SugarCRM, System Training - Part One
System Development
The typical CRM development process, even within a single phase of an overall CRM implementation program for your business, is broken down into a number of major areas—such as enhancements to be made to the accounts model, to contacts, to projects, and so on, as well as the custom reports and charts you may need.
While some of these alterations may interact with each other, many of them will not, and clusters of functionality can typically be identified that are fairly independent of each other.
Usually the best practice is to have a SugarCRM development partner develop these off site, and then introduce each new function-cluster to you for evaluation one at a time (typically through a development website that is exposed just to you). Unless you have spent the time and money to develop a remarkably detailed specification, there will always be issues such as "I thought that control would be a dropdown, not a radio button", or "I wanted the tab order to go like this …", or "When you select a value in that field—this other field is meant to be pre-populated."
Performing initial acceptance testing on each function-cluster one at a time lets the internal CRM implementation team focus on it clearly, and ensure that they get it implemented exactly as they need it. Then they can move on to the next function-cluster, and so on until a full first pass of the application has been implemented and accepted.
Now full acceptance testing on the integrated CRM application should be performed by your team and a formal sign-off performed against a specific revision of the software on the evaluation website.
Once that has been done, the CRM application is either hosted by a hosting supplier (which may be your CRM development partner again), or the now custom CRM application software is delivered to you for installation on your own server hardware. If the latter, you will need a further brief acceptance test of the application as installed on your own server.
Data Import
While the acceptance testing is going on, any past CRM or contact manager data that you wish to import into your CRM solution should be getting prepared, converted, and imported. Data import, checking and cleanup can itself easily take weeks to perform (when there is lots of data, and it comes from an awkward and complex source format)—so make sure to allow sufficient time.
Do not think that the big job is to get the data into the CRM, and that you can clean it up afterwards. The big job is to get the data cleaned up. Ask yourself—are there any transformations that should be performed on the data while it is outside a CRM—the assignment of accounts to users, for example—by postcode perhaps? Will you design and run a scan for duplicates?
When you have approved the software customization and development process, and your imported data looks just right, you are ready to start introducing your new CRM to the most important people in the process—its users.
Pilot Testing
Pilot testing of the CRM is a critical step of the process. Each section of the CRM should be tested by one of the user that is most dependent on that section working optimally. Sales management should test the pipeline charts. Sales staff and Finance should test the commission reports. Sales, service, and admin general staff should test the usability of account, contact, opportunity, lead, and case screens. Administrators should evaluate management reports, and so on.
I always look at it this way. A year after your implementation, no one will remember clearly if it was on time, or on budget. All they will remember is if you produced a system that is now a critical part of the organization's business processes, if they like the system, and if they felt like a part of its introduction.
Project managers should not be afraid to send the system back for re-work if the initial pilot testing indicates significant dissatisfaction with the usability of the system, or the accuracy with which it adheres to the desired business processes.
About the Author
Michael Whitehead is a leading authority on the design and implementation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Michael’s experience and expertise spans a thirty year career in software architecture, design and development as well as business management and ownership of multiple technology organizations. Among many other accomplishments Michael is the contributing author of the SugarCRM Open Source User Guide.
Michael has authored this book for entrepreneurs and small/medium business leaders, like himself, to help propel the success of their businesses through the disciplined application of CRM best practices. More than just a practical guide for the implementation of SugarCRM, this book explores and explains the business implications—and benefits—of customer relationship management for the small/medium business.
Michael is currently the founder and President of The Long Reach Corporation (www.thelongreach.com). Long Reach blends real world CRM expertise with commercial open source technologies to develop and deliver cost effective CRM solutions for small/medium business and divisions of large enterprises. Long Reach offers a full range of SugarCRM implementation, customization and training services. Long Reach is also the developer of Info At Hand™, a complete, commercial-grade, customer-centric business management solution built on SugarCRM Open Source.
