Never was the phrase 'rubbish in, rubbish out', more true than in the context of CRM data. Unreliable information destroys user confidence and significantly reduces the value of CRM to the business. Ultimately, if nothing is done to correct it, the CRM will fall out of use completely and be deemed a 'failure'.
We've seen many instances of this over the years, with some businesses even looking to replace the whole CRM when, in fact, sorting the data out and getting CRM back on track is a much simpler job than many think.
Prevention is better than cure as they say, so if you are the owner of a shiny new Sage CRM system, (or one that has recently been cleaned), there are many things that you can do to prevent the data getting into a mess. These include:
- Establishing deduplication rules to check that new data being entered does not repeat what is already there.
- Defining mandatory fields so that users have to enter a minimum amount of required information.
- Controlling the content type and format of data entered with field level scripts
- Using Address validation tools to auto populate records.
If you have an established system that is in need of data cleaning this can be a straightforward job. Sage CRM has a number of built-in tools that can both clean the data and, if run on a regular basis, help to maintain the quality of the information. These can, however, only go so far and if a CRM has a long history of poor data management then some more radical surgery may be required.
Loria has an excellent track record of carrying out data cleaning exercises on large and small databases. Whilst there will always be some input required from the owner of the data to oversee the process and rule on deletions and merges, we have many established routines that will minimise the manual effort required.
So, before you throw in the towel completely, please give us a call on 0845 434 8977.