In this week’s set of topics, we discussed the following regarding CRM:

• With so many customers using their mobile devices for almost everything they do nowadays, including online shopping, businesses are implementing mobile CRM applications. These applications are very useful, but when not set up correctly can cause a big security risk. To find out why, read Erika Morphy’s article, “Mobile CRM’s Tricky Back End.”
• Companies using CRM applications to help determine what their customers want now need to focus on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and read what their customers are saying about their products. They can then use this information to make their products better. Beverly Macy explains more about this in her article, “Social Influence in Real-Time.”
• CRM workflows need to be strict or flexible, depending on the circumstances. Strict workflows should be used for things like order configuration and credit checks. Flexible workflows should be used for cancellations or unlocking records. To learn more, click here for an article on the subject by David Taber.
• In an article by Travis May, we learn “What Facebook’s Phone and Email Targeting ReallyMeans.” Advertisers will be able to run ads targeted to a specific group of customers on their lists.
• Some people have concerns abut CRM and how it should be used compared to how it is used now. To learn more about these concerns, read Vinay Iyer’s article here.
• Finally, we further discussed CRM and socialnetworking and how customer feedback on sites like Twitter and Facebook can now be used to make better products that the customers will actually want to buy.