Getting a Grip on CRM

The company realized it had a lot of contact with customers, but muchof the information gathered from that contact was staying in peoplesheads rather than being shared. Baxter wanted to make that customerdata available to more people to help them serve customers better.With that over-all mission in mind, the company then worked out itspriorities.

We prioritized around what would have the biggest impact and whatwould be easiest to execute, Sommerville explains. Those are thethings that we tried to aim for first.

Long-term & Short-term View

Toronto-based Hudsons Bay Company also began with a well thought outvision of its CRM strategy.

Rob Shields, vice-president of CRM and co-chief privacy officer, saysHBC has a clear long-term goal for its CRM work. Whenever a customerengages us, we want to be in a position to give them one view of ourorganization. Any way we speak to you on any given occasion shouldreflect your up-to-date relationship with us. Its our ability to havea strategy that can, at least in the short term, differentiate us inthe marketplace.