Topics and Objectives:

As you near the finish line - here are several readings which provide some "do's and don'ts". The first reading stresses the importance of a scientific, systematic approach to managing customer relationships and measuring the returns. The second summarizes some key reasons why CRM initiatives have failed to deliver up to expectation.  The third summarizes some of the factors behind the CRM success stories.

Required Readings:

Emerging Marketing, McKinsey Quarterly, 2002 

If you think that CRM requires state-of-the-art tools and sophisticated models - then read this article for successful examples of CRM in emerging markets without all the bells and whistles!

Avoid the Four Perils of CRM, Harvard Business Review

Some good parting advice about how to avoid becoming another casualty of CRM!

CRM Done Right, Harvard Business Review, November 2004.

A recent HBR article characterizing the growing number of CRM successes.

Then, Now and Tomorrow: The Transformation of Customer Relationship Management, Defying the Limits, 2004. 

Some final thoughts about how CRM has, and continues, to evolve.

Silo Busting:  How to Execute on the Promise of Customer Focus, Harvard Business Review, May 2007.

Hot off the press - an HBR article with recommendations for businesses (B2C and B2B) shifting from products to customer-focused solutions.

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