CRM - October 2008 - (Page 31)

THE NEW CRM CONSULTANT Sklar stresses that adoption is too-often overlooked— SHORT AND SWEET training is glossed over, with users simply expected to adopt Aside from helping to spawn a rise in business consulting, new software and tools. “At the end of the day, if you don’t SaaS has shortened each implementation job, a factor that have people using [an] application, it’s failed.” Even with has forced many consultancies to adjust their operations. SaaS’s easier implementation, there’s still a learning curve— “On-premises [implementations] could take two to three employees need to understand the value of anything new. years,” says Corinne Sklar, vice president of marketing for Bluewolf, a consultancy specializing in Salesforce.com projects. Today, the bulk of those multiyear gigs are history. ConPARTNERSHIPS, SEGMENTATION, sultants can finish an installation job within a matter of AND COMMODITIZATION weeks, which frees them to focus more on integrating soluGoldman notes that one segmentation trend is starting to tions throughout the enterprise, rather than having to spend appear: Consultancies are popping up to offer specific exmonths (or years) making one bulky technology work. (See pertise with a particular vendor or solution. Bluewolf and Market Focus: Professional Services, “Consultants Adapt to Cicci’s Top Step Consulting are examples of the vendorChanging CRM Landscape,” February 2008, for another specific firm, and Bluewolf’s Sklar says that the need—and view of how SaaS has changed the game for consultants.) the firms opting to specialize—will become especially “Organizations are not static—they change in two to three prominent as more partnerships emerge. years,” Sklar says.“By the time they fully implement, their busiGoldman says that, while this wisely targets a very niche ness has changed.” She says one reason companies now tend audience, these consultancies might struggle down the to seek operational advice is because of this shorter time frame, road. Cicci says she’s aware of this looming change, and but also because of the newfound flexibility within their conthat competition will become increasingly fierce. She says sulting budgets—another benefit the speed of SaaS provides she hopes to expand the company in the next few years, over the old on-premises consulting scene. slowly adding services for other project “When the project was going for two years management vendors—a move she ad“Today, companies [and companies] didn’t have any more mits is partly due to NetSuite’s acquisihours left—they didn’t have the budget— tion of OpenAir. aren’t spending all the [they’d] cut the training hours,” she says. Some also worry that offshoring “Today, companies aren’t spending all the services pose a threat to consultancies, time on up-front costs. time on up-front costs. They have a nice but Panner, for one, remains convinced bucket to focus on training and adoption.” They have a nice bucket that there will continue to be a place for Goldman, however, says that those cuts face-to-face consultation. “Even though to focus on training in integration and configuration have [there’s a] tremendous amount of offmeant less revenue for consultancies. “For shoring, salaries [of consultants] are and adoption.” an integrator, the time spent configuring is still relatively high,” he says. “If you are notably less,” he points out. “So it does willing to travel and you are able to pererode earnings—and for [similar] implementations, you have form reasonable consulting you can pick your job right less configuration and customization.” With that in mind, now. The demand is overwhelming.” some consultancies are upping the ante with overall business consulting, helping organizations to see the bigger picture by SHOWING CLIENTS THE MONEY promoting the kinds of training programs that help drive user So with some consultancies offering solutions for every adoption and ensure the technology doesn’t go to waste. Anneed, others specializing with one kind of software, and even alysts also note that, with SOA, there is more emphasis than some vendors offering professional services of their own, ever on seeing the entire ecosystem. In addition, Web services how are you supposed to know what to choose? and on-demand technology often involve an operational shift “Any enterprise that wants to get it right will take time to that consultants can help identify and administer. sort through project objectives and work backward to think Goldman notes that the business model for consultancies of skills and criteria:‘Who has the best skills to help us achieve can get out of whack as the drive toward shorter, briefer imthat?’” Goldman says. “It’s a best-for-the-need world.” plementations perpetuates. Those accustomed to dedicating It’s also good to ask for a return-on-investment (ROI) months—or sometimes years—to one project may find the bar estimate before choosing a consultancy. Accenture, for being raised,and the need to develop an entirely new approach. Goldman, though, says that many of the core skills remain the IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: same. If they try hard enough, consultants can find the confor SaaS: Bluewolf nective tissue linking the old and new projects. And, as Driggs Theikos notes, the drive for customer centricity is something that has for SOA: Capgemini VENDORS not changed—and it’s not likely to change anytime soon. TOP 3 Source: Beagle Research Group www.destinationCRM.com CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | OCTOBER 2008 31 http://www.Salesforce.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - October 2008

CRM - October 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality�Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Sprinting Toward Disaster? SAP�Retains Market-Share Lead in�CRM A�Week of Strong Customer�Service CRM�on Twitter Build a Good Event and They Will Come Required Reading There's No Place Like Home The New Breed of CRM�Consultant The Price is Right...You Hope How Much Marketing is Too�Much? The�Sweet Smell of High-Quality�Service The Next Act! For An Acquisition Some Stories Never Get Old CRM�Eases the Pressure For WIKA�Instruments Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Scouting Report Pint of View

CRM - October 2008

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