The Customer Relationship Management Software Selection Guide was written by CRM software expert, Lee Adler of Adler/PPT and published by CTS President, Sheldon Needle.  The intended audience for The Guide is mid-market companies (small and medium sized businesses with 25 to 250 employees).  It explains all aspects of CRM so that a company can find a CRM package that meets their needs.

The Guide explains the CRM functions in simple terms as well as uncovering some of the buzzwords associated with CRM.  An organization's need for CRM is drawn out along with ways to maximize an installation.  The step by step selection methodology provides the final steps into the successful selection of a CRM application.

Tables

There are two major tables that are included in the guide, the Ratings Table and the CRM Notes & Technical Table.  The Ratings Table lists 237 features/functions and compares 9 popular CRM software applications against those features.  (View a sample of the Ratings Table.)  The table has an item count for easy reference, the category that the feature falls in, any sub-features related to that feature, the description of the feature, and what is benefited with having that feature.  The table describes whether the product has the feature right out of the box, and if not then how easy it would it would be to add the feature.

The CRM Notes and Technical Information Table is used as support for the Ratings Table.  The information was obtained from the vendors and allows the product vendors to further explain some of the features in their products.

The tables are concluded with a list of the companies and what areas they are found to excel in.  The "Best at Ratings" list includes the companies who are the best at simple contact manager, the best at ease of use, the best at sales forecasting, to name a few.  The latter part of this list directs companies who have identified their major need to an appropriate CRM. 

Case Studies

The case studies provide a detailed description of some CRM implementations so that we can all learn from their triumphs and mistakes.  These case studies also demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses that would not be evident by evaluating the modules and features alone.  The company is described and their initial expectations are mentioned as well.  In some cases, a more lengthy summary of the project is included to further detail what went into the implementation.  Some of the numerous details that can be found in the case studies are cost, IT personnel used, challenges they faced, and their motivation to move from their current system to CRM.

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	View the CRM Guide Table of Contents
	Purchase the CRM Software Selection Guide for The Mid Market
	View a sample CRM Ratings Table
	Purchase the CRM Ratings Table
	View the list of products and features in the CRM Software Selection Guide