It is useful to know that developing a customer relationship mana- gement capability is dependent on three key inputs: people, process and technology. Getting these three things right and in balance with each other will dramatically impact on the success of the project.

CRM projects need to be aligned with business strategy and must include a good look at customer-facing processes and how they can be improved. The quality of the technical specification used to select a software vendor is therefore entirely dependent on the sophistication of the CRM project as a whole.

If the project has clear goals, objectives and guidelines, and if the vendor has a clear view of what type of processes it seeks to support the technology, then the specification describes what technology should provide to support business growth.