Forty percent of companies are now focused on generating effective customer relationship management strategies in order to increase their competitiveness when the economy recovers, according to a report from Gartner. The analyst firm acknowledged that IT budgets are being cut, but said that companies can improve their CRM processes without spending more money.
"Many organizations have large investments in call centers, web sites, marketing systems and sales force automation," says the report. "With these pieces in place, companies can wrap effective strategies around these tools and generate real success from a customer standpoint."
Gartner warned that companies failing to invest in CRM will find themselves at least a year behind their rivals when the slump lifts.
Source: News Factor