.digimine.com
D
E.piphany, Inc.
650-356-3800
www.epiphany.com
A, B, C, D, F
Edify Corp.
408-982-2000
www.edify.com
C
Empirix Inc.
781-993-8500
www.empirix.com
B
Expertcity, Inc.
800-549-8541
www.expertcity.com
A, B, C, F
Firepond, Inc.
888-662-7722
www.firepond.com
A, C
Fused Solutions
877-754-2998
www.fusedsolutions.com
B, E
Gemplus S.A.
617-742-4102
www.gemplus.com
A, D
Global Management Technologies Corp. (GMT)
770-416-6000
www.gmtcorp.com
A
GWI Software (Groupware Inc.)
360-397-1000
www.gwi.com
C
Hyperion Solutions
408-744-9500
www.hyperion.com
D
iemagine Inc.
312-596-7801
www.iemagine.com
A, B, C, F
IEX, a Tekelec Company
800-433-7692
www.iex.com
E
Industri-Matematik International
856-793-4488
www.im.se
A, B, F
IntraNext Systems, Inc.
888-638-6398
www.nextsys.com
B
Jeeves Solutions, (div. of Ask Jeeves, Inc.)
510-985-7400
www.jeevessolutions.com
A, C, D, F
KANA, Inc.
650-614-8300
www.kana.com
A, B, C, D, E, F
Kanisa Inc.
408-863-5800
www.kanisa.com
C, D
MarketSoft Corp.
781-674-0000
www.marketsoft.com
A
Marketswitch Corp.
202-912-4464
www.marketswitch.com
A
Mobius Management Systems
914-921-7200
www.mobius.com
C
Motive Communications, Inc.
512-339-8335
www.motive.com
C
NewChannel Inc.
650-261-9500
www.newchannel.com
A
noHold, Inc.
408-946-9200
www.nohold.com
C
Novosoft, Inc.
+7-3832-39-63-58
www.novosoft-us.com
A, B
Oncontact Software Corp.
262-375-6555
www.oncontact.com
A, B, C, F
Onyx Software Corp.
425-519-4023
www.onyx.com
F
Oracle Corp.
800-ORACLE-1
www.oracle.com/applications/crm
A, B, E
PeopleSoft, Inc.
800-380-7638
www.peoplesoft.com
A, B, C, D, F
Pipelive.com, an Interworks Company
631-424-9757
www.pipelive.com
A, B, D
Pivotal Corp.
877-PIVOTAL
www.pivotal.com
A, B, C, D, F
Previo
858-794-3789
www.previo.com
C
Precision Response Corp.
888-CALL-PRC (888-225-5772)
www.prcnet.com
A, B, C, D, E, F
Protagona Worldwide
312-382-8989
www.protagona.com
A
YellowBrick Solutions, Inc.
877-806-8142
www.ybsolutions.com
A, D, E
Witness Systems, Inc.
888-3-WITNES (888-394-8637)
www.witness.comB, D, E
Vivonet Canada Inc.
604-408-4306
www.vivonet.com
C
VocalTec Communications Ltd.
201-228-7000
www.vocaltec.com
B
Vocalscape Communications Inc.
604-437-VOIP
www.vocalscape.com
B, C
UniPress Software, Inc.
800-222-0550
www.unipress.com
B, C, D
Talkie, Inc.
310-664-9600
www.talkie.com
C
TechExcel, Inc.
800-439-7782
www.techexcel.com
A, B, C, D, F
Telamon
510-987-7700
www.telamon.com
B
Teloquent Communications Corp.
978-671-5339
www.teloquent.com
B, C, E
Telution, Inc.
312-201-6600
www.telution.com
B, C, D
Teradata, a division of NCR
919-858-0180
www.ncr.com
A, D
ThinkDirectMarketing, Inc.
877-288-DATA
www.tdmdigitaldata.com
A
Tigerpaw Software Corp.
800-704-9009
www.tigerpawsoftware.com
A, E
TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
877-884-9224
www.timetrade.com
B, C
Truis Corp.
415-581-1068
www.truis.com
A
trustedanswer.com
800-233-8489
www.trustedanswer.com
C
SafeHarbor Technology Corp.
206-922-5000
www.safeharbor.com
C
Sellution Services Corp.
512-847-8900
www.sellution.com
A
Siemens Enterprise Networks
800-765-6123
www.icn.siemens.com
E
SpartaCom Technologies, Inc.
520-670-7100
www.spartacom.com
A
SPSS Inc.
312-651-3000
www.spss.com
A, B, D
StayinFront, Inc.
973-461-4800
www.stayinfront.com
A, B, C, D, E, F
Support.com, Inc.
877-493-2778
www.support.com
C
Strenuus, LLC
913-327-7200
www.strenuus.com
C, D
Swallow Information Systems, Inc.
978-867-6000
www.swallow.com
E
Synchrony Communications, Inc.
877-796-2663
www.synchrony.net
A, B, C, D, E, F
Remedy Corp.
650-903-5200
www.remedy.com
C
Retek
888-617-3735
www.retek.com
A, C, D