Introduction
Cosair Gas Distributors with a fleet of 50 trucks operating
24 hours a day is oil distributor based on Houma, Louisiana to distribute the
oil in 360 networks which it purchases from other vendors. Cosair has recently
bought the Client Relationship Management (CRM) software. The founder of the
company Riley Sayer is criticized for making a quick decision without
consulting his employees about the usability of the software. He was only
focused on the need for the software rather than its effectiveness. The author
has indicated a need of a mediator between the management team and the
employees to do the gap analysis, and what could be the best features and the
best way to implement the CRM according to the business environment.
Discussion
1. Where do you think the first mistake was made in the
decision to purchase the new CRM system?
Riley Sayer, the founder of the company bought the CRM on
the spot without any consultation with the feedback from the employees. The CRM
was a generic one so it was not developed to meet the specific requirements of
any organization, only general modules which are common in the firms are
implemented in the CRM. The customization needs were to be pre-listed according
to the need of the organization before making a buy contract.
2. What would you do if Cosair hired you to get the project
completed? Prepare a list of steps indicating the sequence to be completed and
why.
It's always important to do the gap analysis and the
requirement of the organization so I would do the same if I was hired to get
the project completed. I would have listed all the needs and the requirements
to make a robust system.
Following points would be my list to complete the system:
·
Consult with top management about the need of
the company and find out what was lagging in current processes.
·
Understand the business goal and create a unique
selling proposition.
·
Keep on all the department heads and the
employees in the iteration process to find out the current procedures and the
need for atomization.
·
The customer database should be created in prior
so that we know who we are serving.
·
The inventory system should be in place since
these are the things we are going to sell.
·
With the known customer and the inventory,
distribution channel should be figured out.
·
After a strong client base, inventory in place,
and the distribution channel, the sales people will be now able to handle the
purchase and order for the products.
·
Train all the employees who will be responsible
to operate the CRM.
·
Upgrade the computer systems to match up for the
CRM requirements.
3. You have a meeting tomorrow with the company that
installed the CRM software. What issues would you cover with its salespeople
that need to be resolved to get the project back on schedule?
The case in Cosair Gas Distribution is that they had a CRM
system but the employees do not know how to operate and some of them has never
used it.
The first need for the software to operate properly is need for
customization as of the process of Cosair. The main problem is with the
distribution of the gas since the delay is being made and it has started losing
the customers. The drivers should be properly informed through the system prior
to where they had to deliver so that they do not miss the deadline. The printing
of invoices should be made clear so that drivers do not have to do cross-checking.
The system should be made specific and simple to operate and accessible to
particular departments with specific roles only so that the sales people do not
get confused with the inventory system.
To be precise, the CRM should be made user-friendly and easy
to learn, the roles should be clearly defined to each department, a prior
notification like sales order, inventory stocks should be shown to the
corresponding users. A proper user manual and training should be provided to
the users so that they can come out from the traditional way of record keeping
and advance to the new technology.
Conclusion
The role of technology in the current business process is
very vital like a CRM system can automate the process of any organization
enhancing its operation abilities. The CRM will enhance key performance
indicators for the customers and all its stakeholders. It provides an integrated
solution, better customer services, and enhances sales management. The system
bought by Cosair was generic, it was not meant for the specific purpose needed
by the firm and the founder of the firm has been in criticism due to a quick
decision made by him. The software should be specific and serve the purpose of
the business. Before installing any software, the need analysis should be done
and the up gradation of manpower and the computer hardware's should be done
accordingly.
References
Cart, Chandler. (2014, Feb 6). Cosair Gas Distributors Case
3.1. Retrieved April 21, 2019, from
Watson, Emily. (2016, Feb 4). Case 3.1. Retrieved April 21, 2019,
from
Hawkins, Chris. (2019, Jan 8). How to Create a CRM Strategy
in 7 Steps. Retrieved April 21, 2019, from
