Eight CRM and BI trends 2016

TRENDS Increasing digitalization and the maturing of new technologies as well as the growing demands of customers will determine the design of customer relationship management in companies in the coming year. The interaction between CRM and BI will also play an important role. The consulting firm Cintellic shows which topics will determine the trend in 2016.1) CRM as a holistic strategic approachCRM, together with the associated BI activities, can no longer be viewed in isolation in one area, but must be practiced as a holistic strategic approach within the company.2) Progressive customer centricityInstead of useless advertising, customers today expect to receive tailored, individualized offers that can be accessed or received anytime and anywhere. Only those who take these changing requirements into account and manage to create real added value for their customers will survive the battle between providers in the future.3) Diversification of channelsNew technologies such as beacons or near-field communication open up new opportunities. Self-service offerings such as customer portals or mobile apps with the ability to manage customer dialog in near real time offer opportunities for companies in the area of CRM.4) Omni-channel customer managementHowever, if a company decides to incorporate new channels, these must also be fully integrated into the CRM system. All too often, special apps are still used for new channels and consumer reactions are viewed separately and detached from other channels. As a result, companies are often blind on these channels.5) Data analysis for everyone supports CRMThe "digital natives" are now in active professional life and are not passively waiting for analysis results to be made available, but are taking the analysis activity into their own hands. And the BI tools offer them the platform for this through self-service BI, online data discovery in a controlled environment, supported by visualization techniques (visual analytics), which also make working with the data and the presentation of results understandable for specialist users from the individual CRM areas. Not only can historical data be analyzed, but predictions can also be simulated.6) "Big data" becomes practicableIn 2016, the big data technologies and tools required for this will continue to mature and become increasingly better integrated into corporate IT and its standards. Big data applications will therefore become more practicable for companies. While the new technologies were tested in the past using proof of concepts, real projects will increasingly be launched in 2016.7) Trying out new technologies in the IT labDespite the progress made in the field of big data technologies, introducing these technologies and systems into a company involves a certain degree of risk. Big data labs therefore deliberately provide "room for early failure". The IT lab approach is not limited to big data technologies, but can also be used in other areas.8) Modern CRM solutions adapt flexibly to the respective IT infrastructureIn recent years, the market for CRM software providers has grown and changed significantly. Where the question used to be "standard software or individual software?", the trend among providers has clearly shifted towards "individual standard software". An important milestone on the way to a tailor-made IT infrastructure is the careful, future- and needs-oriented selection of tools in order to find the optimal solution for your own company.Trends listed by Cintellic.