CRM Software
3 Reasons For CRM Failure
The CRM implementation success record is pretty depressing. Over the last decade, several research studies have shown than anywhere from 20% to two-thirds of all CRM efforts have either failed to meet expectations or failed all together. More ...
4 Ways to make CRM Software More Producive
The purpose of CRM software is to help your organization achieve its customer objectives. The more effectively you integrate your customer processes with your CRM system the more quickly you will achieve your objectives and ROI. More ...
How To Align CRM Strategy with CRM Software
CIOs, business executives, IT experts and industry pundits like to talk about the importance of aligning software technology with the most strategic goals of the organization. More ...
5 Reasons to Invest in SFA Software
Whether you're a small services business or an enterprise offering hundreds of global products, SFA is created to reduce or eliminate many of the required, but time-consuming, activities associated with selling. More ...
5 Steps to Achieve SFA Buy In
One of the biggest issues in implementing a SFA programs in any company is getting user acceptance of the project. More ...
Design Better Dashboards
An SFA dashboard functions a lot like the dashboard of your car. It delivers key data that is easy to grasp. Easy to grasp is the key. A good digital dashboard gives us the information users need in a way that lets them understand at a glance. More ...
What To Do When the SFA System is Broke
Over several years, as both a user and a implementor of CRM software systems, I've developed a perspective which is simply a result of my years of eating my own cooking. More ...
A Primer to Marketing Automation Software
In a world of immediate gratification, it is almost unheard of to wait a week for product information to be delivered, for a phone call to be returned or to get a local retailer referral. Even waiting a day is not satisfactory for most buyer inquiries and prospects. More ...
Marketing as a Service
Just when marketing applications are becoming the integral component to CRM software, new software vendors are upping the stakes, providing increased capabilities as a service. More ...
What Is Marketing Automation Software?
In a world of growing competition, smaller customer bases and declining margins, smart businesses are using the power of marketing software to boost efficiency, separate from competitors and improve the quantity of qualified leads fowarded to the sales team. More ...
Tips and Tricks to Improve Test Marketing
Successful marketing professionals are the ones continuously testing the responses to their campaigns. Testing results in constant improvements over successive periods of time and results in better campaigns with improved response rates. More ...
Just What Is A Marketing Automation System?
What is a marketing automation system? Is it the end all tool for lead management, or will your CRM software suffice? If you have a CRM application, do you also need another marketing program for lead acquisitions? More ...
What Exactly Is A CCO and Do I Need One
Critical positions within the organization are generally led by C-level titles, for instance, Information Technology by the CIO, accounting by the CFO, information security by the CSO and company strategy by the CEO. More ...
Six Step Approach to Increased Customer Loyalty
Using your CRM 360 degree view of the customer relationship you can aim targeted offers at highly specific customer segments to build loyalty, deliver relevant messaging, grow customer share and retain more of your customers. More ...
Automating Campaign Management with CRM
A CRM application can help you avoid marketing campaign challenges while improving campaign response rates, conversions and marketing ROI. More ...
Mining The Marketing Database For Lost Opportunities
Its less costly and time consuming to sell existing customers over new customers, but many marketers fail to understand its also less costly to sell to former customers than new accounts. More ...
When To Know When Buying Contact Center Software
The sound of a busy contact center is music to any company's ears. Contact center applications can fine tune that cacophony into a symphony of staff productivity and customer satisfaction. More ...
Integrating Social Media Into The Contact Center
It's no stretch to say that to be successful, call centers must embrace social media. But that's not enough by itself, creating a LinkedIn page or starting a Twitter profile will not earn you success. More ...
Is Your Call Center Tracking The Right Metrics?
While key performance indications are all the talk these days at call centers, they aren’t all created equally. It’s always a great idea to track metrics but are you tracking the best ones? More ...
Call Center Learning
My daughter works for shoes, literally. She works 4 hours a week in a pizza restaurant just to be able to fund her shoe habit. More ...
Call Center Successes: New Technologies To Advance The Call Center Mission
Social media and new call center tools offer a synergistic combination in transforming the call center from a cost center to a profict center. More ...
4 Ways CRM Can Advance CSR Productivity
A strength of CRM applications is that they can present an holistic view of the customer relationship. More ...
Is Open Source CRM Able to Compete?
With its low cost and extensibility, open source solutions appear more attractive to a growing number of businesses, even for mission-critical applications such as CRM, ERP and business intelligence (BI). More ...
Selling New CRM Projects In a Declining Economy
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on January 25, 2010
One way to save money, some executives might believe, is to put upcoming CRM initiatives on hold. Although it might seem like a right move — and nobody disputes that despite the promise of efficiencies and savings, getting a CRM project off the ground takes resources — it’s short-sighted. Instead, revisit your customer facing and busienss development strategies. More ...
Aplicor Development Methodology
Aplicor implements multiple software development methodologies as we believe different types of projects can benefit from different approaches. For many client software customization projects we use a fairly traditional waterfall method whereby project phases are well defined into discrete and sequential steps which deliver well specified results. However, for the development of our flagship CRM and ERP solutions we leverage the agile method. More ...
Aplicor Product Evolution
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on October 15, 2007
I had some great client calls this week and one of the recurring questions posed by three very active users centered around product advancement. They were seeking to understand the most significant and highest impact product advancements coming down the pike. I'll use this post to satisfy this inquiry for them and for any interested client. More ...
Online CRM & ERP Product Planning
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on June 29, 2007
Based on some client requests I'm going to use this blog entry to shed a bit more light on our product planning process. I'll speak at a very high level about our dev and release process and then provide a bit of vision toward what's coming next. More ...
CRM Strategy
Achieving High Performance Sales Teams
Sales managers are increasingly facing challenges in the forms of a difficult economic climate which challenges customer budgets, increases competition for the same or fewer sales opportunities and increases demands by executives and shareholders to grow revenues and outperform the market. More ...
Practical Advice for SFA Software Selection
Like a treasure map, SFA systems help guide your sales staff to improved sales person productivity, more effective sales, improved sales forecasting and higher sales commissions. More ...
4 Steps to Fixing Declining Sales
CSO Insights recently questioned almost 3,000 companies and discovered most were increaseing sales quotas, despite the fact that quota achievement in the prior year was low. In fact, sales staff quotas achievements have been on the decline for years and CSO Insights expects the downward performance to continue. More ...
Top 5 CRM Mistakes You Can Avoid
Though any number of problems can occur in CRM, the following five mistakes are common and avoidable. More ...
CXO Magazine Interview
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on December 10, 2007
II just had the privilege of being interviewed by CXO Magazine, the leading business magazine in Europe. More ...
SaaS CRM, Web 2.0 and Hammer Time
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on November 5, 2007
Late night conversations with an entrepreneurial founder of a hyper growth company and his colleague, Hammer (formerly known as M.C. Hammer). More ...
SaaS CRM Implementations Are Different
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on August 1, 2007
I’m going to use this blog post to clearly state that implementing SaaS business systems is different than implementing on-premise software systems and point out some of the differences. More ...
How To Maximize Your CRM Software Investment
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 16, 2007
I received a great email from a UK user in which he asked “What else can I do to maximize my Aplicor CRM investment?” Fortunately, the answer for his organization can be applied to many organizations so I’m posting my response as a blog entry. More ...
ERP Software
Online CRM & ERP Product Planning
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on June 29, 2007
Based on some client requests I'm going to use this blog entry to shed a bit more light on our product planning process. I'll speak at a very high level about our dev and release process and then provide a bit of vision toward what's coming next. More ...
Aplicor Development Methodology
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on October 26, 2009
Aplicor implements multiple software development methodologies as we believe different types of projects can benefit from different approaches. For many client software customization projects we use a fairly traditional waterfall method whereby project phases are well defined into discrete and sequential steps which deliver well specified results. However, for the development of our flagship CRM and ERP solutions we leverage the agile method. More ...
Hosted Delivery
SaaS is GREEN
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on October 1, 2007
I’ve been conducting data center tours for sales prospects and customers for about five years, however, only in about the last year have I been posed repeated questions regarding environmental friendliness and going green. More ...
Hosted Software Delivery Assurance
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on August 13, 2007
Aplicor's
data center delivery core tenants include multiple HA (high availability) global delivery data centers, N+2 equipment redundancy and application layer isolated tenancy. More ...
Organizational Framework
Go GREEN
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on April 26, 2009
Aplicor was fortunate to be named one of the 2009 top 12 Green IT vendors by IDG Computerworld last week. While that recognition is appreciated, I'm even more jazzed by the number of customers, colleagues and even one competitor that have reached out to me in an effort to better understand our green strategy and payback. More ...
Corporate Social Responsibility Programs
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 29, 2008
The impetus behind corporate social responsibility programs (CSRs) has changed dramatically over the last 20 years and no longer needs to be thought of as only a cost-based model. More ...
Microsoft Embraces GREEN
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on April 4, 2008
I continue to be encouraged when I see green media coverage turn to action. I'm also encouraged when I see the biggest of companies lend an ear to the smallest of companies. Just over a year ago, I had the opportunity to discuss my views and ideas about green technology evolution with some Microsofties. They seemed legitimately interested, and in fact, quite hungry for ideas that would lead to innovation on this topic. More ...
Aplicor and CMMI Software Manufacturing Framework
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 12, 2007
Aplicor relies on two technical frameworks - the Microsoft Development Framework and version 1.2 of the Capability Maturity Model (CMMI). More ...
What We Don't Do So Well
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 5, 2007
As part of a just completed executive team meeting we've identified several things we're not doing well as a management team and an organization. I'll use this blog post to share our findings with the hope that clients and readers may suggest further omissions, comment on our shortfalls or even offer improvement suggestions. More ...
Aplicor Organizational Framework
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on June 1, 2007
I had a welcome day today and want to share its enjoyment and relevance with our customers. A few months ago a business colleague nominated Aplicor for the annual Good to Great awards. This award is of course based on the best selling business book by Jim Collins. I’ve been a fan of Jim Collins for about six years and have modeled several of the Good to Great principals into the Aplicor framework. As I’m always interested in how my customers, vendors and business partners frame their business models, I’ll use this post to share how Aplicor does the same by incorporating several of the Good to Great principals. More ...
SaaS
CRM2day.com Interview with Chuck Schaeffer
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on September 1, 2009
I enjoyed a wonderful discussion with the folks at CRM Today and will include excerpts from that question and answer discussion in this post. The full discussion can be found at crm2day.com. More ...
CRM Evolution 2009 a Success
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on August 26, 2009
The three day CRM conference hosted by CRM magazine in NYC is complete and has succeeded in bringing together the visionaries, pundits, evangelists, media, vendors, adopters, buyers and even some skeptics for a knowledge sharing exchange that left participants satisfied but wanting more. More ...
Tyco Customer Podcast
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 27, 2009in SaaS
Aplicor customers who share their successes with others offer a credible first hand account of their CRM journey that can leveraged by others. In this podcast produced by TechTarget, Aplicor customer Joe Hare of Tyco describes the often times challenging process of large enterprises finding enterprise level Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) CRM solutions. After a failed attempt, Tyco Fire and Building Products leveraged Aplicor CRM to develop a functionally rich CRM while still achieving the benefits of a SaaS delivery model. More ...
SaaS Podcast on Sky Radio
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on February 17, 2009
I was privileged to have a short interview on Sky Radio this week. They were doing technology stories and a helpful referral landed Aplicor in the SaaS space. Primary points of the discussion include the transition of traditional on-premise business software systems to SaaS as well as the evolution and future of the industry. The piece will air on the CNN airport network and American Airlines inflight service for about a month. Happy listening. More ...
SaaS & Channel Make Strides
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on March 20, 2008
Indirect delivery channels and SaaS business applications continue a slow, cautious and somewhat awkward relationship. For more than two decades, indirect channels, primarily in the form of value added resellers (VARs), have been the most utilized resources for the local delivery and support of CRM and ERP business software systems to SMB and middle market organizations worldwide. More ...
What We Don't Do Well
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 5, 2007
As part of a just completed executive team meeting we've identified several things we're not doing well as a management team and an organization. I'll use this blog post to share our findings with the hope that clients and readers may suggest further omissions, comment on our shortfalls or even offer improvement suggestions. More ...
Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 & Social Media
Social Media Security Threats
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on December 15, 2008
... much to my surprise and in contrast to prior meetings, the most pervasive and possibly lethal threats were not technical at all, they were simply young professionals who do not know or do not care about corporate IT security policies. " More ...
Social Media is Corporate Media
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on August 16, 2008
"... those social networks are a clausal waste of time, productivity and money to corporate America ... I can only imagine how much company time and money is burned by our younger staff browsing 20-something personal profiles in networks that add no value to anything the company does." More ...
CRM Evolves With CRM 2.0
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on June 1, 2008
I'm not a CRM 2.0 expert, but I read the blogs, study the research, talk to the folks that are the experts and try to assimilate this next CRM wave into Aplicor's product evolution. I'll use this blog post to both explain what I think CRM 2.0 is and how it can be leveraged for sustained competitive advantage. More ...
Aplicor Web 2.0 Progress & Update
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on January 5, 2008
As is typical when I'm approaching a quarterly executive team retreat, I'm reviewing MBO (management by objectives) progress - or lack thereof - and trying to understand the more influential factors along with their relationships to our progress. As I'm not yet achieving our initial Web 2.0 objectives, this exercise escalates to also look at some root cause analysis. More ...
SaaS CRM, Web 2.0 and Hammer Time
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on November 5, 2007
Late night conversations with an entrepreneurial founder of a hyper growth company and his colleague, Hammer (formerly known as M.C. Hammer). More ...
myCRMcareer.com
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on September 16, 2007
The CRM community is taking a step closer with a new industry-focused online career center. Tomorrow morning from the annual Gartner CRM Summit in Hollywood, Florida, myCRMcareer.com will make its inaugural launch and showcase its new community driven career portal. More ...
Aplicor's Web 2.0 Definition
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on July 30, 2007
To Aplicor, Web 2.0 is a collaboration strategy which achieves community synergies among its participants by leveraging a suite of web sites and/or tools which permit any user free expression to interact (create, modify, comment and rate) with community members and content and which collectively harnesses the position, voice or intelligence of the group. More ...
Trolling For Blog Interests
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on June 15, 2007
I spoke with four clients today. While I am always interested to understand how our clients are using our system for their own objectives, I had a not-so-hidden agenda item of asking them what I should blog on. More ...
Our Social Media Agenda
Posted by Chuck Schaeffer on May 20, 2007
Welcome to the Aplicor CEO blog. This forum is a part of our overall client communication agenda and a window for any interested person to learn more about our direction, business model and staff. The primary target audience for this blog is our customers, however, I certainly welcome our business partners, friends of the company and any other interested participants. More ...
|
