Innovative organizations continuously adapt in response to environmental changes and competitiveness. Increasingly transforming communication technology allows businesses to come up with customized offerings to acquire, retain and grow customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system plays the role of liaison between organization and customers and justifies customer-orientated culture. However, researchers have identified that almost about 70 percent of all CRM projects failed to achieve expected desired outcomes by the companies around the globe. Therefore, this study is undertaken to empirically test the critical success factors of CRM solutions to measure the viability of a substantial investment by entities in a technological-driven business strategy in the context of Pakistan. Primary data is collected through an internet-based survey from employees associated with Sales, Marketing and IT functions of any sort of CRM solution deploying companies operating in Pakistan. Empirical results are verified through a Consistent PLS algorithm and Bootstrapping calculation under SmartPLS 3. The results of this research suggest that top management support, information technology, skillful and trained staff, organization culture and customer information are highly significant in contributing to effective implementation of CRM solutions in Pakistan.

Die Implementierung von CRM in einem Unternehmen ist mit vielen Herausforderungen verbunden, da eine solche Implementierung viel Zeit erfordert und hohe Kosten verursacht. Diese Kosten sind mitunter schwer zu rechtfertigen. Jedoch verspricht man sich, durch diese Technologie ein besseres Kundenverständnis zu erlangen und somit auch seine Umsätze nachhaltig steigern zu können. Leider ist es oft der Fall, dass Systeme, die das Kundenmanagement erleichtern sollen, genau das Gegenteil bewirken und somit zu Frust und Enttäuschung führen. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Erfolgsschlüsselfaktoren für die Implementierung von CRM in einer Vertriebsorganisation im B2B Bereich.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is used to know more about customers' needs and behaviors in order to build up stronger relationships with them. In the end, good customer relationships are at the heart of business succe ss. There are many technological components to CRM, but thinking about CRM in mainly technological terms is a mistake. Managing a successful CRM implementation requi res an integrated and balanced approach to people, process, and technology. Also it is the organizational change and cultural shift that businesses need to do, in order to actually deliver good customer service and distinguish themselves from their competitors in the market place. This paper will examine critical factors for successful CRM implementation generally and in the Lebanese context more specifically. These factors will be i dentified from in- depth interviews with managers in Lebanese companies that implemented C RM or are in the process of implementing it.

Customer relationship management -- critical success factor -- CRM implementation -- phenomenology -- CAQDAS.