When Good Projects Go Bad . . .

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When Good Projects Go Bad . . .

• Lessons from the Field
• CRMC 2002 - Chicago

2
Where did we learn our lessons?

• Dee Ann Dunkers
• Charming Shoppes
• Largest Plus-Size Specialty Apparel Retailer in
  America, with 2,400 Stores Nationwide
• Lane Bryant,
• Fashion Bug,
• and Catherines

• Ro King
• Quaero
• Specialists in CRM
• With Marketing Consulting and Systems Integration
  Practices
• Clients in Retail,
  . Telecom, Hospitality, . Financial
  Services, and Pharmaceuticals

3
Stories from the Field and Lessons Learned

• What are the pitfalls of selecting
  technical CRM solutions?
• What obstacles are encountered in implementing
  CRM solutions?
• What challenges are particular to Retail in
  on-going maintenance?

4
Lessons across Three Dimensions
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The Good Selection Process
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Stories from the Selection Process

• Once upon a business requirement . . .
• The technical story When is a solution really a
  sale?
• The process story How do you know when a
  selection has gone awry?
• The people story The tale of the missing user

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Lessons from Bad Selections

• Summarize needs and requirements prior to seeking
  a vendor
• Follow a simple process dont purchase prior to
  hands-on testing
• Involve the users in every aspect of
  the selection process

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The Good Implementation
Infrastructure Assessment
Installation
Incorporation
Initiation

• Review technical environment
• Review business processes
• Review skill sets

• Software installation documentation
• Initial technical alterations

• Initial process re-design
• Product and process training

• Sharing business processes and best practices
• Instituting new skills

Implementation Terminology Courtesy of Unica Corp.
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Stories from Implementations

• There once was a project . . .
• The technical story The myth of plug and play
• The process story The invasion of scope creep
• The people story The return of
  the missing user

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Lessons from Bad Implementations

• Learn whats important to the user
• Dont expect to implement and walk away
• Small steps can move you forward faster that one
  giant step

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The Good On-going Process
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Stories from the Field

• And they all lived happily
  ever after . . .
• The technical story The forgotten cost
  on-going maintenance
• The process story Communication . . .
  Communication . . . Communication
• The people story The autobiography of the user
  group

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Lessons from the Field

• Technology requires additional
  costs for education and people development
• Communication involves continually marketing your
  product using every means available
• Users need opportunities to learn and share
  information

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Questions???
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For more information . . .

• Dee Ann Dunkers
• Charming Shoppes
• 450 Winks Lane
• Bensalem, PA 19020
• 215.633.4650
• Dee.Ann.Dunkers_at_ charming.com

• Ro King
• Quaero
• 252 7th Avenue, 16th Fl. New York, NY 10001
• 917.543.6234
• kingr_at_quaero.com