One of the great promises of using CRM for nonprofit program management is the ability to manage by metrics. In theory, if we could track all efforts and all outcomes in a system, then we could uncover those predictive indicators that lead to desired outcomes. We could then make adjustments to the program operations itself to reach those desired outcomes. To a great extent, this is possible, however, it is much more complex than it sounds. One of the root causes of the complexity is the fact that we often are not looking at all of the variables and are only looking at a subset. Making decisions on a subset of variables can sometimes lead to incorrect conclusions. Since I have seen this logic trail unfold a few times, I thought I would share an abstracted example of such a situation.

Take for example, Acme Org, a human services organization that has implemented a robust CRM solution that tracks almost all aspects of it’s program operations. Below is one of the critical reports reviewed by the Executive Team each month:

The organization is considering the use of these metrics for determining promotions, salary adjustments, and bonuses. After initial review, the Executive team expressed concern about Jon’s performance to Jon’s manager. Jon’s manager on the other hand knew that Jon’s metrics were low because he was always thrown on to the toughest cases. Being on the toughest cases each month meant that Jon would have to spend more time with each client and would be responsible for defining new engagement processes for working through complex cases. Unlike the other client service reps Jon spent a lot of time researching and speaking to industry experts to identify best practices that could be used by Acme to help future clients. In short, Jon was expanding the organizational knowledgebase, capacity, and quality of service delivery. Unfortunately, none of this was being recognized in the monthly report. Jon’s manager decided to add a new metric into the monthly report that would help recognize Jon’s efforts. The revised report is below:

The revised report gave the Executive Team more insight into Jon’s efforts and the demands placed on the Client Services staff.

The point of the example is to proceed with caution when using Metrics for Management level decisions. They can be a very powerful tool when well directed; however, there is usually a story behind every piece of data and it is critical that the entire story is understood before program level decisions are made.

We have been engaging in a lot of interesting debates in the NPower office about what makes a CRM solution sustainable for an organization. After a typical CRM deployment project, we do our best to leave the nonprofit with enough knowledge and tools to keep them sustainable. Here is a list of a few of the things we do:

Documentation - We initially started with word docs, however, we are more recently moving towards the use of Help Tips, Recorded Screen Casts, and a Help Tab. The idea behind documentation is that it should be complex enough to educate someone on how to use the CRM; however, not so complex that the documentation cannot be maintained.

Training - This is perhaps the most important element for us. We typically provide our clients with two levels of training. We do an end user training session that lasts between 1 and 3 hours depending on the complexity of the client implementation. We also do an administrator training for the Sys Admin level users at a client site. We also encourage the Sys Admin level users at the client site to attend a formal Salesforce training class.

Community - For clients that are in cities where CRM user groups are held, we encourage them to join and attend. This allows them to learn from their peers and get new insights into what is possible with CRM. We also encourage Sys Admin level users to join the NPSF so they can learn through the engaging technical conversations of the online community.

One of the areas that continues to be a challenge for us is Custom Code. Salesforce (and other CRM tools) provide a variety of means to extend the base platform with Custom Code. In the case of Salesforce this would be Apex, VisualForce, S-Control, and API Code. We are always weary of dropping custom code into an organization that has no means of managing or modifying the code. We do our best to avoid code by using as much standard functionality as possible. When it comes to deploying custom code into an organization that is not able to support it, we work through a simple cost/benefit tradeoff. Is this Code performing a high value business function? Is there a high probability the Code will need to be changed within the next 3 years? If the code needs to be changed, can the organization afford the change? If there is HIGH value for the code, LOW probability of the code needing to be changed, and the organization will likely find the funds for a change, then this alleviates our concerns. Custom Code is not to be feared in a NPO CRM implementation; however, a plan needs to be in place to support it over its lifecycle.

At NPower, we have worked on a fair number of CRM projects and we are trying to figure out the question of CRM timing. When is the best time for an organization to implement a CRM solution? I have taken the OLC (Organizational Life Cycle) Model and mapped that against our experiences with CRM success.

Stage 1: Startup Stage - The organization is still figuring out it’s mission and funding streams. Operating procedures are in flux and can quickly change based on grants, board members or funders. Technology is not really a core requirement.
Stage 1 CRM Outlook: Investing in a CRM Solution typically doesn’t yield great results because many of the underlying assumptions will change over the next few years. A very simple fundraising CRM solution can be effective in this environment, however, using CRM for operational purposes may not yield a good ROI.

Stage 2: Growth - At this stage, the organization has proven that their mission is a sound business idea. They have proven that they have the operational know-how to execute on their mission. They have secured a stable base of funders and a good core of board members. Their attention has turned from survival to growth.
Stage 2 CRM Outlook: This is likely the stage at which a CRM solution can have the greatest impact on an organization. Implementing a CRM can provide substantial gains on the fundraising side, while also cataloging a history of all fundraising interactions. On the operations side the CRM can begin to model organizatonal procedures and collect valuable performance data. If the CRM solution is implemented in an intelligent manner, it can scale and flex as the organization grows and evolves.

Stage 3: Maturity - As an organization reaches a certain scale, it’s growth will slow. At this stage, the organization is very good at executing on it’s mission. It has an extensive base of funders and they have very specific expectations of this organization.
Stage 3 CRM Outlook: This is a very tricky stage for CRM deployments and a lot depends on the organizational culture and leadership. If the organization culture is receptive to change, then a CRM solution can serve as a great engine for operational improvements. If the org culture is not receptive to change, then a CRM solution will likely replace some existing systems and only provide marginal efficiency gains.

Stage 4: Decline - The organization begins to lose stable funders and board members. New startups take away fundraising streams and the organization is perceived to be less effective and not as innovative in a modern environment. The organization begins to cut back on programs, staff, and all non-essentials as it seeks to find a way to reach a stability point.
Stage 4 CRM Outlook: Surprisingly, this could be a great time for an organization to move towards a CRM solution. Organizations in this stage are often heading back towards stage 1. This leaves them open to process innovations and funding changes. This willingness to explore new paths can make a nimble CRM solution an effective solution to manage the massive changes that the organization must face. The difference between this type of organization and a stage 1 organization is that they also need to carry forward the massive amount of data and relationships that they have amassed over their years.

The above is not meant to be hard and fast rules about good and bad times to get into CRM. They are just some observations from our years of CRM consulting experience. There will undoubtedly be many organizations that are exceptions to the above rules for a variety of reasons.

It may take years to fully understand the impact of the CRM solution, however, the clear winners so far seem to be those organizations that are in a growth stage.

As a CRM consultant, I often get asked the question of what a CRM implementation costs? I typically respond with the standard consultant speak of “it depends” and enumerate some of the factors that can influence the pricing of a CRM implementation. From a client perspective, I understand that it can be frustrating not to get a solid number or even a narrow range estimate. The problem is that a CRM project is kind of like building a house and depends on dozens of factors. Below is a list of some of the items that can influence the price of a CRM project:

• Business Functions – This is essentially a scope question. Are you trying to solve a specific need with your CRM or are you looking to turn your CRM system into a quasi-ERP system to run all of your internal data needs? The more scope, the more it will cost.
• Business Process Re-engineering – Is your organization fairly confident in existing business processes or are you looking to make some big changes? A CRM consultant can aid in this process, however, this tends to consume a lot of hours and raise costs.
• Iteration Cycles – Most Salesforce implementers will prototype an application. Each round of revisions on the prototype is often referred to as an “iteration”. Limiting the number of iterations can help to manage costs. One of the key ways to do this is to ensure that all stakeholders participate in the review process and that coordinated feedback is sent back to the CRM consultant.
• Training & Documentation Needs – For larger organizations, using a “train the trainer” model can save significant implementation costs. Also, be careful to only get as much documentation as you can maintain. If you are not able to maintain hundreds of pages of documentation, do not request it from your CRM consultant. Static documentation tends to become outdated very quickly on CRM systems.
• 3rd Party Applications – Does your CRM project need 3rd party applications? Sometimes this can help to lower implementation cost (could be at the expense of ongoing cost). However, some 3rd Party apps may require setup or configuration which can add to the implementation cost.
• Consultant – Like in any marketplace there are different types of consultants in the CRM Marketplace. Some thrive on transactional models were they execute a large number of projects and are able to charge lower rates. This is great for organizations that have limited budgets and fairly straightforward needs. Other consultants get deep into an organization and may re-engineer processes in addition to technology. This approach is great for organizations with complex business problems and more flexible budgets.
• Custom Code – If your business requirements cannot be met within the constructs of the CRM platform you are using, then your consultant may need to custom code. In Salesforce this means adding Apex, VisualForce, and S-Control code to your system. Custom code can quickly increase both your implementation costs and your long term maintenance costs.
• Systems Integration – Does your data need to be in synch with other databases or applications with your IT infrastructure? What type of synchronization (manual, bi-directional, uni-directional)? Systems integration can easily increase implementation costs.
• Web Integration – This one is a little more complex because there are some things that are very easy to integrate with a website (Web2Lead, Web2Case). Other items such as building a multi-page application form with save and return functions could be more complex and costly.
• Data Migration – This is the single area that we have seen the highest variance of cost. We will probably need an entire blog article to describe how data migration can influence costs. One thing that you can really do to help keep costs down here is to clean up your data. Remove duplicate records, correct spelling mistakes, and get paper data into electronic form. If you have 100 Excel files, see if you can condense that down to 20 or fewer files. This is one area were doing some prep work can save you substantial CRM implementation costs.
• Reporting Requirements – This is another area where there tends to be high variance among organizations. Some organizations have enormous and complex reporting requirements, while others can survive on basic data reports. A consultant will need to review your reporting requirements to get a sense of where you land on the spectrum. Reporting can get particularly expensive when there are complex business rules and formatting rules for report generation.
• DIY – One way for an organization to lower CRM implementation costs is to take on more of the work themselves. For example, if your organization needs to have 100 reports and 30 dashboards built, have your consultants build out the most complex ones and do the rest yourself. You will save money and also increase your system skills at the same time.

The above list is not everything that goes into CRM implementation costs; however, it does reflect some fairly important items. Also, consider the following when thinking about CRM implementation costs. If you decide to do a lot of the work in house, you are not really lowering the CRM implementation costs. You are just displacing them from an external resource to an internal one. Depending on how your org’s budget is structured, it may be easier to use internal resources. Also, be careful not to take on too many ongoing costs (3rd party apps and services) to lower implementation costs.

If you are a CRM consultant or have done a CRM project for your organization, please shout out some of the other major cost factors you have faced in the implementation process.

I was having lunch with a friend the other day and he told me about a recent horror experience he had within his own organization. His organization just completed a fairly large internal CRM project and was rolling out an application. During a training session with a core group of users, one of the users attempted to move from one screen to another without saving and lost some data. Mortified that her action was a bug in the system, she lashed out at the training staff and soon infected the entire classroom with a negative perception of the application. The training staff was eventually able to regain control of the session and finish it out; however, they all now know that an enormous user adoption hurdle lies ahead of them.

I wanted to bring up this story to illustrate a critical point that we often think about in our CRM implementations. Know your influencers!! It’s easy to fall into a trap where you assume management support equals end user support. This may be true in smaller organizations or organizations that have a very hierarchical organizational structure and culture. However, many organizations are operating in more flat and distributed models. This often means that the loud voice of a peer can be just as influential as that of an Executive Director. Getting insight into who the influencers are and getting buy in from them early on in the process can help to avoid situations such as the one above.

I recently spent some time learning more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM and I must admit the product looks very interesting! For those of you that are more familiar with Salesforce.Com, I will try and draw out some of the similarities and some of the differences. I haven’t had a chance to do a nonprofit implementation with Dynamics CRM, so this is very much just a first look based on information I have read and some online demos.

The first major difference between the two platforms is how they can be run. Salesforce is locked in to the On-Demand model. Microsoft offers the ability to run Dynamics CRM either as an Internal Application or as an On-Demand offering through their CRM Live service. At first glance, it appears as though Dynamics CRM would be more feature rich when run as an internal server based application. It derives its value from making the assumption that end users are most familiar with MS Office Suite of Products. It has very tight integration with MS Outlook and MS Excel. Below is a screenshot of how CRM Dynamics looks in a familiar MS Outlook Environment:
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Almost every time we encounter an organization with multiple applications running their operations, we always hear the same request for a fully integrated real time data solution with a CRM solution acting as the glue holding everything together. While this is technically possible, we rarely end up delivering this type of solution after going through a cost-benefit analysis with the organization. Below is some of what we consider and cover in that decision making process:

Step 1: Determine the Value Proposition of Integration

The first and most important consideration is to determine the real value that this integration will bring to your organization. In most cases we find that organizations are already generating integrated views of information even if they come from separate applications. This is often done with some manual analysis using Excel and other tools. The real value of a systems integration project can be measured in the following ways:

• Costs Savings – How much are you saving in labor costs by not making your employees do the extensive manual analysis to reconcile data from multiple applications?
• Time Savings – What benefit does having this data in real-time or near real-time provide to your organization?
• Accuracy – Does systems integration result in more accurate reporting? If so, how much in savings are you achieving through better information.

Step 2: Evaluate the Integration Approach Alternatives

Generally speaking there are three integration approaches we often discuss with organizations.

• Manual Integration – Allows you to synchronize data back and forth between systems, however, it is driven by a manual process. This is typically done on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis often with several tedious steps.
• Uni-Directional Integration – In this situation, we make a determination that one Application will be the primary and another one will be the secondary. The Primary application always sends data to the secondary application(s), however, it never receives any data back. Uni-directional integration can either be real-time or conducted in batches (such as nightly updates).
• Bi-Directional Integration – This is the most complex type of integration and also the most often requested. In this situation applications transact data (often in real-time) in both directions. For this to work effectively rules must be in place to resolve conflicts. A conflict is a situation in which both applications attempt to update the same information at roughly the same time. In this situation, we need to be able to establish an order of precedence as well as a transaction log so we can correct any mistakes.

Step 3:  Perform an ROI Analysis of the Alternatives

For each of the integration alternatives consider the Return on Investment (ROI). While you can consider an investment over a longer time horizon most IT investments are often evaluated on a 3 to 5 year time horizon.

The above chart is meant to be a hypothetical analysis of cost/benefit and ROI for an organization. Actual costs will depend on the complexity of your existing applications and the integration solutions you decide to go with. The above chart is also not meant to be an endorsement of Manual Integration. For many organizations this might be the right approach, however, that determination can only be made after a careful analysis of your integration options and your internal cost structures.  

I was listening to a tech podcast the other day when they made reference to a story about Information Velocity. In this specific story, a CEO of an established tech company was transitioning to a new rising star tech company that was born in the Internet Boom. At the CEO’s first meeting he witnessed the senior staff arrive at the meeting with their laptops. At first, he was frustrated at the distracted focus in the meeting. Eventually he warmed to the idea that “Velocity” was so important in their business that laptops were sometimes necessary in meetings.

I often go to meet nonprofit executives to tout the values of a CRM solution. The value proposition that most often resonates with this group revolves around centralized information, information accuracy, flexibility, ease of use and reporting. We are not often asked about “Information Velocity”, however, that may be implicit in the requests and expectations of nonprofit executives.

In marketing, “information velocity” is a term used to discuss how quickly information about a new product disseminates through a target market. In the nonprofit context, “information velocity” can take on any of the following meanings:

- How quickly we act to reach out and convert a prospective donor once they indicate some interest about our organization or mission

- How quickly we identify and react to a distress indicator of a participant in our program

- How quickly we react to changes in our funding and operating environment

Nonprofit executives often tell us at the outset of a CRM Project that they hope the project will yield:

- Improved Productivity: Ability to serve more people or raise more money

- Improved Quality: Ability to serve people better or build more strategic relationships

- Reduced Cost: Doing both of the above while holding cost constant or reducing it

Information Velocity is implicit in all three of the aforementioned goals. The ability to more quickly transact information allows nonprofits to serve more people. NPO’s can also vastly improve their outcomes (both fundraising and programmatic) by more quickly identifying causal factors and acting on them. Information Velocity also saves money by reducing the time lag in responding to problems which are already in motion.

How can we achieve “Information Velocity” using CRM?

All the tools are available in CRM technology. It really is more a question of how the CRM is used.

In closing, consider Newton’s First Law of Motion which states the following:

Every object in a state of uniform motion (i.e. a steady state velocity) tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

Your CRM Project represents an opportunity to apply a positive external force on your organization’s current state of Information Velocity. The end goal of which is hopefully a paradigm shift in your organization which allows it to operate at a much higher velocity.

Here are a few tips we are sharing with our clients about keeping their CRM instances safe and secure. This is mostly targeted at organizations that are currently using the Salesforce platform.

We can broadly break up this topic into three areas:

Physical Security

Machine Access – If you or your staff operate in a fairly public environment where their machines could easily be accessed by others, you need to take extreme care to ensure that your users logout whenever they are away from their machines. Since it is likely that Users will forget to logout it would be prudent to setup a frequent Session Timeout. You can do this in Salesforce by going to Setup –> Security Controls –> Session Settings. We would recommend the 30 minute timeout for anyone who operates in a public or semi-public space.

Written Passwords – Ensure that your users are not writing their username and password on a sheet of paper which is next to their computer. We have witnessed this many times and it defeats even the best security measures!

Digital Security

Strong Passwords – We recommend that you set your password policy so that at least 8 characters are required with a mix of alpha and numeric. Never allow the password to be used as a part of the username or the security question. To manage password policies in Salesforce go to Setup –> Security Controls –> Password Policies.

Password Expiration – We recommend you have your passwords expire at least once every 90 days and more frequently if you organization can handle it. Please note that if you have external applications (such as a website) which interface with your CRM, you will also need to reset these passwords when they expire.

Disable Accounts – Don’t forget to disable accounts for former employees and consultants who may have been on the system in the past.

Audit Your Login History – Check out who is logging into your CRM instance by viewing the Login History or User Adoption Dashboards. You may even want to setup a report that you can check on a periodic basis.

Recovery

Backup Your Data – Please backup your data! If you are a Salesforce user, you can backup your data for free every week. Simply go to Setup –> Data Mgt –> Data Export. If your data changes so frequently that a weekly backup is insufficient, consider using a product such as Demand Tools or get an ODBC Driver which allow you to connect to your CRM and download all data on a more frequent basis.

Following the above tips should leave you in pretty good shape for your CRM security. Also, please be sure to read any security bulletins which your CRM vendor sends to you and alert your users to any new threats as they arise.