Forrester

Why Read This Report

Forrester’s best practices framework for CRM defines the critical capabilities necessary for building high-quality customer relationships. The framework distills findings from our interviews with 101 user companies, analysis of 33 CRM vendor solutions, and insight from discussions with 29 CRM professional services organizations. It also incorporates our recent experience in applying the framework to help more than 30 Forrester clients define their CRM strategies and establish a road map for the future. The framework includes 11 sets of capabilities across four categories and comprises more than 150 best practices, including social CRM capabilities. This diagnostic tool is designed to evaluate your capabilities against CRM best practices. Use the framework and self-assessment to improve your current CRM initiative or to jump-start new projects. To begin, score your company's capabilities relative to each capability statement in the following categories: 1) customer strategy; 2) marketing; 3) eCommerce; 4) direct sales; 5) indirect sales; 6) customer service; 7) field service; 8) customer analytics; 9) customer data management; 10) technology infrastructure; and 11) people management.