Developing a Process Scenario Approach to Business Cases in CRM Projects
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Helsinki University of Technology |
Diplomityö
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Date
2006
Department
Major/Subject
Yritysstrategia ja kansainvälinen liiketoiminta|Telecommunications management
Mcode
TU-91|T-124
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
130
Series
Abstract
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a new approach to marketing, in which managing customer relationships has taken the central position instead of concentrating on a traditional, transaction-based marketing. The main ideas of this approach are developing the quality of interactions between the company and its clients, retaining existing customer relationships, and continuous analysis of customer information. Information technology can be very useful for supporting CRM, and to some extend IT solutions have stolen the spotlight in CRM area. Many of the existing IT solutions are extensive pieces of software, and their implementation projects tend to be large and expensive. The decision to invest in CRM solutions are often done with unsuitable business case tools and based on insufficient information. This Master's Thesis develops a new approach to supporting investment decisions in CRM implementation projects - the process scenario approach. The thesis has been done as a part of the case company's CRM project. The project team noticed the unsuitability of existing business case methods when developing a business case for the project. Business process modeling and development is almost always an essential part of a CRM project. The existing business case methods are not well suited for assessing or explaining the impacts of changes in complicated business processes. The process scenario approach is based on a verbal description of the affected business process with a help of an example case. The scenario may include other modules beside the description depending on the purpose of the scenario - such as analyses of the disadvantages of the current way of working or the benefits of the new process and supporting IT tools. The process scenario approach presented in the thesis can be used to support a CRM project in four ways:. 1. Provide aid in business process development 2. Support investment decision making 3. Facilitate IT design 4. Assist training of users. In addition to developing the process scenario approach the thesis contains a process scenario written for the case project. It was utilized in the project for supporting business process development and facilitating IT design. The presented hypothetical approach is thus at least partly validated in practical use, but further research is necessary for assessing the real benefits of the process scenario approach.Description
Supervisor
Parhankangas, Annaleena|Smeds, RiittaThesis advisor
Petit-Gras, StephaneKeywords
Business Cases, Scenarios, Business Process Development, Customer Relationship Management
