OMNICHANNEL IN CRM SYSTEMS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOFTWARE SERVICE PROVIDER

Abstract

Scientific literature combining omnichannel and CRM systems is not extensive (single papers available). The authors' motivation is to expand the state of knowledge in this field. The goal of the paper is to perform a comparative analysis of the functionality of CRM systems used to support several different fields of activity within one company - a perspective of the software service provider.

The featured research tool is a survey questionnaire used with a sample of 243 company employees in November 2018. The subject of the analysis is a company that operates in a range of different branches on the Polish market. The company has a large collection of various CRM and auxiliary systems used to serve diverse groups of its customers.

The research results are analysed crosswise: first in detail - horizontally (the prism of functionality) and vertically (the prism of the channel type - the type of CRM system), then in general - holistic. The effect of the research is the determination of the company employees’ satisfaction with specific functionalities of a given CRM system (channel) along with an assessment of the legitimacy of their use.

Only scientific articles from Scopus databases were considered for literature research. The results of the practical part are adequate for companies that have many CRM systems (not one). In the future, the authors plan to repeat the study on a sample of customers of the company – a look from the second perspective.

After the era of classic customer relationship management systems (CRM), the era of omnichannel customer relationship management systems (OCRM) is coming. This is what the modern market (customers) expects and what is also urgently needed by companies.

Scientific literature combining omnichannel and CRM systems is not extensive (single papers available). The authors' motivation is to expand the state of knowledge in this field. The goal of the paper is to perform a comparative analysis of the functionality of CRM systems used to support several different fields of activity within one company - a perspective of the software service provider.

The featured research tool is a survey questionnaire used with a sample of 243 company employees in November 2018. The subject of the analysis is a company that operates in a range of different branches on the Polish market. The company has a large collection of various CRM and auxiliary systems used to serve diverse groups of its customers.

The research results are analysed crosswise: first in detail - horizontally (the prism of functionality) and vertically (the prism of the channel type - the type of CRM system), then in general - holistic. The effect of the research is the determination of the company employees’ satisfaction with specific functionalities of a given CRM system (channel) along with an assessment of the legitimacy of their use.

Only scientific articles from Scopus databases were considered for literature research. The results of the practical part are adequate for companies that have many CRM systems (not one). In the future, the authors plan to repeat the study on a sample of customers of the company – a look from the second perspective.

After the era of classic customer relationship management systems (CRM), the era of omnichannel customer relationship management systems (OCRM) is coming. This is what the modern market (customers) expects and what is also urgently needed by companies.