This study investigates the implementation process of global CRM system in a globally presented enterprise, from initial pilot phase to full-scale deployment in diverse market environments. The research draws on empirical data from CRM implementations across multiple countries in two Fortune 500 corporations. Key variables examined include implementation insights, successes and opportunities, stakeholder engagement, cross-functional collaboration, markets readiness, and change management. The analysis provides insights into the challenges associated with large-scale software deployment, methods for ensuring markets readiness, engagement and commitment for change, and the impact of cultural factors on technology adoption. By presenting this case study from actual implementations, this research contributes to the body of knowledge on managing complex, large-scale technological transitions in multinational and multicultural settings.
Introduction
In today's globalized business environment, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems have become essential tools for organizations seeking not only to manage and record customer interactions effectively across diverse markets but also to transform businesses into more customer- and consumer-centric entities. However, implementing these systems on a global scale presents unique challenges that go beyond just technical considerations.
This article draws on firsthand experience from leading CRM deployments across Europe for two Fortune 500 companies. It aims to shed light on the complex process of rolling out a global technology, from the initial pilot to full-scale implementation in varied and often challenging market environments.
The journey of CRM implementation is multifaceted, involving not just technological aspects but also human, cultural, and organizational factors. As we will explore, successful deployment requires careful project design, the selection of the right resources, effective stakeholder engagement, proactive and careful collaboration, thorough market readiness assessment, and robust change management strategies.
By examining real-world cases, this study offers valuable insights for both practitioners and researchers. For those in the field, it provides practical strategies for simplifying the complexities of large-scale software deployments. For academics, it contributes to the broader understanding of managing technological transitions in multinational settings, highlighting the interplay between technology, culture, and organizational dynamics.
As we delve into the intricacies of global CRM implementation, we will uncover key lessons learned, potential pitfalls to avoid, and best practices that can significantly impact the success of such ambitious projects.
It is important to note the scope and limitations of this study. This article does not delve into the specifics of project management or deployment methodologies, nor does it provide a comprehensive analysis of CRM software capabilities. We do not aim to evaluate whether Salesforce.com or any other particular CRM solution is the right fit for an organization. Instead, our research focuses on the broader challenges and strategies involved in deploying a CRM system globally, regardless of the specific software chosen. The emphasis is on the implementation insights, the organizational dynamics at play, and the cultural considerations that impact adoption across different markets. By maintaining this focus, we aim to provide insights that are applicable across various CRM platforms and implementation scenarios.
Business Context
This article focuses on real implementation cases in two companies: The first is a health technology leader with over €15 billion in revenue and more than 50,000 employees across 100 countries.
The second is a tobacco and nicotine product giant with billions in revenue and a global workforce. They offer a range of products from traditional cigarettes to modern nicotine alternatives.
Both operate in heavily regulated environments and face unique challenges when it comes to technology deployment at scale. For such companies, implementing a CRM system is a strategic move crucial for competitiveness and market adaptation and requires mobilization at all levels-from end markets to global teams, with stakeholder involvement up to board members.
Business Challenge, Objective, and Outcome
Getting global markets ready and willing to change is not something that can happen overnight. Sometimes, markets are like protected kingdoms, set in their ways according to local specifics, with long-standing processes that are tough to alter. The challenge goes far beyond just updating procedures-it involves reshaping how employees think, work, and interact, both within the company and with partners. This shift affects everyone, calling for a complete change in mindset. Employees needed time and support to adapt to new ways of working. Carefully managing this transition was key to keeping people comfortable and committed throughout the process.
The implementation goal was to gradually move markets from legacy systems and processes to a new, modern Salesforce.com platform. While the healthcare company used an out-of-the-box product, the tobacco company adopted customizations from the very beginning. Both implementations required careful planning and strong buy-in from all levels of the company before starting execution. Managing risks was fundamental for these deployment programs to keep business running smoothly during the change.
The expected outcomes of the implementations were to successfully roll out a new platform designed to streamline processes, adjust local ways of working, and overall boost productivity, as well as customer and consumer satisfaction. This new technology was expected to sharpen the company's focus on customer needs, leading to better overall performance. The switch to the new system aimed to modernize operations while supporting employees through the change, resulting in a more customer- and consumer-centric enterprise.
Case study and implementation
This study is an empirical analysis based on real-life experience with Salesforce.com implementation. Fundamentally, the study analyzes the soft aspects of implementation, focusing on change management and people’s behavior, and how these factors affect end users. It also seeks to identify the right strategies to address the change management journey. According to Harvard Business School (HBS) [1], approximately 50 percent of all organizational change initiatives are unsuccessful, highlighting why the ability to plan for, coordinate, and carry out change is a valuable skill for managers and business leaders alike. While adaptive changes are small, gradual adjustments that an organization undertakes to evolve its products, processes, workflows, and strategies over time, transformational changes are larger in scale and scope, often signifying a dramatic and sometimes sudden departure from the status quo. Launching a new CRM or deciding to expand internationally are examples of transformational change.
As a leader, understanding the change management process is essential to ensure your entire organization can navigate transitions smoothly. Doing so helps assess the potential impact of any organizational changes and prepares your teams accordingly. When your team is prepared, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, create a safe environment, and engage the entire team toward a common goal.
According to HBS, the five key steps in the change management process can be summarised as shown in Figure 1 below.
Fig. 1. Change Management Journey for Systems Deployment
In the examined use cases, the strategy for global CRM implementation was based on a flexible design approach that included a global template, business-critical local legal and fiscal requirements (LFR), last-mile integrations, and legacy systems remediation. Since most markets were using multiple information systems for different purposes, immediate decommissioning of local systems was not required but was expected in the mid to long term to leverage the global CRM business case. Thus, remediation of existing IT systems was essential for the business to operate.
The CRM design phase incorporated a new set of marketing capabilities called the global template, with design led by a central team and a delivery partner. The global template was created with a deep understanding of diverse requirements gathered through design reference groups (DRG) from different regions and supported by extensive stakeholder engagement.
However, the pilot CRM implementation faced challenges in methodology, change management, design approach, and market readiness, as the entire end-to-end design-deployment-adoption process was theoretical and untested. The purpose of the pilot implementation was to validate the deployment assumptions, clarify schedules, and strengthen further deployments. During pilot implementation, the design is adjusted to fit market minimum requirements, address last-mile integrations and local remediation needs, and manage market change. The principles of pilot market selection were based on business continuity risks, market size (user count, customer base), and overall market process complexity.
As the pre-pilot phase was largely assumption-based, it was important to allow the business to roll back with minimal impact if assumptions were invalidated during the pilot deployment. In a successful scenario, change management risks could be absorbed and mitigated by markets, while in a disruption scenario, a business continuity plan was prepared to ensure rollback and continuous operations.
When preparing the implementation strategy, markets were assessed based on their maturity, technology complexity, local regulations, and the overall implementation plan. S. Blank mentions in his book The Four Steps to the Epiphany [2] that determining market type is a somewhat simpler process, and market maturity assessment may include factors relevant from the task and assessor's perspective. For this empirical study, I used a simplified market archetype assessment matrix based on some factors important for CRM deployments, where a higher score emphasizes complexity — see Figure 2.
Fig. 2. Markets Maturity Assesment
A stakeholder analysis was conducted as part of the market assessment-see Figure 3. I concluded that, for the sake of CRM implementation, it’s not necessary to run an advanced stakeholder assessment, such as trying to find hidden influencers using social metrics. A standard approach, as well described in many articles, for example by McKinsey [3], is sufficient. Such stakeholder matrices are not set in stone and can be adjusted as the deployment progresses, but they give the deployment team an idea of how to balance efforts in engaging various groups and what gains and support the team is pursuing from each stakeholder category. As a result of the market assessments and stakeholder engagements, the deployment schedules were created, factoring in a balance of market archetypes, stakeholder preferences, and the cultural adaptation index.
Fig. 3. Stakeholders Matrix
The pilot implementation served to adjust deployment program workstreams, improve cross-functional team collaboration, and, most importantly, create a knowledge base for more complex future deployments. Typically, there is only one pilot implementation within deployment schedule. While subsequent market implementations benefit from the pilot results, each market presents unique situations, requirements, and challenges. The implementation I analyze involved over 80 end markets across two companies. Such a scale created a dilemma for the deployment program on how to address all market requests, feedback, and inquiries with limited global and vendor resources. This limitation will be further explored in the article.
The implementation strategy also included a deployment timeline per market archetype, considering market maturity, complexity, local specifics, and interdependencies, such as system interfaces or local requirements that could either expedite or delay deployment. For each market in the deployment group, a comprehensive deployment timeline was created, starting with initial market engagement and discovery, followed by design and build, testing, cutover, technical and business go-lives, and finally, hypercare. Both global and local resources were actively involved throughout the deployment process, with end markets playing a significant role during user acceptance testing (UAT), cutover, and business go-live (BGL).
Project teams were strategically structured to include a central team at headquarters, regional agile deployment teams, and localized teams within each market. This structure maintained a unified vision while allowing for necessary customization. The central team provided overall strategy, design coordination, and overall managed implementation, while regional and local teams handled on-the-ground readiness and deployments, testing, training, and user adoption. This structure ensured smooth information flow and empowered local teams to drive the change process within their markets.
From a methodology perspective, the CRM deployment project combined Agile for solution design with Waterfall for deployment. This approach was supported by a wide range of tools for project management, communication, user testing, quality assurance, and post-implementation performance monitoring.
Challenges
Deploying a CRM solution on a global scale isn't just a technical exercise — it's a complex journey filled with a wide range of challenges. These challenges can slow down progress, create unexpected roadblocks, and require creative problem-solving at every turn. Here’s a closer look at the types of challenges CRM deployment might face, broken down by category and explained with real-world implications.
Technical Challenges
The challenge of researching the causes of CRM deployment failure has motivated many scholars and practitioners to contribute to the literature on CRM failure and its causes. For example, according to Nguyen et al. (2007) [4], various reasons cause CRM to fail to meet its objectives. While some of these reasons are inevitable, many can be avoided. In general, CRM failure is caused by the complexity of technical and organizational issues associated with CRM implementation.
Technical challenges are often the most immediate and obvious obstacles in a CRM deployment. For instance, ensuring code quality for customized parts of the CRM is critical. If the code isn't up to par, it can lead to numerous defects during UAT and incidents during Hypercare that slow down the entire implementation process. Imagine hitting the brakes on implementation every time you find a bug-this can significantly impact project perception and even lead to a deployment re-plan unless the code is stabilized.
Another example of a technical hurdle comes from hardware and its heterogeneity. For example, if CRM implementation involves mobile application installation on user devices, handhelds should be homogenous. Any discrepancies in handheld configuration or OS version may cause delays. Different operating system versions may not work consistently with the CRM mobile application, leading to user frustration and inefficiencies. Picture a team in one country using outdated software that doesn’t communicate well with the CRM-this can create serious delays in field execution and customer engagements.
Integration of CRM with local systems is another technical challenge. Many markets rely on a patchwork of existing legacy systems that need to integrate with the new CRM, like Salesforce.com integrating with an ERP. Establishing such integrations isn’t always smooth, leading to delays and system remediation needs that can drain resources and time.
The most critical period for such challenges is the cutover, just before going live-the last thing you want is unexpected system behavior. Yet, it happens-a sudden glitch can throw a wrench in your plans and require rapid mobilization and problem-solving to keep the project on track.
Data Migration Challenges
Data is the lifeblood of any CRM, and migrating it accurately is vital. According to Morris et al. (2021), who describes data migration in his book Practical Data Migration , nearly 40 percent of data migration projects were over time, over budget, or failed entirely [5]. In CRM deployment projects, data migration involves defining a golden data set for testing purposes to ensure consistency in the testing process, followed by the complete migration of data from the legacy system to the new CRM. Gathering this data from disparate local systems and ensuring its accuracy can be a monumental task. By its nature, it is extremely time-consuming and may take hours or even days to extract, upload, and validate data, and in many cases, this process is manually driven for specific reasons. Any inconsistency can lead to faulty operations and decisions.
Access and Authorization Challenges
Access and authorization may sound straightforward, but they’re anything but. Ensuring that every user, especially remote employees, has the right access to production and lower environment systems (like UAT and pre-prod) is critical for smooth operations. Setting up authorization federation between systems adds another layer of complexity. For example, ensuring single sign-on (SSO) to a new CRM with a corporate login and password. This ensures that users can move seamlessly between systems without losing access rights, which is vital for maintaining productivity and security.
Process Challenges
When it comes to processes, one size rarely fits all. The global template for the CRM might not align with the specific needs of every local market. This mismatch can lead to processes that feel irrelevant or cumbersome, forcing teams to work around the system rather than with it. This type of challenge can have long-term implications. If the global template processes are not fully adopted by the end market, it could undermine the entire business case of the CRM implementation. When the solution isn't used to its full extent, the expected benefits don’t materialize, impacting the overall success and return on investment of the project.
Regulatory Compliance Challenges
Regulatory compliance and IT compliance and controls are no-brainer objectives for any technology implementation and overall business transformation projects. There are plenty of scholarly articles written on the topic of IT compliance and controls. For example, as mentioned by J. DeLuccia et al. (2011) [6], it is imperative that organizations proactively participate with domestic and international governance bodies to ensure they are not caught off guard by changing regulations. Regulatory compliance is a non-negotiable aspect of CRM deployment. Every country has its own Legal and Fiscal Requirements (LFR), such as data protection laws or complex tax structures. Ensuring that the CRM meets these requirements from the very beginning is like navigating a minefield — one wrong step could lead to legal repercussions. For example, handling personal data protection is critical, and the CRM must be robust enough to comply with various regulations, like GDPR in Europe or the Personal Data Protection regulation in Russia. Additionally, in countries with multiple taxation models, such as Brazil, the CRM needs to accommodate these complexities without a hitch.
Scalability and Flexibility Challenges
As the CRM rolls out, especially in the early stages, you might encounter system performance issues. The system needs to scale smoothly to handle increasing loads without compromising speed or reliability. It’s like building a bridge while the traffic is already on it — any misstep could cause the whole structure to collapse. Ensuring the CRM is flexible enough to adapt to different market conditions while maintaining performance is a balancing act that requires careful planning and foresight. For example, performance (or smoke) tests are often conducted during the cutover and technical go-live (TGL) stages. In the first few hours after TGL, a select group of users extensively tests the system by running complex and heavy scenarios. This process helps to identify any performance-related inconsistencies and bottle necks in the system, ensuring that it can handle the anticipated workload before it's fully rolled out to all users.
Resource Challenges
Resource allocation is another significant challenge. A lack of local resources to support the implementation can stall progress, while delays in response from global teams can leave local teams in the dark. It’s like trying to run a marathon without enough water stations — eventually, someone’s going to hit a wall. Estimating resources for last-mile readiness, such as the remediation of local systems, requires precision due to potential hidden complexities. Underestimating these needs can lead to delays and increased costs, pushing the project timeline further out.
Organizational Challenges
According to McKinsey [7], years of research on transformations have shown that the success rate for digital transformation efforts is consistently low: less than 30 percent succeed. To improve the chances of a transformation succeeding, they mention five key factors: having the right digital-savvy leaders in place, building capabilities for the workforce of the future, empowering people to work in new ways, giving day-to-day tools a digital upgrade, and communicating frequently via traditional and digital methods. As we can see, having the right resources is crucial for the success of technology implementation. In the context of CRM deployment, organizational changes must be in place to support the implementation. For example, new roles might need to be created to administer the CRM system effectively. This can be a tough sell in markets resistant to change, but it may be essential for getting the most out of the CRM.
Knowledge Challenges
Knowledge gaps can be a major stumbling block. A lack of CRM solution knowledge, uncertainty about using new handheld devices, and confusion over project team roles can all slow down the deployment.
Additionally, knowledge loss due to employee turnover is a persistent headache for many companies. When key team members leave, they take their expertise with them, leaving the remaining team to pick up the pieces without a full understanding of how things work. In my experience, this is one of the fundamental issues to address-if there’s no knowledge and related experience across the end-user community, who will be using the solution, and how effective will it be?
Cultural Challenges
Cultural differences can significantly affect the pace of CRM deployment in different markets. Some cultures may be more open to change, enthusiastic, and proactive, while others may be more resistant, reactive, and require more engagement, hierarchy alignment, and even alignment with unions regarding any changes to working processes, as seen in France. These are natural situations that occur for valid reasons and should be approached with care. Such variability can lead to uneven progress across end markets, so the deployment schedule should factor in these cultural aspects. Figure 4 below shows an example of a cultural adaptation index that may be evaluated as part of the market maturity assessment.
Fig. 4. Culture Adaptation Index
Trainings and Support — Keys to Adoption
Training plays a critical role in ensuring the successful adoption and implementation of CRM systems and other digital technologies. According to McKinsey's insights [8], effective training is not just about familiarizing users with the technology but also about embedding the necessary skills to leverage these tools effectively in daily operations. Without proper training, even the most advanced systems can fail to deliver the expected business value. A lack of clarity on the post-implementation support model can leave users feeling stranded, particularly if the system is complex or performance is poor. If senior management tries to lead by example but the system’s relevance or ease of use isn’t clear to employees, they may simply revert to old habits, undermining the entire deployment effort.
The challenges mentioned are just examples of what may happen during a CRM implementation project and highlight the intricate web of factors that must be managed. Addressing each of these issues thoughtfully and proactively is key to ensuring the project’s success and achieving the intended business transformation.
Results analysis and discussion
Strong Commitment from End Markets
During my experience deploying CRM in markets like France, Benelux, the UK & Ireland, Ukraine, Italy, and Russia and others, I often questioned what the key element for CRM implementation success is. Despite the different business contexts in these markets, local commitment stood out as the key factor for successful deployment. High commitment levels helped overcome other challenges, such as a lack of global support, which was resolved by the proactiveness of local team members who relentlessly took leadership and led all support-related conversations, synergizing with global teams.
According to McKinsey [9], the active involvement of senior leaders and the dedication of transformation-specific roles are pivotal in ensuring that technology transformations not only meet their objectives but also sustain long-term benefits. To that extent, the effect of local stakeholders' commitment triggers a network of positive side effects. For instance, parallel streams of data management, training, access and authorizations, hardware setup, and distribution work in sync and effectively when local commitment is high and supported by local senior management.
Leadership commitment is vital because these transformations often require substantial changes in organizational processes, culture, and capabilities. Leaders who are deeply engaged in the transformation process can effectively drive these changes, ensuring that the technology solutions implemented align with the company’s strategic goals and address critical business needs. Moreover, committed leaders can help overcome resistance to change by fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, which is essential for the adoption of new technologies across the organization.
Clear Benefits Communication
One of the most common topics around the water cooler during implementation days is the jokes about the new system's relevance to local business. I noticed many times that people treat the new global solution as irrelevant, adding comments like, «They (the global team) don’t understand our specifics; their system is not relevant to us, so why are we implementing this?" I found that, in many cases, this has nothing to do with local business understanding the end-to-end process. Generally, global teams are not expected to be experts in every market's realities, and it may not even be technically possible for them to learn these specifics given that the implementation scale may encompass hundreds of markets. In my perspective, the challenge lies in missing the big picture. End-market employees are very focused on their own realities and priorities (for valid reasons) and may simply not be aware of the big-picture benefits, the rationale for implementation, and the overall global marketing strategy of the organization. So clear communication, thorough and cared change management can help align the vision and direction across the teams.
Sense of Care via Comprehensive Support Model
While end markets are in the change management process during implementation, they want to see that they are not alone in this journey. Support can be provided in various aspects — resources, knowledge, leadership, etc. but for the sake of the challenges section, I would stress one very important factor that creates the right perception at the local level, a sense of care, and increases local confidence: application services support. The number of incidents during hypercare, resolution updates, trends, orchestration of solution stabilization post-BGL, and analytics around all these elements significantly boost confidence among all local stakeholders — from business administrators to the local project sponsor and the local head of marketing.
Endorsed and Empowered Self Service
A CRM deployment project has a start and an end point, after which the project concludes leaing local teams with self service. McKinsey insights [9] emphasize that this fundamental principle requires local leadership involvement to build in-house capabilities and continuously upskill their workforce. Effectively landed self service culture helps to deeply embed the CRM transformation within the organization, making the changes more resilient, scalable, and finally — self-serviced, thus improving overal operational efficiency of the company. Having the right digital-savvy leaders in place in markets and ensuring their collaboration across different local and global units to land self service principles are significant predictors of successful transformations.
Principles of self-service says, that whenever a new system is deployed in the business, the adoption responsibility falls entirely under the local market responsibility — from system use to knowledge acquisition, exploitation, and service request initiation. This, in turn, can create some hurdles in the change management journey for end markets, as self-service is sometimes perceived as «we are all left alone», highlighting the need for structured training, knowledge maintenance, and sharing to make self-service productive and comfortable.
Co-Located SWAT Teams
While analyzing the challenges of CRM deployments, I have concluded that technical challenges are minor compared to personal user experiences, fears of change, and the ambiguity associated with change management. However, I have often witnessed that if a local user knows the global team members by name and is clear about who does what, it breaks down barriers to adoption and overall boosts the comfort and confidence levels of local teams. My analysis also suggests that, regardless of whether a resource is global or regional, it should be colocated with the local teams as much as possible. Allocation and co-location of fast responsive teams (SWAT) significantly improves the local attitude toward change and helps expedite adoption and issue resolution.
Resources from Global to Local
Projects are not trains moving non-stop from start to finish. Sometimes, they need to stop for repairs or refueling. Sometimes, they reroute or even backtrack. Leading various CRM deployments and CRM upgrades, I’ve learned that blindly following project principles doesn’t always help create a positive attitude and confidence across teams. Sometimes, situations require more agility, even if it doesn’t align with project charters or principles. For example, I have often witnessed local teams struggling due to a shortage of resources, with progress stalling until global teams stepped in and provided the necessary support — deviating from the original plan and overall financial and resource accounting of the project but keeping project on track. Ensuring resource contingency and continuous delivery was critical to meeting deadlines, so the deviation was justified. Helping local teams ensure resource contingency is a best practice that has the desirable side effect of building trust between local and global teams.
Empowered User Trainings
In the introduction section of this article, I mentioned that this analysis will not cover project and deployment methodologies, which are well-documented in scholarly articles and literature. Instead, my focus is on identifying important and responsive points in the deployment process that may not be part of the methodology. One such finding is the engagement of employees during CRM trainings — people tend to demonstrate different levels of activity depending on whether the global team is present in the room and whether a live demo is used during the training (for example, using mobile devices with the mobile CRM app installed).
My findings show that in cases of colocation, where the global and local teams are in the same room during product training, engagement levels can vary drastically. The presence of the global team in the room creates a positive attitude and a secure atmosphere, boosting the confidence of local employees. When comparing different markets, trainings where no handhelds were used (just a presentation) saw employee engagement drop by 50 percent without the global team's presence in the room, versus training shadowed by global teams, and by 43 percent compared to training led by global teams. In trainings with handhelds and live demos, the engagement index was 60 percent higher with the global team shadowing the training and 70 percent higher with the global team leading. See Figure 5 below.
Fig. 5. Employee Engagement Index During Trainings
Dedicated Resolver Support
As I mentioned in the introduction section, some of the most impactful challenges in CRM implementation lie in user experience, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration. Dealing with these challenges can be one of the most complex parts of implementation, along with technical issues. In my analysis, I found that people on the ground prefer to know the resolver teams (ideally by name), which I understand as a desire to collaborate not only from a technical standpoint but also from an emotional perspective. While having a resolver team is a technical necessity, it significantly influences user experience. Confidence is higher when local teams know who is supporting them, who the specific resolvers are by name, and this creates an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, boosts confidence, and drives local commitment.
Emotional intelligence in collaboration is a popular topic in scholarly articles. As Kramer, Brandy Lynn mentioned in his PhD dissertation [10], the results of an online survey conducted about technology transformations found a statistically significant relationship between team effectiveness and emotional intelligence, empathy, and relationship management. Let people know the team dedicated to supporting them, recognize their emotional needs, and acknowledge their concerns, and you will see how people become empowered, engaged and commited.
Adoption Quick-Wins
Adoption is one of the key fundamental struggles when a new system is introduced into a business. People often complain in the corridors and around office coolers, criticizing the system and the project. There’s no straightforward answer on how to boost adoption, and adoption strategies should be formulated based on business realities. My findings suggest that there are always quick wins for adoption while we work on long-term strategies. Sometimes, something as simple as focused reporting on the new system can create a little miracle across different levels — from employees who are impressed by a report showing their sales pipeline, highlighted with insights, to senior management who immediately gain visibility over sales department performance and opportunities. Think about what little miracle could be that quick win for adoption and how it can influence system perception in the early adoption stages.
Power of Community of Practice
One of the key challenges-and one of the key opportunities — lies in the effects of having a community of experts on the ground who act as system ambassadors. On the one hand, this is one of the most complex leadership and management tasks to accomplish — creating, maintaining, and developing a local, regional, or global community of practice requires significant engagement, alignment, cross-functional collaboration, and steering. However, the effect of such communities, when users are engaged and motivated, is enormous. They voluntarily share knowledge and best practices with teammates, promote the system and its benefits, and drive system adoption and in-house expertise naturally. Being recognized as an expert in the organization also has an important personal and motivational aspect for an employee. System ambassadors should be well recognized, with a dedicated page on the corporate website. Finding a way to crack this step by step is a time-consuming task involving leadership, technical skills, and influential capabilities.
Lead by Example
I witnessed when senior leaders in an organization dedicated themselves to leading adoption by example and openly shared their experiences, trying to build the necessary bridges for adoption. This lead-by-example approach created a positive buzz among end users. My take on this is that it should not be overlooked, even while adoption strategies are being developed in parallel. Leading by example is a universal concept. Based on observations across diverse multicultural environments, when senior management leads adoption by example, it is highly likely to be adopted more quickly.
According to John Mattone [11], the world’s top executive coach and leadership speaker, leading by example is one of the most powerful ways to inspire and influence others in a leadership role. When leaders model the behaviors, attitudes, and work ethic they expect from their team, they create a strong, positive influence that can drive motivation, engagement, and productivity. It builds trust and credibility within the teams.
Life Beyond Hypercare
Every project has a start and an end moment. When it comes to hypercare exit, markets normally sign off on hypercare exit criteria, and as part of the criteria list, they also agree to the support principles after hypercare is completed. In my findings, the challenge doesn’t lie in the support model being poor, but rather in the fact that it requires local teams to follow yet another cycle of change management (now everything will be new, again). Leaving local teams to face the BAU (Business As Usual) support model after hypercare exit creates certain stress, as they are put into the water while still learning how to swim.
All the empirical studies I conducted while researching deployment aspects indicate that, while the project may end, it must leave behind crystal-clear instructions explaining the post-implementation way of working. This will help maintain adoption, confidence, and overall comfort levels for employees who are adjusting to the new system. These instructions might include training decks, support principles, functionality guidelines, escalation matrices, etc. Overall, leaving teams with some resources from the project is not a bad thing at all.
Post Hyper-Care evolution of systems is a natural, fundamental capability that should be understood and explained to all users. Normally, the operation model post-implementation is part of the deployment delivery. Leaving this aspect unattended can lead to the system becoming irrelevant quickly. Onboarding end markets to the change management process — how to raise a request for new functionality, what the delivery and devops principles are, and who is responsible for delivering new functionality — is a cornerstone of an effective system roadmap and productive lifecycle.
Plan for the Worst
One of the essentials for deployment or Business As Usual (BAU) teams is to answer the question: how are we going to operate in the case of P1 (Priority 1) or S1 (Severity 1) incidents impacting business operations during hypercare or after it? None of the big projects goes smoothly, so it’s better to address this by establishing guardrails and principles for immediate response to major incidents. This involves defining the processes, roles, responsibilities, and ways of working.
All the aforementioned successes and challenges can be mapped to a deployments vs. findings diagram-see Figure 5-emphasizing that the majority of insights evolve during pilot and early deployments. As deployments progress, the number of findings exponentially decreases, with only occasional spikes related to specific regulatory and Legal Fiscal Requirements (LFR) in later deployments. This underscores the importance of organizing the required resources for deployment streams in the early stages so that issues and challenges can be effectively addressed and factored into further deployment schedules. This approach requires a focus on precise resource allocation, risk mitigation, and contingency planning.
Fig. 6. Deployments vs. Findings
Conclusion
The implementation of CRM, using Salesforce.com as an example, from pilot to global rollout, encounters various situations dictated by market environments, business context, organizational design, and largely depends on people and their perceptions, beliefs, and biases. Like any complex project, it requires careful planning, thorough execution, seamless communication, and effective change management. However, it should also factor in user experiences, onboarding of diverse stakeholder groups, dedicated leadership, recognition of local needs by global teams, and even leading by example.
None of the complex deployments of global solutions goes smoothly. These projects face challenges in various areas such as the applicability of global processes, resource allocation, mobilization and commitment, IT readiness, software compatibility, cultural differences, and many others. These challenges require responses not only from technical teams but also from those with emotional intelligence, awareness, and soft leadership skills. Implementation teams may need to adopt a flexible and agile approach and, at times, step aside from strict project methodologies to act creatively, allowing them to navigate the complexities and ambiguities of the rollouts and ensure that the system is effectively accepted and adopted by end users.
The challenges and successes learned from implementations I led across European markets provided valuable insights that can benefit organizations seeking to implement Salesforce.com or any other CRM at scale. By understanding the importance of balancing global consistency with local flexibility, investing in effective change management and user experience, and addressing the unique challenges of each market, organizations can increase the likelihood of successful CRM implementation, adoption, and lifecycle.
References:
- 5 Critical Steps in the Change Management Process, Harward Business School, 2020 https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/change-management-process
- Blank, Steve. The four steps to the epiphany: successful strategies for products that win. John Wiley & Sons, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?hl=ru&lr=&id=7p_ODwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=The+Four+Steps+to+the+Epiphany&ots=0K6cxGo_gt&sig=1IxIGiAtCU9Hrt9tqoEFlxFq2no
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