ABSTRACT
Customer-related data are essential for the execution of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy. Proficiency at acquiring, enhancing, storing, analyzing, distributing and using customer-related data is critical to CRM performance. Operational CRM, which focuses on the automation of marketing, selling and customer service processes, needs customer-related data to be able to run successful marketing campaigns, track sales opportunities and deliver excellent service. Customer-related data might be independently maintained by managers running operations in channels such as company-owned retail stores, third-party retail outlets and online. Customer-related data maintained by the functional areas might not be easily captured and migrated to databases used for CRM purposes. The database technology and operating system decisions are usually subsumed into the selection of CRM application software. Maintaining customer-related databases means that CRM users will be more likely to have their need for accurate and relevant data met.
