for customer satisfaction. CRM is a comprehensive sales and marketing approach to building long-term customer relationships and improving business performance. The best CRM systems include: Comprehensive account management functions Contact profile, history and n-tiered relationships Automated quotes and correspondence Forecast, order and contract generation Instant access to historical account summary Marketing encyclopedia and Internet communicationToday's technology has reached a price/performance point where it is possible to acquire, consolidate, analyze, and manage the volumes of information that make this concept possible.First of all, it must be understood that at its core, CRM is more than just a set of technologies: it is a process. This fact will be of significant importance to Information Technology (IT) professionals who will be asked to support CRM with information and applications. Furthermore, it is intended to be a repeatable process to ensure ongoing, continually improving, and consistent results. Simply stated, CRM comprises the acquisition and deployment of knowledge about customers to enable a company to sell more of their product or service more efficiently.The role of enabling IT in all three of these areas--deriving knowledge, enabling intelligent customer channels, and capturing and analyzing feedback--cannot be over emphasized. IT professionals have a tremendous opportunity to become enablers of a customer-centric business strategy and to have an impact on the organization's bottom line.2.3.2.1 Evolution of CRMIn the past, customers were served by the corner store and door-to-door sales forces. The corner stores were small, intimate, and provided one-on-one service to their clientele. The door-to-door salesperson was the other face of the company and the personal relationship established by the salesperson was the key to success. This model provided, thro...
