Business Engagement with Agresso CRM Benefits of a centralised CRM system Sandra Macpherson

Sources of Revenue: –Commercialisation of Research –Consultancy/Product Related Services –CPD Courses/Work Based Learning –Facilities Hire –Knowledge Transfer Non Revenue Related –Student Placements/Employment/Creative Presence –Visiting Lecturers What do we mean by Business Engagement?

Universities Can Provide Many Things But Must : –Understand Our Business –Talk ‘Our Language’ –Be Responsive & Reliable –Act Like a Business –Be Available When We Are Working The Customer Viewpoint

Find a way to meet our needs and the customers’ The Challenge

Implement a CRM System! Find a supplier and away we go..... That will solve all our problems (or will it?) So What Do We Do?

Sometimes That Isn’t Enough

People, Process, Technology However great the system is, it cannot succeed if the people and processes don’t work Customer Relationship Management PeopleProcessTechnology

Culture change often needed Don’t assume academics know how to talk to businesses Look outside in not inside out Put the customer at the heart of everything Attitude and Approach

What are the benefits? How Can a CRM System Help? Depends who you are!

Increased efficiency, less duplication of effort, removal of ‘silos’ Better understanding of the ‘customer’ base Ability to achieve better returns from targeted marketing Increased opportunities to develop individual relationships into mutually beneficial strategic partnerships Improved ability to identify trends and produce forecasts and predictions so anticipate customer needs Strategic Benefits

The Vice Chancellor ? Senior Management ? Business Development Staff ? The Customers ? Finance ? Other staff? ? Who cares about these things?

Finding Benefits For Individual Users: Benefits are in the eye of the beholder The benefits at an operational level are often quite different to the strategic benefits The Key to Achieving Strategic Benefits

These will vary be area and user Find out what causes ‘pain’ Use CRM to help Examples: –Managing enquiries and follow ups –Storing case study materials with bids –Managing student ambassador records –Points of contact and roles for projects Operational Benefits

A centralised CRM system is key to managing business engagement but: The appropriate people and processes must be in place too including support from senior staff There must be some benefits to the ordinary users or they won’t use the system which means the strategic level benefits can’t be achieved It is often the little extra’s that make all the difference Conclusion