A socio-technical approach to customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Steyn, Helena (2004-03)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The networked economy has resulted in the customer having an unprecedented
choice and control over how he/she chooses to do business and with whom. In
addition, the ever-increasing commoditisation of products and services has forced
businesses to re-evaluate their sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The
ability to differentiate an organisation from others has therefore become a major
business advantage. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is considered the
most significant and only remaining differentiator.
Given this importance, it is of concern that high failure rates of up to 70% have been
recorded with regard to CRM systems implementations. Findings from literature
confirm that lack of or insufficient attention to both technical and social aspects
contribute to failed implementations. A hypothesis has therefore been formulated that
a lack of and/or insufficient attention to a socio-technical approach to CRM-systems
is a major contributor to the high failure rate of implemented CRM-systems.
The hypothesis was tested based on identifying the social and technical aspects
from literature that must be addressed to ensure successful implementation and was
utilised as a basis for conducting empirical research to ascertain to what extent these
aspects have contributed (or not) to successful implementations.
The empirical research entailed circulation of a questionnaire to organisations that
have already implemented CRM systems for B2C purposes and are wholly situated
in the Western Cape or have a head office in the Western Cape. Due to the limited
responses received, it must be noted that the research results are not necessarily
representative of the sample in general or the population as a whole. The research
did however indicate some important trends.
CRM systems have only been implemented in a relatively small number of
organisations and are particularly prevalent in industries such as Life Insurance,
Financial Services and Retail. This is considered to be directly linked to the cost and
complexity of implementing these systems.
Based on the responses received, it can be concluded that the nine organisations
that responded generally followed a socio· technical approach to their CRM systems
implementations and in most instances respondents rated their implementations fully
successful. This is contrary to the high failure rates described in literature and CQuid
in part be due to the fact that organisations with failed implementations may have
opted not to complete questionnaires in this regard.
Inconsistencies between the recorded successful implementations relating to, inter
alia, certain aspects being addressed by some and not by others or being addressed
during as opposed to prior to implementation warrant further research to establish the
interrelatedness of the various aspects with one another and the extent to which
certain aspects may carry more weight than others in ensuring success.
It is recommended that further research be done regarding a socio-technical
approach to CRM-systems implementation with a view to obtaining a representative
sample and conclusive evidence as to whether this approach does contribute to
success or not within South Africa. The research should also focus on the impact that
addressing the various social and technical issues during implementation, as
opposed to prior to implementation, has on the success of the implementation.
This exploratory research can be utilised as a basis for further in-depth research
regarding the impact of various social and technical issues on successful
implementations. In addition it can be utilised as a guideline or roadmap for
implementation by organisations intending to implement CRM-systems or to assist
organisations in addressing problems occurring as a result of fa iled CRM systems
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die netwerk ekonomie het tot gevolg dat die klient 'n ongeewenaarde keuse en
beheer het oor hoe en met wie hy/sy besigheid wil doen. Daarbenewens word
besighede gedwing om, as gevolg van die toenemende gebruikersgerief van
produkte en dienste, hulle bronne van volhoubare kompeterende voordeel te
herevalueer. Die vermoe om 'n organisasie van 'n ander te kan onderskei het dus 'n
belangrike besigheidsvoordeel geword. Klienteverhoudingsbestuur (CRM) word
beskou as die belangrikste en enigste oorblywende onderskeidingsfaktor.
Gegewe die belangrikheid daarvan is dit kommerwekkend dat hoë mislukkingssyfers
van tot 70% aangeteken is met betrekking tot CRM stelsel implementerings.
Bevindings uit die literatuur bevestig dat gebrek aan/of onvoldoende aandag aan
beide tegniese en sosiale faktore bygedra het tot mislukte implementerings. 'n
Hipotese is dus geformuleer dat 'n gebrek aan/of onvoldoende aandag aan 'n sosiotegniese
benadering tot CRM-stelsels 'n belangrike bydraende faktor is tot die hoë
mislukkingssyfer van CRM stelsel implementerings.
Hierdie hipotese is getoets deur die sosiale en tegniese aspekte uit die literatuur te
identifiseer wat aangespreek moet word om suksesvolle implementering te verseker
en dit is as basis gebruik vir die empiriese navorsing ten einde vas te stel tot watter
mate hierdie aspekte bygedra het (of nie) tot suksesvolle implementering.
Die empiriese navorsing het die uitstuur van 'n vraelys behels na organisasies wat
reeds CRM stelsels geimplementeer het vir besigheid tot klient (B2C) doeleindes en
wat in die Wes-Kaap gevestig is of 'n hoofkantoor in die Wes-Kaap het. In die lig van
die beperkte terugvoering , moet daarop gelet word dat die navorsingsresultate nie
noodwendig as verteenwoordigend van die steekproef of die populasie as geheel
beskou kan word nie. Die navorsing het egter 'n paar belangrike tendense uitgewys.
CRM stelsels is slegs in 'n relatiewe klein aantal organisasies geimplementeer en
spesifiek in industriee soos Finansiele Dienste, Lewensversekering en Kleinhandel.
Dit wil blyk dat dit direk gekoppel is aan die koste en kompleksiteit verbonde aan
CRM stelsel implementerings.
Gegrond op die terugvoering wat ontvang is, kan afgelei word dat die nege
organisasies wat gereageer het in die algemeen 'n sosio-tegniese benadering tot
CRM stelsel implementerings gevolg het. In die meeste gevalle het respondente
hulle implementerings as ten volle suksesvol beoordeel. Dit is in teens telling met die
hoe mislukkingssyfer wat in die literatuur beskryf word en kan gedeeltelik daaraan
toegeskryf word dat organisasies wie se implementerings nie geslaag het nie,
moontlik verkies het om nie die vraelys in hierdie verband te voltooi nie.
Teenstrydighede tussen aangetekende suksesvolle implementerings met betrekking
tot, onder andere, sekere aspekte deur sommige aangespreek en nie deur ander nie
en daarmee tesame of dit aangespreek is tydens of voor implementering, regverdig
verdere navorsing om die onderlinge verband tussen die onderskeie aspekte te
bepaal, asook die mate waartoe sekere aspekte meer gewig dra as ander om sukses
Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing ten opsigte van 'n sosio-tegniese
benadering gedoen word met die doel om 'n verteenwoordigende monster en
onweerlegbare bewys te vind van hierdie benadering se bydrae tot sukses, aldan nie
in Suid-Afrika. Die navorsing behoort ook te fokus op die sukses daarvan met
betrekking tot die aanspreek van verskeie sosiale en tegniese aangeleenthede
tydens implementering teenoor voor implementering.
Hierdie verkennende navorsing kan aangewend word as 'n basis vir verdere in-diepte
navorsing oor die mate waartoe die onderskeie sosiale en tegniese aangeleenthede
bydra tot suksesvolle implementering. Voorts kan dit ook as 'n riglyn dien vir
organisasies wat die implementering van CRM stelsels oorweeg en kan van nut
wees om probleme wat ontstaan het as gevolg van mislukte CRM stelsel
implementerings aan te spreek.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49853