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Rather than Gladys typing out an order form and putting it in her “Out” basket,
Corky from the mailroom picking it up and delivering it to the warehouse, and then
Bud taking the ordered item from the shelves and sending it out, CRM applications allow
Gladys to enter the order into her computer, which is then instantaneously sent to Bud.
What’s more, while he’s packaging the item, a shipping label is printed so that the order
is ready to go.

The Old Way

Gladys Corky picks up Corky delivers the Bud picks the
with order. the order. order to Bud. order and ships it.

With CRM

Gladys types Bud receives the
in the order. order, picks it,
and ships it.

Who’s Who The preceding is a wholly simplistic example. CRM is intricate and places the
various people within your organization in the following groups:

• Customer Facing Operations These are the people and technologies a customer
experiences when he or she interacts with the company. This can include face-to-
face interactions, telephone calls, instant messaging, web chats, e-mail, and so forth.
This can also include kiosks and web self-service.
• Internal Collaborative Functional Operations These are the people and PART V
technologies that support the company policies and back office operations that have
a direct impact on the activities of the Customer Facing Operations group. This
includes IT, billing, maintenance, planning, marketing, finance, and manufacturing.
• External Collaboration Functions These people and technologies support the
organization in its cultivation of relationships with outside groups. These groups
include suppliers, vendors, distributors, lobbying groups, and trade associations.
• Customer Advocates and Experience Designers These are the people and
technologies that help deliver value to the customer and profit to the organization.