CIOIN

Two-thirds (66 percent) of UK firms are not enthused about the value of their CRM systems, according to a snapshot survey.
Most rate the performance of their CRM platforms as "average" due to being "slow" and "complex".

SAP consultancy De Villiers Walton surveyed 252 UK firms about the performance of their CRM systems. When evaluating the current level of return on investment that CRM brings to their organizations, two-thirds of firms rated their system as "average".

De Villiers Walton said: "While many systems may be partially fulfilling their remit, most are not succeeding in achieving optimal results for their users and businesses as a whole."

Almost a quarter (24 percent) of firms polled reported that their CRM systems either actually slowed them down or did not support their business processes. Over two-thirds (69 percent) said their CRM systems did not help them focus on daily targets, and almost four out of five (79 percent) indicated they did not see their CRM systems as an essential part of their everyday work.

Nearly half (48 percent) also disliked the way the system was configured, with 29 percent saying the system was too complex, and a further 19 percent feeling their CRM systems were not user-friendly enough and that its fields were not specific enough to their job role.

When asked which aspects of their systems they disliked the most, speed emerged as a challenge for 21 percent of respondents. Other issues included the system not matching business processes (14 percent), and users experiencing difficulty understanding the language and terminology of the system (11 percent).