Cc5006 Project Management | Literature Assessment Answers

You and your colleagues form a team of three systems analysts and designers from a software development company. You have been contacted by Cyber Protect to develop a CRM that will provide, the following functionality: send out regular newsletters, disseminate information about GDPR and allow users to sign up for these services.

The CRM system will be located in their head office at Shoreditch, however, staff at all offices can add customer details to the system and customer details for the system will also be added via the website.

You will use web authoring tools such as Dreamweaver and an online database to create the CRM, some PHP maybe needed to achieve this. Workshops and guidance on how to complete this well be given during the module. The CRM will have to be uploaded to the university server for assessment and needs to be live and working.

The course work is individual work.

1. Produce a Use Case Model for the required system – including a Use Case diagram, and High Level Use Case Descriptions for each Use Case. For two of the Use Cases, produce example Expanded Use Case Descriptions. 

2. Produce a Communication diagram. 

3. Literature review of CRM systems, what are the key functionalities, what solutions have been developed. Compare at least two systems, giving a breakdown of key features. Show what kind of companies use CRM and what benefit they are to a business. Expected to be 2 pages with references.

4. Produce a report on the key issues experienced during the implementation of the CRM, this should include an updated risk analysis, an updated Gantt chart showing how the implementation happened, showing what were the key challenges and how they were overcome. Expected to be 3 to 4 pages. (45 Marks)

Answer:

1. Use case Diagram

Figure 1: Use Case Diagram

(Source: Created by author)

2.Communication diagram

Figure 2: Communication diagram

(Source: Created by author)

3. Literature review on CRM system

It is stated by Khan et al. (2016) that CRM system is mainly defined as a term that generally refers to practices, strategies, as well as technologies that is utilized by the companies for managing as well as analyzing customer interaction as well as data throughout the lifecycle of the customer by improving the customer service relationships and for assisting retention of the customers in order to drive sales growth within the organization. The key functionalities of the CRM system mainly includes:

Marketing automation: According to Reicher, Komáromi and Szeghegyi (2015), sales are crucial for the success of every business organization. It is found that CRM software generally assists in offering proper sales force automation system that helps in improving strategies associated with sales in order to boost the potential of sales within the organization. It is found that with the utilization of sales force automation, the sales personnel can be able to manage the accounts, contacts, pipelines as well as other related activities.

Automation of customer service: It is stated by Josiassen, Assaf and Cvelbar (2014) that CRM system helps in automating customer service and assists in delivering various automated services by enabling both marketers as well as entrepreneurs to make proper distinguish between the product as well as services with the help of personalized communication with the clients in the challenging environment of the business. The CRM software is mainly utilized by the business due to following reasons:

• CRM software is required by the business for billing, sales as well as marketing teams.
• It is utilized by the business for creating quotes as well as for sending invoices
• The business utilizes CRM system in order to increase efficiency as well as customer service.

Marketing automation: It is identified that CRM software generally helps in offering proper functionality named marketing automation. It is found that marketing automation is one of the tool that generally assists in taking the marketing efforts to the next level by saving the resources in the long run by nurturing leads with the help of number of automated campaigns. The marketing automation feature that is present within the CRM software assists the business with lead scoring, lead acquisition and lead assignment (Santouridis and Tsachtani 2015). This features generally helps in developing, launching as well as tracking the campaigns as well as other type of marketing offers to the customers of the organization.

It is opined by Harrigan and Miles (2014), that CRM is one of the system that generally aims at improving the relation within the existing clients of the organization. It is identified that the strategy of CRM is very much advantageous for both small scale as well as large scale projects. The benefits that the business generally achieves by using the CRM system are elaborated below:

Improving relation with the customers: The main advantage of using the CRM is to provide proper customer service to the customers of the organization. In order to use this strategy, different types of services like servicing, marketing as well as selling of products are done in a quite effective way (Seke 2015)

Enhancing customer revenue: It is found that CRM strategy for the business generally helps in increasing the organizational revenue to a large extent. It is found that by utilizing data, one requires to popularize different types of marketing campaigns in a very much effective way.

Better internal communication: It is stated by Mastropietro, Rodilla and Batlle (2015), that CRM strategy assists in creating appropriate communication within the organization in order to share data that are related with the client with different departments of the organization that generally assists in enabling entire work of the project team.

Optimizing computer: According to Assimakopoulos et al. (2015), when CRM systems are used by the organization, then the organization can get to know about the requirements as well as needs of the customer properly and thus assists in giving proper opportunity for determining the time for product marketing.

Increasing up-selling and cross-selling: CRM system is mainly helpful in allowing proper up-selling that is mainly considered as one of the practices that assists in giving proper products that generally fall within the category of purchase (Santouridis and Tsachtani 2015). It is found that this strategy assists in providing proper facility of cross selling which is considered as one of the appropriate practice that generally assists in providing proper complementary products to the clients who are associated with the organization.

4. Key issues during implementation

4.1 Schedule of implementation with Gantt chart

Schedule

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish
Implementation of CRM system	58 days	Tue 08-05-18	Thu 26-07-18
Project initiation phase	13 days	Tue 08-05-18	Thu 24-05-18
Development of business case	3 days	Tue 08-05-18	Thu 10-05-18
Identification of CRM system	2 days	Fri 11-05-18	Mon 14-05-18
Feasibility analysis	2 days	Tue 15-05-18	Wed 16-05-18
Defining objectives of the project	1 day	Thu 17-05-18	Thu 17-05-18
Project charter establishment	3 days	Fri 18-05-18	Tue 22-05-18
Team members appointment	2 days	Wed 23-05-18	Thu 24-05-18
Project planning phase	15 days	Fri 25-05-18	Thu 14-06-18
Development of project plan	3 days	Fri 25-05-18	Tue 29-05-18
Development of project resource plan	2 days	Wed 30-05-18	Thu 31-05-18
Development of financial plan	3 days	Fri 01-06-18	Tue 05-06-18
Development of project quality plan	2 days	Wed 06-06-18	Thu 07-06-18
Development of acceptance plan	3 days	Fri 08-06-18	Tue 12-06-18
Development of communication plan	2 days	Wed 13-06-18	Thu 14-06-18
Project execution phase	26 days	Fri 15-06-18	Fri 20-07-18
Development of project prototype	4 days	Fri 15-06-18	Wed 20-06-18
Drafting configuration plan	3 days	Thu 21-06-18	Mon 25-06-18
Proper data transfer'	4 days	Tue 26-06-18	Fri 29-06-18
Database connection	2 days	Mon 02-07-18	Tue 03-07-18
Response time testing	5 days	Wed 04-07-18	Tue 10-07-18
Query testing	3 days	Wed 11-07-18	Fri 13-07-18
Acceptance testing	2 days	Mon 16-07-18	Tue 17-07-18
Software testing	1 day	Wed 18-07-18	Wed 18-07-18
Testing data warehouse	1 day	Thu 19-07-18	Thu 19-07-18
Connection testing	1 day	Fri 20-07-18	Fri 20-07-18
Closure phase	4 days	Mon 23-07-18	Thu 26-07-18
Post project review	2 days	Mon 23-07-18	Tue 24-07-18
Stakeholder sign off	1 day	Wed 25-07-18	Wed 25-07-18
Go live	1 day	Thu 26-07-18	Thu 26-07-18

Gantt chart

Figure 1: Gantt chart

(Source: Created by Author)

4.2 Risk management

Risk	Description	Impact	Probability	Mitigation
Improper prototype design	If the system prototype is not designed properly then it is quite difficult to implement the system effectively.	High	Medium	It is very much necessary to test the prototype after it is designed for ensuring that it is designed appropriately.
Problem in data transfer	During the implementation of the system, the team ,members faces difficulty in data transfer from the previous system to the current system	Medium	Medium	It is very much necessary to transfer the data during the system implementation within the system in order to mitigate issues as well as challenges.
Schedule slippage	If the schedule of the project is not managed properly by the project managers then the chances of schedule slippage is quite high which further can create lot of obstruction in finishing the entire project on time.	High	High	It is quite necessary to track the schedule of the project effectively on a weekly basis.
Difficulty in implementation	If the CRM system is not properly planned then the project team members faces lot of challenges as well as issues in finishing the project.	High	High	It is quite necessary to plan the project effectively for avoiding the challenges during implementation.

References

Assimakopoulos, C., Papaioannou, E., Sarmaniotis, C. and Georgiadis, C.K., 2015. Online reviews as a feedback mechanism for hotel CRM systems. Anatolia, 26(1), pp.5-20.

Harrigan, P. and Miles, M., 2014. From e-CRM to s-CRM. Critical factors underpinning the social CRM activities of SMEs. Small Enterprise Research, 21(1), pp.99-116.

Josiassen, A., Assaf, A.G. and Cvelbar, L.K., 2014. CRM and the bottom line: Do all CRM dimensions affect firm performance?. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, pp.130-136.

Khan, H.U., Fournier-Bonilla, S.D., Jinugu, A. and Lalitha, M., 2016, March. Possible challenges of the successful implementation of CRM in the service sector: A case study of Saudi Arabia. In Northeast Decision Sciences Institute Conference (Vol. 31).

Mastropietro, P., Rodilla, P. and Batlle, C., 2015. National capacity mechanisms in the European internal energy market: Opening the doors to neighbours. Energy policy, 82, pp.38-47.

McNeil, A.J., Frey, R. and Embrechts, P., 2015. Quantitative risk management: Concepts, techniques and tools. Princeton university press.

rainor, K.J., Andzulis, J.M., Rapp, A. and Agnihotri, R., 2014. Social media technology usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), pp.1201-1208.

Reicher, R., Komáromi, N. and Szeghegyi, Á., 2015. The possible success factors of introduction of CRM system at hungarian SMEs. Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, 12(8), pp.215-229.

Santouridis, I. and Tsachtani, E., 2015. Investigating the impact of CRM resources on CRM processes: a customer life-cycle based approach in the case of a Greek bank. Procedia Economics and Finance, 19, pp.304-313.

SEKE, M.M., 2015. The Reinvention of the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) System in Higher Education in Africa. International Journal of Communications, 4, pp.17-27.