Sales staff on the road need to know about customer service issues that have arisen overnight. But they need the data in a succinct, practical format. Furthermore, the data must be filtered and routed to only the appropriate persons. A system that dumps all data generated by all departments on all desks is a menace, not a help, says Golterman. At the same time, the routing system should be flexible enough to accommodate ad hoc teams on the fly.
TERM also requires long-term budgeting and planning.
Software and hardware are the least of the projected expenses. According to Gartner Group, only 20 percent of spending in midsize companies adopting TERM goes to the technology. The balance is incurred in initial research of software options and ongoing internal labor, consulting fees, implementation costs, and maintenance. Successful companies lay out road maps acknowledging these expenses before they set off. Suite Anticipation Sales and marketing departments are not necessarily accustomed to working jointly, and neither is their software.