CRM Project Management Methodologies: Which One is the Best?

While there are numerous methodologies that can be used to manage a CRM project, such as Waterfall, Scrum, Agile, Sure Step, and Kanban, they all share common goals:

• Reducing risk
• Ensuring return on investment (ROI)
• Driving change

The core difference is in the approach. Many solution providers have developed their own CRM software implementation methodology based on one or more of the most common approaches. What this means is they have processes, templates, and formulas that they follow to manage a project. The core concept is to have a single repeatable process that works in as many situations as possible.

Many Microsoft partners may adopt Sure Step as their project management “methodology” of choice. Rather than being a true methodology by definition, Sure Step is a collection of guides, tools and templates that Microsoft partners can use to help ensure a successful project. It actually supports multiple methodologies.

But, that still leaves the question of which CRM project management methodology is the best fit for your organization?  Which one is the “silver bullet” that will ensure success?

Just as choosing the right software solution for your organization depends on many factors, so does choosing the right project management methodology.

When you’re sizing up potential CRM implementation partners, they should take the time to understand key factors about your organization and your project. Those factors can be grouped into 4 high-level categories:

1. Organizational culture
2. Resource availability & skills
3. Infrastructure readiness
4. Project factors

For example, they should ask you questions such as:

• Comparing your perspective to that of the user community, how successful were your previous projects?  Consider how often project deployments have been delayed for user feedback or launched with a significant change/enhancement backlog.
• Are project team members co-located or does the project need to take into consideration time zone and/or cultural differences? Consider the distribution of SMEs and IT project resources.
• How many business processes and teams does this need to support?  How mature are those processes?
• Is this an on premise or cloud implementation?  For on premise, what infrastructure is in place and what needs to be acquired? Do you have the internal resources and skills to deploy and support that infrastructure?

Only once they’ve reviewed factors like these with you, should your partner recommended an approach for implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The right partner understands the nuances of successful project management. They will structure the project to maximize your success – on your terms.

To get the conversation started, we’ve developed a guide with 20 questions to help customers select the right approach for their project.

Go here to download a complete copy of the CRM Implementation Guide: How to Select the RIGHT Project Management Methodology for Your Organization.

by Green Beacon