by Peter Mollins

It’s not easy to be an IT architect. Architects are under constant pressure to create and enforce efficient IT models for delivering business services. This is difficult enough thanks to shifting corporate strategies and business requirements, but it is made still more challenging by the reality of today’s IT portfolios. In particular, the complex application portfolios that automate core business operations.

Business Benefits:

* Integrated business systems: reduced cycle times, reduced operating expenses, improved customer service, facilitated mergers and acquisitions, easier and more accurate decision-making based on up-to-date business information for "single version of the truth."
* IT cost reduction and control through standardization of reusable business components.
* Improved responsiveness to change business processes quickly and effectively.
* The ability to respond to special business conditions as they occur.

IT Benefits:

1. Who are the newcomers to the CRM landscape?

2. How is CRM changing and what does the business owner need to be aware of?

3. How much should I plan to spend on a good solution?

4. What are your expectations for CRM in the next five years?

5. What exactly should I be expecting CRM to do for me?

6. Do you have a few key best practices someone considering CRM can use?

7. What are the most common mistakes you see companies make with CRM?

8. What are my best resources for finding out more about CRM?