SuiteCRM Implementation Failures & How To Avoid Them!
SuiteCRM is an award winning free and open-source CRM solution providing much potential to prospective businesses adopting it. This potential is in the form of the ability to build long-lasting profitable relationships with clients. However, simply the adoption of SuiteCRM cannot raise the revenues and profits of businesses. In fact, at times, the implementation of SuiteCRM can fail. This would be evident from no change in the company’s revenues or profits after the CRM implementation. On the other hand, the ROI of the CRM might also take a negative turn due to the hosting costs of the CRM paid by the business. These would be the symptoms of a SuiteCRM implementation failure. There are a number of reasons for the implementation of a CRM to fail. One of these could be the failure to inculcate a culture which encourages the use of the CRM. This would translate to failing to use the CRM to document some significant business processes. Other reasons for SuiteCRM implementation failure are listed below.
Sketchy Business Objectives
For any change in a business to be successful, proper objectives have to be set, not only to be able to measure the impact of the change, but also to give a direction to the business. Once business objectives have been set, then strategies and tactics can be devised from those business objectives. Any haphazard method of SuiteCRM implementation has more probability to fail than a planned implementation.
Lack of SuiteCRM Customization
The off-the-shelf version of SuiteCRM has not been optimized for the business processes of any type of business. Therefore, inefficiencies can be caused through the use of SuiteCRM not customized according to the individual needs of a business. On the other hand, SuiteCRM customization can lead to significant gains in CRM ROI. This is due to the fact that the unique workflows are integrated into the CRM solution. Furthermore, customizing SuiteCRM can better reflect the identity of the business that has adopted it. This would be through the use of custom fields, modules, themes as well as layouts that align with the business processes of the organization to which the CRM solution belongs.
No SuiteCRM Integration
SuiteCRM offers many benefits for businesses. One of these is its ability to integrate with third-party applications or plugins, which increases the functionality of the CRM, indirectly leading to efficiency gains. There is a plethora of integration options available for SuiteCRM. These options include, but are not limited to, accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero, telephony systems such as RingCentral and Asterisk as well as SuiteCRM integration with payment gateways, which include Stripe and Authorize.Net. As you can see, SuiteCRM integration options are not just adding increased functionality to the software solution, by enabling more tasks to be done from within the CRM, but also increasing efficiency since when these tasks are completed from within the CRM, all relevant databases are also updated automatically, eliminating the need for repetitive data entry.
Lack of SuiteCRM Training
Once the CRM has been deployed within the business, the next most important step to take would be training of all the resources regarding the CRM. Without training, operation of the CRM by the staff would be as destructive as asking someone not trained in driving to drive a motorcar. Without proper training, not only some of the necessary features of the CRM would be underutilized, but there are also chances of incorrect data entry and incorrect data classification, leading to misleading results. Therefore, it is not only an option, but a requirement to properly train the staff before allowing them to use the CRM.
Improper SuiteCRM Hosting
One important factor to consider during SuiteCRM deployment is to arrange proper hosting for the CRM solution. A number of problems can arise if the right package of hosting or suitable hardware is not arranged for during the deployment of the CRM. These problems include server crashes and frequent lags in the CRM workflows. Therefore, inefficiencies can be caused as a result of poor choice of deployment, whether it is choosing between on-premise or private server hosting, or a choice between various hosting packages. Finally, choice of hosting should also include the consideration that there might be an increase in capacity required in the future, when the number of users of the CRM, or the customer database increases. Hence, the wrong SuiteCRM hosting can also lead to SuiteCRM implementation failure.
The Bottom Line!
The reason for firms investing in SuiteCRM services and hosting is to make use of the various facilities that it provides with regard to relationship management with customers. However, this will only be achieved when some of the hurdles towards optimal SuiteCRM deployment have been removed. Once these hurdles have been taken care of, only then can businesses truly enjoy the CRM and its several features.
RT Dynamic is a provider of professional services with regard to SuiteCRM, including SuiteCRM Migration, Customization, Integration as well as Support services. Get in touch now for a FREE Consultation Session. We will be happy to assist you!
