CRM software has never been an "out of the box" proposition. Because CRM software deals with customers, for example, a CRM application is not very useful until customer data from a particular business has been entered. However, CRM providers have taken CRM application customization to an entirely different level. It is now expected that a CRM application should change and grow continuously, as modified by end users.

This development is extremely important to CRM users, as well as the CRM industry itself.

CRM Software: The Boss Is a Programmer?

Certain CRM software companies have gone to great lengths to make it easy for their CRM applications to be customized. However, making changes still usually requires knowledge of programming. Sometimes, the assumption from CRM vendors is that all companies possess personnel who have knowledge of programming, and can thus take advantage of the malleable nature of modern CRM applications to make changes that suit a particular business. But this assumption is far from correct.

Because not all companies, especially small businesses, are able to customize their CRM applications by programming, smart CRM providers are redoubling their simplification efforts, building tools into their applications that allow for extensive modification without the programming. This way, the boss does not have to become a programmer in order to make sure her CRM application works the way it should to meet the needs of her customers and her business.

Third-Party Application Developers Gaining Value, Business

As CRM software has gone from an experimental, "big company" purchase to a clearly beneficial tool that can be used by any size business, the market for technology consulting services related to CRM software has grown exponentially. This market is growing further as a result of the focus on CRM customization.

Many third-party consulting firms now offer CRM customization as part of their services. Some firms specialize in a particular CRM vendor, others segment the market according to project size. The solidity of today's consulting infrastructure relative to CRM customization is such that smaller jobs can now be done at affordable prices. For example, if a small business wants a revision done on the "look and feel" aspect of a recently purchased CRM application, that kind of help is readily available at a good price.

Also worth noting is the reality that many of these paid-for customization projects include actual building of new CRM applications on top of the primary CRM platform, rather than merely making changes.

CRM Providers Benefiting From User Participation

The fact that CRM software has become so customization-friendly is certainly a benefit to end users. At the same time, this trend towards increasing customization is helping the CRM industry, too. By engaging users on a development level with the CRM software they employ every day, CRM providers are able to discover new ideas that were not thought of in-house. Those ideas then leak out into the general marketplace.

In that sense, CRM users who customize their CRM applications are doing the CRM industry a big favor.

Sources

CPI Solutions

SDCexec

About the Author
Andrew Freiburghouse is a writer and a businessman. As a partner at Los Angeles tax preparation firm Pronto Income Tax of California, Inc., Andrew has advised thousands of clients on a variety of financial matters.