WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA/ SUPER USER

Transcription

1 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA/ SUPER USER

2 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 2 ABOUT The backbone to any CRM system is the data within it. As experienced CRM professionals we know that there are many ingredients that culminate in a successful CRM project, that range from the mind-set of the organisation to the empowerment of the individual, but most importantly the data that we interact with has a huge influence on our experience. Sadly, this data does not manage itself and like an unattended bonfire can quickly get out of control.

3 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 3 THE INGREDIENTS As we are all consumers inside and outside of the business we expect more and expect it instantly, we live in a world where immediacy is paramount. We live in a world with highspeed fibre optic broadband and ultra-fast data transfer, so when we use the systems in place at our work, such as a CRM system, we expect them to be the same. Unfortunately poor data can result in this whole process of interaction becoming slow, cumbersome and frustrating. Ultimately end users can become disenchanted with their CRM experience and that s when the rot sets in. For an enterprise wide CRM initiative to work successfully, every single user needs to be bought-in to the process and the mind-set, as each user relies on the data input of others in order to see the full picture, that 360 degree view of the client, that panacea and holy grail of CRM. When one user or a team of users (such as Sales) begins to ignore CRM or circumnavigate it, the entire organisation can enter a spiral of decline. It may seem trivial at first, but this could mean the difference between growth, stagnation or decline of the business. THE CHALLENGE This presents numerous challenges to the business: How do we achieve data quality? Who is responsible for data quality? How do we measure data quality and its effect on the business? How can we police or regulate the data going into the CRM system? Is it the users fault? Do we need costly data processing and de-duplication services? How often are we going to have to do this? THE DETAIL Most large scale organisations will have an in-house Data Administrator, sometimes called a Data Steward, whose responsibility is to manage the quality of the data already within the CRM system and the data being entered by the end users. Some organisations choose not to have such a role or tag it alongside another main role as a side-bar. As an organisation using CRM we need to seriously think about this as it can make a huge difference on the success and perception of the CRM system. Typically the Data Steward is the person who manages the importation of data into the system, the duplicate checking, the record merging and the data quality and integrity. With an enterprise wide solution and potentially thousands of users this is not an easy task at the best of times. Rather than subcontract this work to an external agency who will cost more than an internal resource over time, wouldn t it be wonderful if you could do all of this directly from within the heart of your CRM system, right now? Let s look at the obvious benefits: Time savings not having to pester or wait for users to prepare their lists of data for the export in the first place Time savings not having to prepare data, export out to a file and then /ftp to an external agency to cleanse Time savings not having to re-import the cleansed data back into the system and manage it from there Cost Savings not having to pay the external agency to do the above work Cost Savings not tying up valuable employees on laborious exercises rather than their core function Business risk what is the opportunity cost if the data is lost or corrupted by the process or by the agency? Business risk - The business owns the data and therefore is best placed to manage it, not a third party, therefore it s best to keep it in house

4 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 4 If managed centrally, rather than outsourced, it needn t be a one-time process on a schedule, it can be done constantly and at any time by the business. Another aspect of the CRM system which needs managing on an ongoing basis as well as during the initial build phase of the implementation, is the journey you take the users on when they are inputting new raw data. There s a fine line that your organisation needs to understand about when and where to allow users to enter new data, as this is the primary reason a CRM database can get out of hand and frustrating to use too many duplicates and poor quality. You then need to understand how much data you require of the user before they can move on and commit to the database i.e. mandatory fields. If there are too many mandatory fields on forms the user will become frustrated and likely to enter rogue data in order to progress quickly, such as a space, a full stop or a single letter to trick the system into thinking it has been fulfilled. On the other hand if you do not have enough mandatory information captured, the data is then once again compromised by not being complete enough for the rest of the business to use meaningfully. This can be a trial and error process and should be `constantly monitored. THE STRATEGY So how can the business make the end users life easier and at the same time ensure that the quality of the data going into the CRM system is as high as possible? The role responsible for the design and the flow of the system at the end user level will ultimately be the System Administrator, they are typically more technical than a DBA or Super User role and will use the CRM Toolkit application to assist in the look and feel, the forms building and the field structure such as tab orders, mandatory flags and so forth.

5 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 5 Here s a summary of things to consider: Specifics Tab Order Mandatory fields Free Text Form structure and layout Automated duplicate checking Default searching Dashboard creation / relevance Navigation Canned searches Multiple form types Prevent false data Field formatting Data Filters Linked categories Data steward check level Link to data cleansing sources Results Having an obvious and clear route through fields will make data entry quicker and easier Having too many will frustrate users, too few will mean less valuable data and more work later Try to avoid free text fields as much as possible, it gives room for errors and can t be reported upon as easily as validated fields (drop downs) Cluttered busy forms will be unpleasing to the eye and give an instant negative impact. Layout is important. Make fields large enough to capture all the data. When entering new data the system could flag duplicates automatically to prevent copies being created Force users to a search form when they select to create a new piece of data such as a Company or Contact, to ensure duplicates are not created. Make the user interface relevant to the individual, allow them to easily find searches, data, reports and MI easily without having to go hunting for it. Use the system structure and navigational elements to assist the user to find the above elements. Pre-build the searches the users are going to need day in day out Allow the users to begin entering new data using simple forms with very few fields, once committed to the database the same form expands to hold more data. Also, use multiple form types based on user security profile so that the users sees only relevant data, not all of it. Prevent users from inputting a single character in order to bypass mandatory fields Have the system automatically format fields based on their content type i.e. telephone numbers, addresses, locational address formats Use filters on the data so the user doesn t see global information as a default, but sees data relevant to their role, territory or function. During data entry, allow fields to automatically populate based on previous data or selections such as addresses. Have a Data Steward whose role is to verify the new data being committed to the system. When a user creates a new Company, it is not made available for further use until the DS has verified it is not a duplicate and the data is accurate Link the CRM system to online resources such as Onesource.com

6 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 6 The above table is just a start, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure your CRM implementation is a success, and your CRM provider should be able to offer best practice advice based on their vast experience to guide you. JOINING THE DOTS. Pivotal CRM has the capability to manage the user experience as above through the Pivotal Toolkit (for System Administrator functions) and then through the Pivotal Smart Client configuration. There is also a separate module within the core product called Data Management Module that enables a super user or Data Steward to manage the data set as follows: Import Utility Import from text delimited files into the Pivotal ED Instant or scheduled execution of import job Save column and field mappings for reuse Save entire import settings for reuse Record Merge Utility Merge duplicate records generated by the batch duplicate check utility Any number of records can be merged into one record Records can be merged in any Pivotal ED table Intuitive user interface Select winning records with a single click Smart merge functionality Concatenate memo fields Automatic re-linking of child tables Choose to delete or retain all the losing records Ability to exclude secondaries from the merge Ability to undo any record merge Block unauthorized tables Full audit trail of the merge utility and it s results Import and export mappings to a file Data can be imported into any Pivotal ED table Run scripts on imported data Full interaction with Pivotal data Full audit trail Administrative Settings Formula Updater (Record tickler) Utility Batch update of all formulas on any table within the Pivotal system Can be used as tool to tickle records in a table Ability to also update child tables Batch Duplicate check Utility Dynamically select duplicate check criteria Use exact match or soundex match (sounds like) Save duplicate check criteria for reuse Any Pivotal table can be checked for duplicates Bulk Delete Utility Bulk delete records from a table within the Pivotal ED Instant or scheduled execution of bulk delete job Cognisance of linked interactions Complete audit trail Full audit trail Copyright Aptean All rights reserved.

7 WHITEPAPER A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM DBA / SUPER USER 7 SUMMARY The daily life of an end user can quite easily and quickly be augmented by the experience they gain from interacting with the CRM system. Pivotal has the built in capability to proactively manage the data at any point during the life of the business without the need to engage a third party or perform data exports. These simple steps can make the difference between user adoption or rejection of the CRM solution and this in turn can have a significant impact on the business. Pivotal CRM highlights Microsoft-style interface Personalizable dashboard Role-and-task based navigation SharePoint integration Outlook integration Office suite integration Pivotal CRM: CRM That s Built for You Pivotal CRM is the solution of choice for companies seeking customer relationship management software that can fully and cost-effectively satisfy their users expectations. Built with the user experience in mind, Pivotal CRM offers unparalleled flexibility and customisability, enabling companies to tailor the system precisely to their sales users needs. Microsoft.NET Framework Powerful querying capabilities Custom workflows and sales milestones Mobile CRM Low cost of ownership Highly flexible and usable application development platform. More than 5,000 customers around the world rely on Aptean to give them a competitive edge. By providing innovative, industry-driven enterprise application software, Aptean helps businesses to satisfy their customers, operate more efficiently, and stay at the forefront of their industry. For more information, visit: Copyright Aptean All rights reserved.