5 Common Reasons for CRM Project Failure

It’s important that businesses are able to recognize why projects fail so they can avoid costly mistakes. Read on to discover 5 common reasons why CRM projects fail and how to prevent them.  

1. Lack of research

Research is essential when it comes to firstly choosing your CRM solution, then choosing the partner to implement this for you. Businesses can easily fall into the trap of choosing a solution because it’s familiar, however, this might not always be best suited to your organization as everyone’s needs and requirements are individual.

Bespoke solutions like Microsoft Dynamics 365 are implemented by a partner, so really take your time to understand your options and look at their reviews, case studies, website, etc to really get a good idea. A good partner will understand your business requirements right now as well as what you might require in the future, and design a tailored solution to fit your needs.

2. Thinking CRM is only a technology solution

If your business sees technology as the complete answer to your challenges, this can be a major pitfall of a CRM project. You see, technology is just the vehicle, to be effective it’s critical to understand current business processes, what is and isn’t working for you, and what your future looks like; defining this in the early states ensures that the technology solution can be truly fit-for-purpose.

For your CRM project to be a success within your organization, user adoption, training and change management must work in tandem with implementation.

3. Poor user adoption

Poor user adoption is one of the most common hurdles for businesses to overcome and a large contributor to failing CRM projects. 

This is really an outcome of many other things; lack of communicating the clear benefits with employees, insufficient training, overcomplicated technology… the list goes on. It’s when your users find themselves working outside of the CRM and reverting to previous processes and habits that your CRM is in danger of failure.

4. No plan for the future

Your CRM solution must be designed with your future requirements in mind. Businesses often get caught up in the ‘now’ – current needs, goals, etc. Obviously this has a place, but don’t lose sight of the future and how your needs may change over time.

Business requirements rarely remain the same for a long period of time, so this part is critical to ensure your business has a solution that is fit your needs today, and as your business evolves in the future.

A plug and play CRM solution will be trickier to evolve around your future requirements, so if you’re in the decision stage of looking for a new CRM be sure to consider a bespoke solution, where additional functionality can be built as required. 

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5. Lack of post-implementation support

Many businesses, and partners, are in the in mindset that once the technology is implemented the project is complete. We don’t believe that’s the case; when the solution is implemented, businesses often face different challenges.

Once training has been delivered, it shouldn’t then be forgotten and seen as an instant success. Things probably won’t be plain sailing, which is often the vision that’s sold. Users are learning a new system, new processes and probably overcoming whatever misconceptions they had before. However, with the right partner, training and post-implementation support, both sides will work together to understand the potential pitfalls and how to overcome these to ensure the project is a success.