Aberdeen Looks at What’s Next
Market analysis firm Aberdeen Group reviews some of the advances in CRM software and methods, and outlines the evolution of business solutions in the report “What's Next in CRM: The Learning Relationship.”
The report represents more than eight years of collaborative efforts of Aberdeen research directors, Denis Pombriant, Kent Allen, and Harry Watkins, and contains what they have discovered to be the leading customer-centric strategies for e-business success.
The basis for the research stems from the plethora of information that is available to the consumer via the Internet, making it harder for e-tailers to make modifications based on customer need. “A customer can comparison-shop in relative ease, and a vendor can lose to competition without an inkling of what is happening,” says the report. Both e-businesses and consumers stand to lose in this scenario and if both parties are to be satisfied, a new business model must be employed that emphasizes information sharing — whether or not a transaction takes place.
To overcome the CRM obstacles that e-businesses face, the report examines:
- The learning relationship in which vendors and customers share information that improve products and promotions, which allow the customer to develop trust in the vendor's knowledge of the customer's needs.
- The platform requirements to support the increasingly complex web of relationships between a vendor and potentially tens of thousands of customers.
- The ability to imbed a company's existing, unique business methods within a modular platform to present a distinct face to customers.
The report was specifically developed for audiences that stood to benefit the most from the revelations:
- C-level executives committed to deepening their companies' relationships with customers and increasing revenue as well as lowering costs.
- Professionals at the CIO and MIS levels so they may appropriately plan tomorrow's CRM investments.
- Companies developing and selling CRM applications, tools, or methodologies, or systems integrators who provide the critical services that surround CRM implementations.
- The private or professional investor who wants to gain a clearer picture of emerging CRM market segments, products, and technologies that are critical to successful investment.
With keen and thorough insight, the report discusses the various methodologies and software architecture that facilitate critical CRM strategies. Chapters are devoted to customer voice management; sales force automation and developing sales leads; B2B and B2C relationships; collaborative marketing and rich media; advertising and segment marketing; Internet Application Architecture; the CRM ASP model; and more. Extensive supplier abstracts are also included. The 205-page report is available from Aberdeen for $495.
Based in Boston and founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group provides IT market intelligence in more than 25 market segments, as well as positioning and market acceleration services to established and start-up technology companies. Research practices focus on emerging market opportunities, market growth rates, important industry trends, and customer buying patterns.
Robyn Greenspan, an independent researcher and speaker, is interested in innovation, market trends and information technology. She was a participant in the AI Summit and also took part in the IEEE International Conference on Edge Computing, International SOA Symposium series and the International Cloud Symposium series. She graduated from Temple University. She was previously the communications and research manager for the AMS, an internationally recognized professional association that advances knowledge in the IT and business management areas.
