As you approach the process of implementing a CRM within your business, one of the more important decisions you must make is the application scope of your CRM. You must make a high‑level choice as to your philosophy about your CRM—are you using it uniquely to manage the sales process, or do you see it having a major role in your overall approach to business management?
You need to examine the lists of capabilities above, and decide which of these you will implement in the CRM for your business—at least for the initial implementation phase.
To help you sort through these topics, and help you make better‑informed choices, they are explained here in greater detail with an emphasis on the kinds of choices, customizations, and variations commonly seen in smaller businesses.
Deciding which of the basic application areas to include in your CRM implementation is the first stage of identifying the set of customizations your CRM installation will...