Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Processes: A Review of Different Perspectives

摘要

In the environment of extensive competition and rapid technological development, organizations need to know their customers and to build sustainable relationships with them. Customer relationship management (CRM) has the potential for achieving that. However, CRM is considered as buzzword and it is not understood well. The main components of CRM are people, technology, and processes. This paper provides an extensive review of the literature regarding the CRM processes. This review aims to increase the understanding of the different perspectives and the various types and levels of CRM processes. This paper revealed that there are four major perspectives of CRM processes which are customer facing level processes, customer oriented processes, cross functional CRM processes, and CRM macro-level processes. This paper recommends that for ensuring the successful adoption and implementation of any CRM initiative, organization should understand the different levels of CRM process and the integrated activities among the CRM processes at each level. In addition, for organizations to be successful adopters and implementers of CRM programs, they should understand the need for business process reengineering and effective anticipation and management of the change that may accompany any CRM initiative.