The book reveals the overall importance of a customer relationship management system especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition to the topic of CRM, the increasing importance and possibilities of open source software is revealed.The main research question consists of the idea if open source customer relationship management systems are able to fulfill the requirements of a CRM software.In order to be able to answer this question, the following analysis made use of the literature available on the topics CRM, special requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the topic of open source software.By revealing what a CRM have to fulfill in order to be classified as customer relationship management system according to the findings in the literature, various requirements are identified.In the next step, the three most popular open source CRM software systems Sugar CRM, vTiger, and OpenCRX are scrutinized under the criteria if they are able to fulfill the requirements defined in the previous steps.The conclusion discusses the previous findings and outlines the chances and limits of open source customer relationship management solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises.In addition to this, the requirements of a successful implementation of a CRM system are revealed and the concept of seeing CRM as a corporate strategy is concretized.The aim of this book is to outline the holistic approach of CRM and to examine the research question if open source CRM solutions are able to fulfill the requirements previously defined according to the underlying literature.

Customer Relationship Management Third Edition is a much-anticipated update of a bestselling textbook, including substantial revisions to bring its coverage up to date with the very latest in CRM practice. The book introduces the concept of CRM, explains its benefits, how and why it can be used, the technologies that are deployed, and how to implement it, providing you with a guide to every aspect of CRM in your business or your studies. Both theoretically sound and managerially relevant, the book draws on academic and independent research from a wide range of disciplines including IS, HR, project management, finance, strategy and more. Buttle and Maklan, clearly and without jargon, explain how CRM can be used throughout the customer life cycle stages of customer acquisition, retention and development. The book is illustrated liberally with screenshots from CRM software applications and case illustrations of CRM in practice. NEW TO THIS EDITION: Updated instructor support materials online Full colour interior Brand new international case illustrations from many industry settings Substantial revisions throughout, including new content on: Social media and social CRM Big data and unstructured data Recent advances in analytical CRM including next best action solutions Marketing, sales and service automation Customer self-service technologies Making the business case and realising the benefits of investment in CRM Ideal as a core textbook by students on CRM or related courses such as relationship marketing, database marketing or key account management, the book is also essential to industry professionals, managers involved in CRM programs and those pursuing professional qualifications or accreditation in marketing, sales or service management.

Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business is a practical guide for the small business owner seeking viable alternative to expensive commercial software packages and subscriptions. This comprehensive look at the powerful alternatives to expensive proprietary software provides an illustrated overview of no-cost software solutions. In this book you will find free and open source solutions for office productivity, PDF creation, accounting, image editing and graphic design, desktop publishing, 3D design, CAD, audio and video editing, website and blog creation, customer relationship management, point of sale, networking and security, and alternatives to the Windows and Macintosh operating systems. This guide helps free the cost-conscious business owner from the bonds of expensive proprietary software by exploring the free and powerful alternatives that exist. You can save a substantial sums of money by replacing just a few commercial software titles with free and open source solutions. Learn how with Pro Freeware and Open Source Solutions for Business today.

Install, configure, and administer a robust Customer Relationship Management system using SugarCRM.

This book presents a selection of papers from the 2017 World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (WorldCIST'17), held between the 11st and 13th of April 2017 at Porto Santo Island, Madeira, Portugal. WorldCIST is a global forum for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss recent results and innovations, current trends, professional experiences and challenges involved in modern Information Systems and Technologies research, together with technological developments and applications. The main topics covered are: Information and Knowledge Management; Organizational Models and Information Systems; Software and Systems Modeling; Software Systems, Architectures, Applications and Tools; Multimedia Systems and Applications; Computer Networks, Mobility and Pervasive Systems; Intelligent and Decision Support Systems; Big Data Analytics and Applications; Human–Computer Interaction; Ethics, Computers & Security; Health Informatics; Information Technologies in Education; and Information Technologies in Radiocommunications.

Master's Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: A- (1,5), University of Birmingham (University College Birmingham), language: English, abstract: This study was undertaken to recommend a suitable customer relationship management (CRM) software for the German event agency XYZ. For this reason three different CRM software products were evaluated. Four research objectives were established to achieve the aim. They were the principles of customer relationship management; the benefits and problems connected with the implementation of CRM; the importance of measures to get loyal customers and a comparison of different software products with regard to different criteria. Using the case study strategy including secondary research methods the researcher was able to answer the research objectives and the aim. The main sources used in this investigation were secondary sources due to the large number of information available in these sources. Prior the development of an assessment schematic was necessary to evaluate the credibility of these sources. Personal experience with CRM, the current importance of this topic and the gap in the event based literature motivated the researcher to undertake this study. The findings indicated that the competitive environment in which small and medium enterprises operate make it necessary to implement a good working CRM system to identify potential customers who might become loyal. Indeed, a universal definition of terms such as CRM, customer satisfaction and loyalty is missing or the terms are not clearly defined. Findings also revealed that there is still a gap in literature concerning CRM within the event industry, especially within event management companies. The number of data concerning aspects such as competition and customer orientation regarding to event management companies is also rare or missing. Beside these limitations, research indicates that the market of CRM software products is growing. Especially web based CRM solutions such as on-demand software have become more popular in the last few years, due to the mostly unproblematic implementation and the lower price of these products compared to traditional software packages. Recommendations for further research include a deeper analysis of CRM within the events industry and a clear definition of terms which are connected with CRM such as customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. More information on customer orientation, customer loyalty and competitiveness especially within event management companies would help to establish a more precise catalogue of software selection criteria.

This highly regarded textbook provides the definitive account of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) concepts, applications, and technologies, focusing on how companies can create and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with customers. Readers will gain a thorough understanding of the conceptual foundations of CRM, see CRM in practice through illustrative case examples and exercises, and understand how to organise customer data gathering, analysis, and presentation for decision making. The book achieves these outcomes by first considering strategic CRM before moving into operational CRM and, finally, onto analytical aspects of CRM. The fifth edition has been fully updated to include: A series of new case examples to illustrate CRM within various regional and industrial contexts, including those relevant to large, medium, and small enterprises A series of new exercises and discussion questions to help readers understand CRM concepts and to support pedagogical processes, particularly in higher education environments A greater emphasis on managerial applications of CRM through new content to help guide managers An updated account of new and emerging technologies relevant to CRM Expanded coverage of customer experience (CX), customer engagement (CE), and customer journey management (CJM) Customer Relationship Management is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying CRM, Sales Management, Customer Experience Management, and Relationship Marketing, as well as executives who oversee CRM functions. Online resources include an Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a bank of exam questions.