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UsingCiviCRM
TableofContents
UsingCiviCRMCreditsForewordAbouttheAuthorsAbouttheReviewerswww.PacktPub.com
Supportfiles,eBooks,discountoffersandmoreWhySubscribe?FreeAccessforPacktaccountholders
PrefaceWhatthisbookcoversWhatyouneedforthisbookWhothisbookisforConventionsReaderfeedbackCustomersupport
ErrataPiracyQuestions
1.AchievingYourMissionwithCiviCRMWhyyourorganizationneedsConstituentRelationship
ManagementWhatisConstituentRelationshipManagement?
CustomerRelationshipManagementversusConstituentRelationshipManagement
Whoareyourconstituents?WhenisCiviCRMthebestCRM?
ThinkingthroughalternativesOtherCRMs
WhyCiviCRM?Focusedonneedsofnon-profitsUsersatisfactionNovendorlock-inIntegrationwithDrupalandJoomla!TotalcostDynamicopensourcedevelopmentDocumentationResponsivecommunitysupport
HowCiviCRMwillhelpyourorganizationSummary
2.PlanningYourCRMImplementationBarrierstosuccessPerfectionistheenemyofthegoodDevelopmentmethodologies
TheconventionalWaterfallDevelopmentmethodology
IterativedevelopmentmethodologyAgiledevelopmentmethodologyFoodPantryAssociationofGreaterMetropolis
Right-sizingtheprocessBuildingtheteamGettingstarted
CreatingabaselineDevelopingthevision
CreatingaprojectplanTotalcostofownership
FocusingonconstituentsandmissionRethinkingorganizationalprocesses
DeterminingyourneedsFunctionalrequirements
ContactrecordmanagementContactsubtypesCustomdata
e-Newslettersandbulke-mailsFundraisingMembershipsandsubscriptionsEventsGrantmanagementActivitiesCasemanagementRolesandpermissions
CMSintegrationThird-partyintegrationServersourcing
ImplementationplanSummary
3.Installation,Configuration,andMaintenanceInstallingCiviCRM
InstallationinJoomla!InstallationinDrupal
Browser/FTPprocedureDrushprocedure
Installationtroubleshooting
ConfiguringCiviCRMSiteConfigurationViewingandEditingContactsSendinge-mailsHandlingreturne-mailtrafficMaintainingagoode-mailserverreputationConfiguringthee-mailprocessorOnlinepaymentprocessors
IntegratedversusredirectionprocessorsConfiguringthepaymentprocessorSystemworkflowtemplates
Organization,customization,andcomponentsOrganizeyourcontactsCustomizeData,FormsandScreensComponents
OptionListsSynchronizationwithCMSusersDrupalaccesscontrolforCiviCRM
CiviGroupRolesSyncCiviMemberRolesSyncCiviCRMOGSync
CiviCRMaccesscontrolunderDrupalDashboardNavigationSettingupcronjobs
UpgradesandmaintenanceVersionandrevisionupgrades
Joomla!upgradesDrupalupgrades
MovinganinstallationtoanewserverSystemmaintenanceDevelopingabackuppolicyandprocedure
Summary4.CiviCRMBasics:MovingthroughtheSystemandWorkingwithContacts
IntroductiontotheinterfaceContacts
Individuals,organizations,andhouseholdsContactsubtypesPlanningyourcontacttypes
CoreinformationfieldsContactdetailsCustomdataAddressCommunicationpreferencesDemographics
DeletingcontactsTagsandGroups
TagsGroups
UsinggroupsCreatinggroupsManaginggroupmembership
RelationshipsRelationshiptypesAddingrelationships
ActivitiesNotes
SearchQuicksearchBasicsearchAdvancedSearchFull-textSearchSearchBuilderUnderstandingcontactversuscomponentsearchesCustomsearch
SearchresultactionsMailactionsGroupsandtagsactionsAddrelationshipactionsAddrelatedrecordactionsUpdatecontactactionsExport/mapactionsSubsequentactionsonthesameselection
WorkingwithcontactrecordsAlternateworkflowsEliminatingduplicates
StrategiesfordealingwithduplicatesFindingandmergingduplicatesFindingduplicatesMergingduplicates
Summary5.Collecting,Organizing,andImportingData
CustomdatafieldsCreatingonlineformswithprofiles
ProfilesinactionEmpoweringuserstoupdateinformation
SearchinganonlinedirectoryIncludingprofilesincomponentpagesSearchresultviewsandbatchupdates
ExposingprofilepagestoyourwebsiteJoomla!DrupalAdditionaloptionsthroughURLvariables
ImportingcontactandactivitydataContactsimportActivitiesimportTipsforpreparingyourdataMigratingtoaproductionserver
Summary6.CommunicatingBetter
HowtocommunicatebetterAligningeffortswithobjectivesTopic,treatment,tone,andtimingCalltoactionReinforcingyourbrand
Sendinge-mailstooneormoreconstituentsE-mailingusinganexternalclientE-mailingusingCiviCRM
PrintingaddresslabelsRecordingapostalmailing
PrintingaPDFletterOrganizinggroupsforcommunicationEncouragingsubscriptionsusingprofilesSendingabulke-mail
Configuringtheheaderandfooter
Configuringandsendingbulke-mailsManagingmailingsinprocess
Creatingabulke-mailtemplateCustomizingsystemworkflowmessagesRecordingexternale-mailsSummary
7.Fundraising:MoneyforYourMissionDevelopingafundraisingplan
SegmentingbycategorySegmentingbychannelProgramsMoney,donors,andprospectsBenchmarking
SelectingapaymentprocessorInitialfundraisingconfiguration
ConfiguringCiviContributeConfiguringcontributiontypesConfiguringpaymentinstrumentsConfiguringacceptedcreditcardsConfiguringapaymentprocessorConfiguringpremiumsConfiguringpricesets
ConfiguringCiviPledgeRecordingacontributionmanuallyImportingcontributionsManuallycreatingapledgeSearching,examining,andworkingwithcontributions
FindingcontributionsExaminingcontributions
TakingactiononcontributionsUpdatePendingContributionStatusPrintorE-mailContributionReceiptsPDFore-mailreceiptsSendinge-mailstocontactsBatchUpdateContributionsViaProfileExportContributionsDeleteContributions
Searching,examining,andtakingactiononpledgesSearchingpledgesExaminingpledgesTakingactiononpledges
ExportPledgesDeletePledges
ReportingCountingprospectswithAdvancedSearchAdditionalsegmentationsuggestionsandtools
ResearchingwithprofilequestionnairesContributionreports
ImplementinganappealPlanningCreatinganonlinecontributionpage
TitleandsettingsContributionamountsMembershipsettingsIncludeProfileThank-youandReceiptingTellaFriendPersonalCampaignPages
ContributionwidgetPremiumsTest-driveLiveContributionPagePublicizethepage
SendingdirectmailRunningatelemarketingappealDirectcontact
OthertypesofdonationsPermissionsSummary
8.GrowingYourMembershipandInteractingwithMembers
SettingthingsupDefiningmembershiptypesReviewingstatusrulesSettinguprenewalremindersConfiguringcronjobs
WorkingwithmembershipsanddailymanagementtoolsMembershipsinthecontactrecord
FormstosolicitnewmembersandretaintheexistingonesSearchingandreportingBigPictureandothertools
CommonfunctionsinCiviCRMMembershipdirectoriesThird-partyextensions
Summary9.ManagingEvents
Whyhostevents?Buildingandpromotingyourevent
InformationandsettingsWaitlisting
EventLocationFeesOnlineRegistrationTellaFriendTestingandpromotingBreakfastseminarexample
ProcessingandmanagingparticipantsWorkingwitheventregistrations
HandlingexpectedpaymentsImportingparticipantrecords
Tracking,searching,andreportingTrackingregistrationsusingthedashboardSearchingforparticipantsEventreports
IntegratingeventsintoyourCRMstrategySummary
10.InteractingwithConstituents:ManagingCasesThinkingthroughyourcasemanagementsystem
MakingitrealConfiguringcases
Definingactivities,workflows,andtimelinesWhoareyourkeyplayers?Whatoutsiderelationshipsareinvolved?Additionaloptionsandtesting
Tracking,managing,andresolvingcases
CreatingandmanagingcaserecordsTracking,searching,andreportingcases
Summary11.ProvidingSupport:GrantManagement
DefiningthegrantapplicationprocessManaginggranteesTrackinggrantapplicationsOthersideofthecoin:ApplyingforgrantsSummary
12.TellingYourStory:BuildingReportsGettingtothebottomlineToolsetsandtiming
ReportCriteriaReportSettingsReportworkflowsAvailabletemplates
ContactreporttemplatesContributionreporttemplatesMemberreporttemplatesEventreporttemplatesPledgereporttemplatesCasereporttemplatesGrantreporttemplates
CustomizingandbuildingyourowntemplatesSummary
13.Customization,Community,andCooperationFutureversionsandprojectroadmap
NewfunctionalityUpcomingversions
CustomizingandextendingBuilttobecustomized
HooksandoverridesAPIsDeveloperdocumentationandsamplecodeForums,IRC,andtheissuetracker
CommunityandcooperationSummary
Index
UsingCiviCRM
UsingCiviCRMCopyright©2011PacktPublishing
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher,exceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembeddedincriticalarticlesorreviews.
Everyefforthasbeenmadeinthepreparationofthisbooktoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformationpresented.However,theinformationcontainedinthisbookissoldwithoutwarranty,eitherexpressorimplied.Neithertheauthors,norPacktPublishing,anditsdealersanddistributorswillbeheldliableforanydamagescausedorallegedtobecauseddirectlyorindirectlybythisbook.
PacktPublishinghasendeavoredtoprovidetrademarkinformationaboutallofthecompaniesandproductsmentionedinthisbookbytheappropriateuseofcapitals.However,PacktPublishingcannotguaranteetheaccuracyofthisinformation.
Firstpublished:February2011
ProductionReference:2170211
PublishedbyPacktPublishingLtd.
32LincolnRoad
Olton
Birmingham,B276PA,UK.
ISBN978-1-849512-26-8
www.packtpub.com
CoverImagebyJohnM.Quick()
http://www.packtpub.commailto:[email protected]
CreditsAuthors
JosephMurray,PhD
BrianP.Shaughnessy
Reviewers
AlanDixon
DavidGeilhufe
MohamedM.Hagag
RicoLandman
EileenMcNaughton
AcquisitionEditor
StevenWilding
DevelopmentEditor
NehaMallik
TechnicalEditor
KrutikaKatelia
CopyEditor
NehaShetty
EditorialTeamLeader
AksharaAware
ProjectTeamLeader
PriyaMukherji
ProjectCoordinator
ShubhanjanChatterjee
Indexer
HemanginiBari
Proofreader
AaronNash
Graphics
NileshMohite
ProductionCoordinator
KruthikaBangera
CoverWork
KruthikaBangera
ForewordDonaldLobo,MichalMach,andIstartedCiviCRMalmostsixyearsago.Backthen,opensourcesoftwarehadgainedtractionintheoperatingsystemarena,buttheideaofanopensourceapplicationdesignedfromthegrounduptomeettheneedsofnon-profitsandothercivicsectororganizationswasprettyradical.Wewereconvincedthattherewasanaturalaffinitybetweentheprincipalsofopensourcedevelopment,namelypeerproduction,collaboration,andtransparency,andthegoalsandcultureofmanycivicsectororganizations.
AsIseeit,thechiefbenefitofopensourcesoftwareisthatthecapabilitiesofthesoftwaregrowandexpandtomeettheneedsoftheorganizationsthataresponsoringandusingit.Thishasbeencalled"fitnessforpurpose",anddifferentiatesCiviCRMfromotherCRMsoftware,whichoftenismorelikeanill-fitting"hand-me-down"fromtheenterprisesector.
CiviCRMhasgrowntobecometheCRMsoftwareofchoiceforthousandsoforganizationsaroundtheglobe.We'vebuiltatalentedanddedicatedteamofdevelopers,andmetthechallengesofbuildingsoftwarewhichaddressesthediverseneedsoforganizationsrangingfromcommunityartsgroupstonationalmembershipassociations,grassrootsorganizations,politicalcampaigns,
religiousorganizations,foundations,andgovernmentagencies.
Alongtheway,we'vestruggledwithfindingtherightprocessesandtoolsfornurturingasupportiveandwelcomingcommunity,improvingthequalityandusabilityofthesoftwarewhilerespondingtothenever-endingstreamofrequestsformore(andmorecomplex)functionality,anddevelopingarevenuestreamtosustaintheproject.Thisisanongoingjourney,andtheadventofthefirstcommerciallypublishedguidetoCiviCRMisanothermilestone.
Thisbookisapowertoolofsorts.Asa"manualofpossibility",itwillignitenewthinkingastohowyoucanmaximizereturnstoyourorganizationthathavenotbeenpossiblebeforebasedonpriortechnologiesyoumayhaveused(orlacked).Ifyou'reacurrentCiviCRMuser,youwillfindwaystostreamlineworkflowsandleveragethedatayouhavemoreeffectively.Regardlessofyoursituation,thisbookhasbeendesignedwithYOUinmind.
Theauthors,BrianShaughnessyandJosephMurray,havebeenactiveintheCiviCRMcommunityforseveralyears,andhaveimplementedCiviCRM-basedsolutionsforawidevarietyoforganizations.ThishasgiventheminsightintowhatCiviCRMisallabout,andhowitcanbeusedforoptimalreturn.
WhenIseenewandcreativeCiviCRM-basedcampaignscomeacrossmyTwitterfeed,newlocalCivimeet-upsannounced,orpatchessubmittedbyanewlyup-to-speeddeveloper,orwatchanon-profitstaffperson'seyeslightupwhentheyseethepowerofhavingalltheirconstituentinformationinonecentralizedplace,IfeelconfidentinthefutureofCiviCRM.
Ultimately,thatstrengthofanyopensourceprojectisthestrengthofthecommunitybehindit.IurgeallofyouwhouseCiviCRMtoparticipateactivelyinthecommunity.Sponsornewfeaturesandimprovements,submitpatches,sharecasestudies,andhelpotherswhoaregettingstarted!Youcandoitallathttp://civicrm.org/.
DavidGreenberg
Co-FounderofCiviCRM
http://civicrm.org/
AbouttheAuthorsJosephMurray,PhD,istheownerandprincipalofJMAConsulting,specialistsine-Advocacy,e-Consultation,andCitizenEngagementforprogressiveorganizations.Hehasextensiveexperienceonnon-profitboards,atseniorlevelsofgovernment,andrunningelectoral,referendum,andadvocacycampaigns.JMAConsultinghasprovidedCRMsystemstohundredsofpoliticalcampaignstrackinginteractionswithtensofmillionsofvoters,aswellasprovidingDrupalandCiviCRMstrategy,implementation,developmentandtrainingservicestonumerousnon-profitandadvocacygroups.
JoehasservedontheCiviCRMCommunityAdvisoryGroup,andisaDirectoroftheTorontoDrupalUsersGroup.
I'dliketothankmylifepartner,LisaAustin,forherpatience,love,andsupport;andoursons,CalumandRafe,forthewrestlingmatchesandticklefights.Thanksalsotomyclients,fortheirCRMchallenges,patronage,andthoughtfulandpassionateeffortstomaketheworldabetterplace,toDave,Lobo,Kurund,andtherestofthecoreteamfortheirleadership,vision,andhardwork;toBrianforshoulderingsomuchworkinthiswonderfulcollaboration;andtoStevenWildingandrestofPacktcrewfortheirsupportandassistanceinmakingthisbookareality.
Finally,I'dliketothankalltheCiviCRMcommunitydevelopers,wikiauthors,forumposters,andusersaroundtheworld-you'retheinspirationforthisbookandthepeoplewhoreallymakeouropensourceprojectprosper.
JPM
BrianP.ShaughnessyistheownerandprincipalofLighthouseConsulting&Design,awebdevelopmentfirmspecializinginJoomla!andCiviCRMimplementations.Brianpreviouslyworkedwithanassociationmanagementcompanyforover10years,providingservicestonot-for-profitprofessional,trade,andcharitableorganizations.Afterstartinghisownbusiness,hechanneledthatexperienceintoeffectiveimplementationsofCiviCRMfornot-for-profits.Hehasworkedwithorganizationsaroundtheworld,helpingtoachievegreaterefficienciesandexpandfunctionalitythroughCiviCRM.
BrianhasservedontheCiviCRMCommunityAdvisoryGroupandhelpedauthorthefirsteditionofUnderstandingCiviCRM(laterrenamedCiviCRM:AComprehensiveGuide).Hehasworkedwiththecoredevelopmentteamtoprovideend-usertrainingandmaintainsastrongworkingrelationshipwiththeprojectleaders.BrianhasalsobeenactiveintheJoomla!project,servingontheGoogleSummerofCodeprogramasaJoomla!mentor.HehasprovidedprofessionalJoomla!trainingthroughhttp://technicallead.com/.
http://technicallead.com/
I'dliketothankmyfamilyfortheirsupportwhilewritingthisbook,andtoJoeforhelpingspearheadtheprojectandpartneringasmyco-author.I'dalsoliketogiveparticularthankstothecoredevelopmentteamandCiviCRMcommunityforhelpingmakeaterrificpieceofsoftware.Lobo,Dave,Kurund,andthedevelopersspreadaroundtheworld—thanksforbringingthepowerofanopensourceCRMtothenot-for-profitcommunity.
AbouttheReviewersAlanDixonhasbeenhelpingnon-profitswiththeircontactdatabasessince1989.Heworksasanindependentwebsitedeveloper,isbasedinToronto,Canada,andhasbeenbuildingwebsiteswithCiviCRMsince2006.Hemaintainsthesitehttp://community.civicrm.ca.
DavidGeilhufe,bornandraisedinSiliconValley,focusesontheintersectionoftechnologyandsocialchange.Hehasfoundednon-profitsandfor-profits,builttheoperationsofcorporatecitizenshiporganizationsandprivatefoundations,developedventure-fundedenterprisesoftwaresystems,broughttogetheropensourcecommunities,andmentoredat-riskyouthintohigh-techemployment.He'salwayslookingtocreateandexecuteabigideathatwilldoalittlegoodfortheworld.
Davidcurrentlyrunshttp://netsuite.org/,NetSuite'scorporatecitizenshipprogramfocusedondeliveringanultra-low-costbackofficesolutiontocharitiesandsocialenterprisesworldwide.
MohamedM.HagagisaUnix/Linuxsystemengineerwithfreeopensourcesoftwarepassion.HelikesresearchanddevelopmentonFOSS,andisworkingindependentlyandwithteamsonFOSSR&Dsince2004.Hiscurrentandpastemployersaresmallandmedium-scalecompaniesworking
http://community.civicrm.cahttp://netsuite.org/
intheITmarketingeneralwithsomelevelofUNIX/Linuxspecialization.Thoughhehasn'tofficiallyworkedonanybook,hehasworkedontranslatingsometechnicalbookstoArabiclanguage.
IwanttofirstthankGodforeverythinggoodinmylife,andthenthankmyparents,sistersandmywifeformakingmylifethatnice,sothatIcanmoveahead.
RicoLandmanisawebdeveloperfromZwolle,theNetherlands.Afterworkingforseveralcompaniesasawebdeveloper,hestartedhisowncompanyFuturix.HemainlyworkswithPHPandisadevotedopensourcepartisan,excellingintheuseofMagento,Drupal,vTiger,andsoon.
Inthelastfewyearshehastendedtoseekcooperationwithotheropen-source-orientedcompanies.MostofhisprojectsresideunderSimourix(co-owner)orTrinfinity,aninternationalnetworkofspecialistsworkinginthehigh-endInternetindustry.
DedicatedtoMarja,Carmen,andRalph,andalsotomybusinesspartnersMarcelloandHans.
EileenMcNaughtonlivesinWellington,NewZealandwhereshedivideshertimebetweenCiviCRMconsulting,accountsforthefamilyautomotivebusiness,twopre-schoolsuper-heroes,andtheoccasionalbitofsleep.ShefirstbecameinvolvedinCiviCRMwhilesettinguponlineclass
registrationsforWellingtonCircusTrust(forwhichsheisaTrustee)andhasbeeninvolvedinanumberofCiviCRMandDrupalimplementationsforFuzionsincethen.ShehascontributednumerouspatchestotheCorecodebaseincludingpaymentprocessors,acustomsearch,andenhancementstoinvoices.ShehasalsobeenworkingonintegrationwithXeroaccountspackageandaCiviCRMextensiontothepopularDrupalMigratemodule.
SheisaregularvoiceontheforumsandCiviCRMblog,andisdrivingtheMake-it-Happeninitiative.SheservesontheCiviCRMAPIandCiviAccountsteam,appointmentstowhichareanhonoronsomedays,andbringtheword"sucker"tomindonothers.EileenwaspartoftheteamthatwrotetheoriginalCiviCRMFlossmanualinthebooksprint.
IwouldliketothankDonaldLoboandtherestoftheCiviCRMcoreteamformakingsuchagreatCRMavailabletotheworldandforthehugeefforttheyputintohelpingpeopleuseit.
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PrefaceCiviCRMisaweb-based,opensourceConstituentRelationshipManagement(CRM)system,designedspecificallytomeettheneedsofadvocacy,non-profit,andnon-governmentalorganizations.Electedofficials,professional/tradeassociations,politicalcampaignsandparties,governmentagencies,andothersimilarorganizationsareamongitsgrowingnumberofenthusiasticusers.ThisbookshowsyouhowtoharnessCiviCRM'simpressivearrayofpossibilitiesasyoudevelopandexecuteperformance-criticalCRMstrategies.
Throughoutthisbook,wewillreviewthestructureandmainfunctionalityofCiviCRMasweguideyouindevelopingandsuccessfullyimplementingaCRMstrategyforyourorganizationusingdetailedexplanationsandpracticalexamples.
Inaddition,wewilldiscussorganizationalprocesses/workflowsthatareimpactedbyCiviCRM,providingguidanceasyoureviewandanalyzeyourinternaloperationswithregardtotheCRMimplementation.WewillpresentbestpracticesofconstituentrelationshipmanagementandprovideguidanceonhowtoeffectivelyimplementthemwithCiviCRM.ThebenefitsofusingCiviCRMwillbefeltacrossyourorganization,helpingtobetterachieveyourmission.
UsingCiviCRM,yourorganizationwillinteractwithconstituentsmoreeffectivelyandhandlestaffingchangesmoresmoothlybytrackingcontactsandinteractionswiththeminaunifiedsystemsharedacrosstheorganization.Organizationleadershipwillusedatagatheredfromconstituentstoanalyzeandinformtheirdecisionmakingprocess.
Ifyourorganizationraisesfundsthroughdonations,contributions,eventfees,andmembership,you'llbeabletoraisemoremoneyandreducecostsbyidentifyingqualifiedprospectsfortargetedfundraisinginitiatives.Wewilldemonstratehowtoattractnewprospectsandconvertthemtodonorsusingonline,directmail,telemarketing,anddirectcontactchannelsusingCiviCRM.Youwilllearnwhyandhowtosetupandgrowyourmonthlydonorprogram,aswellasimprovethefrequency,averagedonationamounts,andretentionratesofyourdonorbase.
WithCiviCRM,you'llbeabletoreducetheburdenonadministrativeresourcesbyprovidingonlinepaymentsandself-serviceoptionsforeventregistrationsandmembershiprenewals.Youcanincreasethelikelihoodofyourexistingconstituentsbecomingmoreinvolvedwithyourorganization,ensuringmoreofyourmembersshowuptovolunteer,identifyingpotentialleaders,andstewardingtheirvolunteeractivities.
Finally,youwillbemakingrelevantinformationeasily
availablethatquantifieswhatagreatjobyou'vebeendoing,includingthenumberofhoursthatvolunteersgavetoyourorganizationlastyear,thenumberofcasesmanaged,membershipretentionrates,eventparticipationstatistics,orthenumberofnewviralsignupsfromyourlatesturgentactione-mail.
Thiseasy-to-understandbookwillguideyouthroughbuildingawell-formulatedandawell-executedCRMsystemthatmeetsyourorganization'sneedsperfectly.
WhatthisbookcoversChapter1,AchievingYourMissionwithCiviCRMhelpsyouunderstandthegoal,purpose,andfunctionofaCRM,lookingbeyondthetechnologytotheunderlyingobjectivesandbenefitsofaunifiedapproachtocontactandcommunicationmanagement.Inthischapter,youlearnhowCiviCRMcanbeusedtoeffectivelyandefficientlymeettheseobjectives.
Chapter2,PlanningYourCRMImplementationshowsyouhowtoreviewcriticalstepsandconsiderationsasyouplanyourCRMimplementation,includingprojectmanagementmethods,buildingtheprojectteam,andsettingrealisticyeteffectivegoals.
Chapter3,Installation,Configuration,andMaintenanceshowsyouhowtosystematicallyandcomprehensivelyreviewtheinstallationandinitialconfigurationprocessforCiviCRM,whilelearningaboutcoreconceptsandhowtheywillaffectthewayyoutrackandmanageinformation.Inthischapter,youwillalsoestablishapathforongoingmaintenanceandupdates.
Chapter4,CiviCRMBasics:MovingthroughtheSystemandWorkingwithContactsshowsyouhowtoseeyourdatathroughthelensofthecontactrecordandlearnhowtocreate,edit,andworkwiththecontactanditsrelated
records,includingrelationships,activities,notes,tags,andgroups.Beginusingthevarioussearchtoolstofindandworkwithmultiplecontactsthroughbulkactions.
Chapter5,Collecting,Organizing,andImportingDatashowsyouhowtocreatecustomdatafieldsfordifferentpurposesandorganizethemalongwithcoreinformationfieldsintoprofilesfordataentry,searching,andlisting.Walkthroughthedataimportprocess,frompre-processdatascrubbingandstructuralclean-uptoimportoptionsandfieldmapping.
Chapter6,CommunicatingBettertakesyourmessagetothemassesthrougheffectivecommunication.IthelpsyouunderstandhowCiviCRMtoolscanbeharnessedthroughanintegratedapproachtosend,track,andmeasuretheeffectivenessofyourprinted,spoken,anddigitalcommunications.
Chapter7,Fundraising:MoneyforYourMissionteachesyouhowtodevelopafundraisingplanandhowtoconfigurethetoolstopromoteandtrackyourefforts.Inthischapter,youwillalsoworkwithcontributionsthroughthecontactrecordandothermanagementtools.
Chapter8,GrowingYourMembershipandInteractingwithMembersshowsyouhowtoconfigurethesystemforyourmembershipneedsandunderstandthecoreconceptsofmembertrackinginCiviCRM.Youcanuseonlineformsto
solicitnewmembersandencouragerenewals,andtrack,search,andreportonmemberactivity.
Chapter9,ManagingEventsshowsyouhowtostepthroughtheeventcreationwizard,understandingthevariousoptionsforhandlingregistrations,waitlists,andapproval-basedworkflows.Promoteyoureventthrougheventinformationandregistrationpages,andRSS/iCal/HTMLlists.Trackregistrationsastheycomeinandworkwiththeparticipantdetailsthroughthecontactrecord,attendancelists,andreports.
Chapter10,InteractingwithConstituents:ManagingCasesmakesyouunderstandthepurposeandkeyconceptsofcasemanagementwhilereviewingpossibleusesthatcouldbeofvaluetoyourorganization.Youalsoconfigureacasetypewithcustomactivitiesandatimelineworkflow,andreviewthemanagementandtrackingtoolsavailableasyouseekcaseresolution.
Chapter11,ProvidingSupport:GrantManagementshowsyouhowyoucanimprovethewaysyousupportconstituentsthroughgrantdisseminationusingCiviCRM'sgranttrackingtools.Italsoshowshowyoucanmanagetheapplicationandapprovalprocessandlatertrackmonetarydisbursementsandreportingrequirements.
Chapter12,TellingYourStory:BuildingReportshelpsyoutellthestoryofyourorganizationthroughreports,having
nowcoveredthefullsetoffeaturesandfunctionalityprovidedbyCiviCRM.
Chapter13,Customization,Community,andCooperationmakesyoulookaheadtofutureversionsofCiviCRM,understandtheessentialbestpracticesforcustomizingyourinstallation,andlearnhowyourinvolvementintheCiviCRMcommunitycanhelpsupportyourorganizationwhileadvancingthesoftware.
WhatyouneedforthisbookInadditiontotheCiviCRMsoftwareitself(freelyavailablefromhttp://civicrm.org),youwillneedeitherDrupal(http://drupal.org)orJoomla!(http://joomla.org)astheCMSframeworkinwhichCiviCRMwillreside.
CiviCRMrunsonanApache/MySQL/PHPplatform.Itrequiresafairamountofserversystemresourcesmorethansomeotherweb-basedsoftware,includingDrupalorJoomla!runningontheirown.Virtualprivateserversavailablefromcommercialhostingprovidersareagoodoptionforhosting,anddedicatedserverswithhighavailabilityandhighperformanceserverclusterscanalsobeusedinmoredemandingsituations.WhileyoumaybeabletorunCiviCRMonsharedhostingforsmallimplementations,youwillgenerallyfindtheresourcelimitationsproblematic,particularlywhenyouruseofthesoftwaregrows.
Fortestingpurposesorinspecialcircumstanceswhereyouwantapersonalinstance,youcansetupanimplementationonalocalmachinerunning:
XAMPP:www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.htmlMAMP:www.mamp.infoWAMP:www.wampserver.com
Throughoutthisbook,wehaveassumedyouarerunning
http://civicrm.orghttp://drupal.orghttp://joomla.orghttp://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.htmlhttp://www.mamp.infohttp://www.wampserver.com
CiviCRMonaLinuxoperatingsystem.SomeoftheconfigurationtasksrequiredifferentprocedureswhenrunningunderWindowsthatarenotdocumentedhere.UnlessyouarefamiliarenoughwithLinuxandWindowsthatyoucantranslateaccuratelybetweencrontabandscheduledtasks,fileanddirectorypermissionsystems,andsimpleCommandPrompt/commandlinecommands,youshouldavoidusingCiviCRMonaWindowsenvironment.
ThisbookdealswithCiviCRMandthusaddressestheDrupal/Joomla!environmentasitpertainstoCiviCRMintegration.ThoughoccasionalmentionismadeoftheothertechnologiesusedtoimplementCiviCRM(includingPHP,MySQL,Apache,jQuery,andSmarty),nopriorknowledgeisrequiredtoinstallandconfigurethesoftware.
WhothisbookisforThisbookisforprojectimplementers,organizationleaders,staff,andvolunteersinadvocacy,non-profitandnon-governmentalorganizations,electioncampaigns,professional/tradeassociations,politicalcampaignsandparties,governmentagencies,andothersimilarorganizationswhowanttoimplementCiviCRMinamannertailoredtotheirorganization'ssize,culture,andneeds.ItaddressesCRMstrategists,implementers,administrators,andenduserslookingtobecomepowerusersincommunicating,fundraising,managingevents,memberships,grants,cases,andpeople-resourcemanagement.
ConventionsInthisbookyouwillfindanumberofstylesoftextthatdistinguishbetweendifferentkindsofinformation.Herearesomeexamplesofthesestylesandanexplanationoftheirmeaning.
Codewordsintextareshownasfollows:"Adding&search=0willopenthepagewithjustalisting(nosearchform)."
Ablockofcodeissetasfollows:
{if$receipt_text}{$receipt_text}{/if}{if$is_pay_later}
Newtermsandimportantwordsareshowninbold.Wordsthatyouseeonthescreen,inmenusordialogboxesforexample,appearinthetextlikethis:"AccesstheseoptionsthroughAdminister|CiviMember".
Note
Warningsorimportantnotesappearinaboxlikethis.
Tip
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Chapter1.AchievingYourMissionwithCiviCRMMostpeopleworkinginthenon-profitsectorwouldloveitiftheirorganizationcoulddomorewithitsexistingstaffandvolunteerresources.Weoftencarepassionatelyabouttheworkwedo,butlamentthewastefulwayswehavetodothings.Wastedhours,wastedmoney,wastedcontacts,andwastedopportunities!We'retiredofbeingfrustratedbythewaythingsare.Wewanttomakeadifference,abiggerdifference.
WhyyourorganizationneedsConstituentRelationshipManagementYourorganizationwillbetterachieveitsmissionwithawell-formulatedandwell-executedConstituentRelationshipManagement(CRM)strategy.Ifyou'relikemostnon-profit,advocacy,andmembership-basedorganizations,CiviCRMisthebesttoolforenablingsuccess.
Doesyourorganizationlackanintegratedsystemformanagingcontacts?Thisisacommonissuefornon-profitorganizations,betheylargeorsmall,moreorlessorganized.Canyouidentifyyourorganizationinanyofthefollowingsituations?
DopeopleinyourofficehavetheirownpersonalExcelsheetofcontactsthattheyuseintheirfundraising,volunteerwork,ormailmerges?Doyouhaveonesystemfore-mailsubscribersforyouronlinenewsletter,anotheronlinesystemwithpeoplewhohaveattendedoneofyourevents,adifferentonecontainingresponsestosurveys,andadesktopsystemforlabelsforseason'sgreetingscards?DoyouhaveaseparateoldmembershipdatabaseinMicrosoftAccess,maybedevelopedbyavolunteeror
staffperson,longsincedeparted?Doesyourfundraiserhavehisownsystem,maybeanexpensiveonelikeRaiser'sEdge,whileyourvolunteerorganizerdoeseverythinginOutlook?Haveyoulostaccesstodatawhenastaffpersonleft?Doyouhaveoldpapersign-insheetsfrompeopleattendingevents,indicatingthattheywereinterested,buthaven'tbeenenteredinanysystem?
AcontactmanagementsystemistheheartofeveryCRM.Yet,CiviCRMismorethanjustacontactmanagementsystem.Asanintegratedonlinesystemthathandlescontacts,donations,eventregistration,bulke-mailing,casemanagement,andotherfunctions,suchasactivitytracking,grants,reporting,andanalytics,CiviCRMconsistentlyreceivestopratingsfromnon-profittechnologyusers.
AsuccessfulCRMstrategycanhelpyourorganizationinmanyconcreteways.Herearesomestrategies:
Improvingthefrequency,averagedonationamounts,and/orretentionratesofyourdonorsAtamorebasiclevel,enablingsupporterstodonateonlinethroughyourwebsiteinsteadofhavingtogetchecksfromthemandrecordingeverythingyourselfinyouraccountingbooksAutomatingtheregistrationprocessformembersattendinganupcomingconferenceIncreasingthelikelihoodofyourexistingsubscribers
becomingmoreinvolvedwithyourorganizationanditsmissionEnsuringthatmoreofyourmembersshowuptovolunteerIdentifyingcontactsthatarealreadyinteractingwithyourorganizationwhohavetherightskillsetandintereststobeworthapproachingforacommitmentaboutanopenboardpositionMakinginformationeasilyavailablethatquantifieswhatagreatjobyou'vebeendoing,includingthenumberofhoursthatvolunteersgavetoyourorganizationlastyear,thenumberofcasesmanaged,andthenumberofnewviralsignupsfromyourlatesturgentactione-mail
CiviCRMcanhelpinalltheseareas.
WhatisConstituentRelationshipManagement?ConstituentRelationshipManagementisthesetofprocessesandsupportingtechnologiesusedtoinitiateandimproverelationshipswithconstituents.It'simportanttorealizethatCRMisnotjustatechnologythatisbroughtintoyourorganization.Managingrelationshipswithconstituentsinvolvesalloftheworkflows,processes,andreportingthatyourorganizationusestogetthingsdoneinordertoachieveitsmission,andthenshowhowwellithasachieveditsmission.
ConstituentRelationshipManagementisthenon-profitequivalentofCustomerRelationshipManagementinthebusinessworld.Bycomparingandcontrastingthesetwoconcepts,wewillunderstandthepurposeandscopeofthisbookbetter.
CustomerRelationshipManagementversusConstituentRelationshipManagementInthebusinessworld,CustomerRelationshipManagementsystemsareusedtooptimizeacompany'ssalesbyfocusingitsresourcesonthosewhoarelikelytobuy.Theyarealsousedtoimprovecustomersatisfactionandlowercostsbyprovidingself-serviceoptions.
Inordertodothisproperly,thesesystemstrack,automate,andpersonalizeallaspectsofclientinteractionsacrossallcommunicationchannels,includingwebsite,phone,in-store,e-mail,andsocialmediasuchasTwitter,forums,andblogs.Everytimeacustomertouchestheorganizationinwhateverway,theinteractionislogged.Thisinformationisusedtobetterunderstandtherelationshipwiththeclient,andensurethatalltheinteractionsaredesigned,fromoneperspective,tomaximizethelong-termprofitabilityoftheclienttothebusiness.Typically,CustomerRelationshipManagementsystemsfocusontrackingandenhancingcustomerinteractionsinthemarketingandsalesfunnelworkflowfornewandreturningcustomers,andimprovingafter-salessupport.Dependingontheindustryandthecompany,CRMsystemsandtechniquesmightalsobeusedfortrackingandenhancingrelationshipswithotherstakeholders,suchasregulators,shareholders,ormedia.
TheideasdevelopedforCustomerRelationshipManagementsystemsinthebusinessworldhavebeenadaptedtotheneedsofthenon-profitworldinConstituentRelationshipManagementsystems.Whileincreaseddonationsparallelhigherbusinesssales,thereareslightbutsignificantdifferencesinterminologyandprocesses.Forexample,goodConstituentRelationshipManagementsystemsaredesignedtoaccountforpledges,recurringdonations,softcreditdonations,andtheportionofticketpriceseligibleforpoliticalorcharitabletaxreceipts.Relationswithnon-profitstakeholdersincludingmedia,boardmembers,andgrantingfoundationsmayalsobemanagedwithConstituentRelationshipManagementsystems.
Non-profitorganizationshaveadditionalcriticalnon-monetarymeasuresofsuccessbeyondincreasedrevenueandlowercosts.Thesemayincludeeducation,service,advocacy,orotheroutcomesrelevanttonon-profitmissions.NonprofitCRMsmayneedtotrackoneormorenon-monetaryobjectivesalongtheselines.Forexample,inadditiontowantingtoincreasedonationsasameanstosupporttheirmission,anadvocacyorganizationmightwanttheirCRMtohelpthemachievetheirobjectiveofinfluencinglegislatorsorvotersthroughmeanssuchasmoreletterstotheeditor,e-mails,visitstolegislators,orforwardstofriends.Similarly,adirectservicenon-profitorganizationmightaimtoimprovetheoutcomesofitsclientcaseswiththeirCRMsystem'scasemanagement
functionality,oralegislatormightaimtoassistmorevoterstoaccessgovernmentresources.
Despitethesedifferences,ConstituentRelationshipManagementsystemsaresimilartoCustomerRelationshipManagementsystemsinaimingtosupportthegrowthinnumbersanddepthofengagementofcontactswithanorganization.
Inthebusinessworld,thisisusuallydonebykeepingexistingcustomershappyinordertoavoidhighcostsofclientacquisition.Similarstrategiesandtechniquesapplyinthenon-profitworld,giventhegenerallyhighercostofacquiringnewdonors,activists,volunteers,ormembers,ascomparedtoretainingexistingones.
Agoodgeneralstrategyinbusinessistoaimtoincreasethevolumeofbusinessitreceivesfromitsexistingclients.Forexample,thismaybedonebyidentifyingprospectivebuyersandcommunicatingbetterwiththemonwhytheywouldwantamoreexpensiveproduct(up-selling),orwhytheywouldwantadditionalrelatedproducts(cross-selling).Itmayalsobeachievedbyfocusingonincreasingrepeatedbusinessfromcustomerswhoreturnmorefrequentlyforthesameproduct(forexample,towatchmoviesmorefrequently).
Non-profitorganizationsbenefitfromthisstrategy,bothinfundraisingandinnon-monetaryappeals.Fundraisersaim
toincreasetherecency(thatis,howrecentlyeachdonorhasdonated),frequency,andmonetaryvalueofgiftsfromtheirdonors.
Fornon-monetarycontributions,non-profitorganizationsbenefitbyfocusingonincreasingthenumberofactionstakenbytheexistingactivists,suchasappealssent,educationalprogramsattended,orshut-insvoluntarilyvisited.Theyalsobenefitbygettingthemtoundertakeactionsthatrequiremoreco-operationfromthemandresultinmoreimpact,suchascallingupacall-inshowinadditiontosigningapetition,visitingtheirelectedrepresentativeaswellassendinghimorheraletter,andsoon.
Increasingthenumberanddepthofinteractionscanofteninvolvetargetingclientswithsharedcharacteristics,suchasthosewhohavemadeseveralrecentlow-costpurchasesorsmalldonationsforaspecialtreatmentsuchasanoffer,aspecialask,orotherfollow-upcommunication.
Anotherobjectivemaybetoensurethatthosebestsuitedforaproductorservicereceivesuchagreatexperienceinteractingwithacompany,thattheyrecommendittoothers.
Inthefor-profitsector,thiscaninvolvesalespersonnelorsystemsrespondingmoreappropriately,giventhepurchasehistoryofanindividualoracompany,byofferingappropriatediscounts,cross-sellingorup-selling
suggestions,andsoon.Forexample,alongtermcustomermightbeofferedadiscountwhenheshowsupatawebsite,acomputerbuyermightbeofferedsmallitemsatcheckouttimeincludinggamesforapreviouslypurchasedgamesystem,oraclientwhohasmadepremiumpurchasesmightgetamoreexpensiverangeofproducts.After-salessupportpersonnelwouldbeprovidedwiththewholerecordofattemptsanindividualmighthavemadetoresolveaproblem,asthisoftenhelpsnarrowdownanissueandavoidirritatingrequeststorepeatactions.Acompletecustomerrecordmightshowthatanindividualwithatoughproblemisconsideringamajorpurchase,orthattheyhavehadahistoryofmakingunauthorizedtechnicalchangestotheproductthatmighthaveimpaireditsfunctionalityandvoideditswarranty.
Inthenon-profitworld,theparallelsmightbetoencourage:
AregularattendeeateventstocometoanupcomingbreakfastseminarwithadiscountUserswhosignpetitionstomakeadonationThosewhovolunteeredmorethantwiceinthepastyeartoconsiderbecomingaboardmember
Similarly,techsupporthasparallelsinnon-profitcasemanagement.Imaginehowmuchanon-profitserving"at-risk"youthcouldbenefitfrombeingabletoeasilypulluptherecordsofsomeonecallinginaboutdepressionwhenthoserecordsrevealacallerhasahistoryofsuicide
attempts.
Inalloftheprecedingbusinessandnon-profitexamples,atinyorganizationwithasinglestaffpersonservingasmallclientelewouldbechallengedtorecognizetheindividual,rememberthehistoryofinteractionswiththem,andactappropriatelybyprovidingadiscount.Moredifficultchallengesincludecallingupsomeonewhohadstoppedcomingin,goingtheextradistanceforsomeonewhoneedsit,orcurtailingresourcesdedicatedtoarelationshipnotrelatedtothemissionoftheorganization.Technologyhelpstoscaletheseappropriatebehaviorstosituationswheremanystaffmembersandvolunteershavebeeninvolvedintheinteractionswiththeclientorcustomer.Itcanhelpinsituationswheresomeofthestaffmembersorvolunteersmaynothavethebestmemory,andmaynothavethebestjudgmentastohowtorespondinthesituation.
Whoareyourconstituents?We'vemadeanassumptionsofarthatyouhaveaclearconceptofyourconstituents,butitisworthtakingthetimetodefinethisclearlyforyourorganization.Aconstituentisanyperson,household,ororganizationthathassomerelationshipwithyourorganization.Dependingonyourorganization,itmayinclude:
DonorsFundersElectedofficialsyouseektoengage,educate,orinfluenceNewslettersubscriberseNewsletterandactionalertsubscribersMembersofyourorganizationCoalitionmembersParticipantsinyourpetition,e-mail,andletterwritingcampaignsParticipantsinyourface-to-faceeventsVolunteersClientsWebsitevisitorsBoardmembersStaffOrganizationsorindividualswhoarenotstaffmembers,buthelpyoudeliverprogramsandservices(forexample,lawyersvolunteeringforaprobonolegalservicesclinic)
UsersorpurchasersofyourproductsorservicesMediaoutletsand/orpersonnelyourorganizationcontactsAdvertisersorsponsorsofyourorganization,itsevents,orpublicationsGovernmentagencieswhoinfluencepoliciesimpactingyourorganization
Insomecases,yourrelationshipwithoneconstituentmayneedtobethroughanother.Forexample,aparentmightbetheconstituentwhosignsuptheirchildforaprogram,orastaffpersonmightbethecontactpersonfortheorganizationtheyworkfor.
Whichconstituentsyourorganizationneedstofocuson—individualdonors,volunteers,grantingagencies,newslettersubscribers—dependsonyourmissionandsituation.It'susuallygoodtokeepinmindthatonepersonoftenhasmanyhatsandmayfallintoseveralcategoriesofconstituents.
It'softeneffectivetogatherinformationaboutarelationshipwhentheconstituentcanunderstandwhyitisneeded,andthatprovidingitmakessense.Forexample,explainingthatamailingaddressisneededtoprovideacharitabletaxreceiptwhenadonationisbeingmade,askingaboutfoodpreferencesonlywhensomeoneispurchasingticketsfordinner,orrequestingpolicyinterestswhensigningupforanewsletterhelpsreducetheburdeninanyparticular
interaction,andmakesforamorenaturaldeepeningoftherelationship.
WhiledesigningyourCRMstrategy,youwillneedtobalancethebenefitsofhavinginformationonrelationshipswithyourconstituentswiththecostsofacquiring,maintaining,andusingit.Asyoudevelopyourstrategy,youshouldensurethatitfocusesongatheringdatathatwillhelpyourorganizationacteffectively,andknowthatitisactingeffectively,intheconstituentrelationshipsthataremostimportanttoachievingitsmission.Theseareoftentheconstituentswiththemosttransactionalencounterswithyourorganization—donors,volunteers,members,eventparticipants,andsoon.However,sometimes,asmallnumberofconstituentscanprovideabreakoutvalue—agame-changing,qualitativeimprovement.Forexample,investinginsomeresearchandwooingafewkeymediacontacts,potentialcoalitionpartners,orswinglegislatorsmayhelpyourorganizationrealizeitsmissionmorethangreatgainsinnumberandefficiencyatotherlevels.
WhenisCiviCRMthebestCRM?Sofar,wehavediscussedCRMsgenerically,comparinghowtheyareusedinthebusinessworldwiththenon-profitsector.However,therearemanyoptionsforimplementingaCRM,sowhenisCiviCRMthebestCRM?CiviCRMisgreatfororganizationsthatneedtoworkwithalotofcontactdata,especiallythosethatwanttousesophisticatedfunctionalityprebuiltforcommonnon-profittransactionalusecasesincludingthefollowing:
DonationsandpledgesEventsmanagementMembershipmanagementCasemanagementBulke-mailing
Ifyourorganizationrequiresfunctionalityinacoupleoftheseareas,thenitisverylikelythatyouwouldbenefitfromCiviCRM.CiviCRM'sintegrationwithJoomla!andDrupal(popularopensourcecontentmanagementsystemsthatareexcellentforrunningyourwebsite)alsodistinguishesitfromanumberofcompetingCRMs.
We'regoingtoexplainthemanyreasonswhyCiviCRMdoessowellinsurveysofnon-profittechnologyusers.Still,wewanttoacknowledgeupfrontthatCiviCRMisn'tthe
righttoolforeverynon-profittomanageitsconstituentrelationships.Itdependsonyourneedsandresources,whichcanmakeittoobigortoosmall,toofeature-rich,ornotflexibleorpowerfulenough.ThissectionprovidessomegeneralguidelinesforsituationswhereyoumightwanttoconsideranalternativetoCiviCRM.Wehavetendedtoerronthesideofexcludingsomecases,wherepeoplecan,andhave,successfullyandhappilyusedCiviCRMratherthanincludingcaseswherepeople'sexpectationsmaynotbemetandsurpassed.
Asalow-endcut-off,yourorganizationneedstohaveresourcestosetup,host,andmaintainCiviCRM,eitherbypayingahostingproviderandconsultants,orbyusinginternalstaffresources.TinycommunitygroupswithnobudgetorITresourceswillnotbeabletoaffordthesecostseventhoughCiviCRMisfreeopensourcesoftwarewithoutanyupfrontorongoinglicensefees.Whilethepublic-facingpagesareeasy-to-use,administeringaCRMalsorequiresacertainamountoftech-savvinesstoconstructsearches,setuptemplatesthatwillbemergedwithcontactdatafore-mailblasts,decideonthefieldstoputonforms,andothersimilaractivities.Moreadvancedskillsarenecessaryforsomeinitialsetuptaskssuchasconfiguringe-commerceconnectionstopaymentprocessorsanddesigninghowtostoreinformationamongfieldsrepresentingcontacts,theircontributions,participationinevents,memberships,relationswithothercontacts,andsoon.Notallorganizationshavetheseskillsavailable
internally,orcanaffordtooutsourceforthem.
ThinkingthroughalternativesIfyourorganizationdoesnothaveaneedformorethanonekindofCRMfunctionality,andespeciallyifyourneedsaresimpleinthatarea,thenitmightbebettertouseasingle-purposetool,whetherfree,purchased,oravailablethroughpaidsubscriptions.Best-of-breedsingle-purposetoolscanprovidesuperiorusability,desirableflexibility,lowercost,loweradministrativeburdens,andhigher-endfeaturesforthatparticularfunctionality.Google,Yahoo!,andnumerousotherprovidersoffreegroupe-mailbroadcastanddiscussionsoftwareisoneexample.EventBriteisanexampleintheeventsmanagementarea;e-mailmanagementsystemslikeExactTargetcanbegoodforbulke-mails.Manysingle-purposetoolshavebuiltoutsomefunctionalityintootherareas,butareprimarilyfocusedononearea.Incontrast,CiviCRMisverygoodinmostofthesefunctionalareas.Itssuperiorcapabilitiesacrossmanyareasneededbynon-profits,advocacy,andmembership-basedorganizationsusuallysetsitabovecompetitorswithevenmoderateCRMfunctionality.
Adownsideformanyorganizationsisthattheystartusingoneoftheseservicestomeetoneneed,andthenadoptasecondforarequirementinadifferentarea,andsoonendupwithmultipledatasilos,systemsthatwon'ttalktoeachother,orcomplexdata-syncingprotocolsandissues.MigratingtoCiviCRMatthatpointiscommon,butthe
additionalhassleofthemigrationandchangeintoolsandprocedurescanbeavoidedbychoosingCiviCRMfromthestart.
Adifferenttypeofproblemconfrontsorganizationsthathavesignificantandwell-definedneedsthatarenotmetbyCiviCRMout-of-the-boxorthroughconfiguration.Inthesecases,thequestionisoftenbetweenbuildinganin-houseapplicationandgettinganexternally-developedapplicationlikeCiviCRMtodothejob.CiviCRMasthebaseofacustomsolutionmakessenseinanumberofthesescenarios.Somearespecificallylisted,asfollows:
Whenthefunctionalitybeingdevelopedwillbeintegratedintocore(thatis,theCiviCRMsoftwarethateveryonedownloads),similartothecasemanagementfunctionalitydevelopedforthePhysician'sHealthProgramofBritishColumbiaWhenyouhavetheskillstodecodethevarioustechnologiesusedtobuildCiviCRMorthebudgettohirethosewhocandothatWhenyouarewillingtoinvestmoreinitiallyinmoregeneralandcustomizablesoftware,inreturnforgettingtheservicesofotheruserswhowillreportbugs,improvedocumentation,submitpatches,andenhancethefunctionalityyouhavecontributedWhenyoucanworkwiththecoreteamandcommunityeffectively,whichusuallyinvolvesmoretimeandawillingnesstotakeotherviewpointsand
interestsintoaccount,whichoftenincludesthebenefitofotherssharingthecostsofdevelopment
TherearesomescenarioswhenusingCiviCRMasabaseofcustomsolutiondoesn'tmakesense.Forexample,itcanbecheaperandsimplertobuildasingleCRMfeatureinDrupaloranotherCMS,especiallyifyoudon'tneedtherestofCiviCRM'sfunctionality.
Thestrongadvantagesofbuildingfunctionalityintoafull-fledgedCRMalsosometimesneedtobebalancedagainstthehighcostofextendingCiviCRM.ItisprogrammedinPHP,Smartytemplates,andothertechnologiessuchasjQueryusingenterprise-orientedn-tierarchitecture.ThevarietyoflibrariesandtechnologiesandthesizeofthecodebasehavepresentedbarriersfordevelopershopingtomodifyorextendthesoftwarethattheCiviCRMteamdistributesandmaintains.DevelopingintheCiviCRMprojectusuallyresultsinlongertimeframes,highercosts,andagreaterdifficultyinsourcingpersonnelfordevelopmentandmaintenanceascomparedtobuildingthesamecustomfunctionalityinarapidapplicationdevelopmentframeworksuchasDrupal.
Thoughitwouldn'tmakesenseforyourorganizationtore-implementCiviCRMfunctionality,itcanoftenmakesensetoextendCiviCRMwithDrupalmodules(orperhapsJoomla!extensions),especiallywiththevarietyofexistingDrupalintegrationmodulesavailableforcustomcontent,
views,andaccesscontrol.ItisworthnotingthatseveralareasofCiviCRMfunctionalityhadbeeninitiallydevelopedasDrupalmodules.Then,astheusecasesbecameclearerandthedemandforintegrationwithotherCiviCRMfunctionalitygrew,theywerere-implementedwithinCiviCRMitself.
CiviCRMisanopensourceprojectthatisquiteresponsivetocommunityneedsandcontributionstoaddressareasitdoesnotcurrentlycover.Indeed,theprojectgenerallyextendsitsfunctionalitybyworkingcloselywithorganizationsthatcansponsornewfunctionalityorcontributenewfeaturesback.Insteadofhackingthecorejustforyourownimplementation,youcanimprovethecorecodesothatithandlesyourownneedsandthoseofotherswithsimilarneeds.
IfyousearchtheCiviCRMwiki(http://wiki.civicrm.org)andforums(http://forum.civicrm.org),andcommunicatewiththecoreteamandthecommunityviatheforums,youmayfindthatthereareotherswhoareinterestedinthesamefunctionalityandmaybeabletocontributesomethingtohavingitbuilt.Evenifyourneedsareunique,theremaybewaystogeneralizethemsothattheycanbemetwithsoftwarethataddressestheneedsofothersatthesametime.Autumn2010sawsomeearlysuccesseswithaMakeItHappeninitiativethathelpedaggregatesupportfrommanyusersandconsultantsforseveralnewpiecesoffunctionality.
http://wiki.civicrm.orghttp://forum.civicrm.org
Alternatively,yourforumpostmayresultinsuggestionsforsimpleoringeniousworkaroundsthatcansufficeinaddressinganoddityinyourrequirementsthatwasholdingyourorganizationbackfromgoingwithCiviCRM.
Whiletheburdenofmaintainingyourowncodeinsyncwithchangesinthecoreissignificant,well-resourcedorganizationssometimesfindthatitmakesmostsensetodevelopcustomversionsofopensourcesoftwarecontainingfeaturesthatarenotsharedbackwiththecommunity.Usually,thisisbecausetheneedsarequiteunique,suchasintegratingwithacustomin-houselegacyapplication.
OtherCRMsWhendecidingonaCRMtool,therearemanyexistingCRMofferingsthatcouldbeconsidered.TheNonprofitTechnologyNetwork(http://NTEN.org)conductsperiodicsurveysoftechnologyuseinthenon-profitsectorandpublishestheresults.ThoughtheyareheavilyfocusedonNorthAmericannon-profits,theyprovideagoodindicationofCRMmarketpenetrationandusersatisfactionwithcommonsolutionsinthisverylargeandinfluentialregion.
CiviCRM,Salesforce,andConvioarethethreemost-usedsystemsinthemostrecentsurveys.OtherprovidersortoolswidelyusedoracceptablyratedinthesesurveysincludeAntharia,Blackbaud,SugarCRM,KinteraSphere,DemocracyInAction,andOrganizer'sDatabase.Althoughthecostandfunctionalityaresignificantlydifferent,AmDocsandMicrosoftCRMareothernotableCRMsystemsinthelargernon-profitsector,whileSalsasometimescrossesoverfromitsfocusonsmallandmediumsizedbusinesses.
NeedsvaryfromoneorganizationthatusesaCRMtoanother.ThisaffectswhichCRMisbestforthem.Forexample,Salesforcehastendedtodobetterwithlargeorganizations(thosewithgreaterthan$3Mbudget),thoughtheCiviAccountenhancementsin2011maychangethis.AsyouevaluateaCRMtoolforyourorganization,youshouldtakeintoaccountthecurrentandexpectedneedsofyour
http://NTEN.org
organization,aswellasthecurrentandanticipatedfunctionalityinpossibleCRMs.Giventhiscaveat,thenextsectionwilloutlinecommonreasonsforadoptingCiviCRMovertheotheralternatives.
WhyCiviCRM?EveryorganizationshoulddoitsownevaluationofCRMoptionsusingcriteriaappropriatetotheirparticularneeds,weighingeachsuitablytoprovidetherightoverallbalance.ThissectionsummarizessomeofthereasonswhyCiviCRMisrightformanynon-profit,advocacy,andmember-basedorganizations.
Focusedonneedsofnon-profitsMorethananythingelse,whatsetsCiviCRMapartfromothercompetingprogramsisthatitisdesignedspecificallytomeettheneedsofnon-profits,andprovidesawell-integratedplatformthataddressesalltheirbasicneeds.Thisavoidsoralleviatesthecomplexities,problems,time,andexpensesassociatedwithrunningseparatesystemsforthingssuchasdonations,e-mailing,events,andmembership,ortryingtoprogrammaticallyintegratethem.
CiviCRMiswell-suitedtotheneedsofmanykindsandsizesoforganizations:
Non-profitsNon-governmentalorganizationsGovernmentagenciesandtheofficesofelectedrepresentativesMembership-basedorganizationsAdvocacyorganizationsGrantgivingorganizationsServiceprovidingorganizationsNeighborhoodassociationsPoliticalcampaignsandorganizationsBusinessassociationsGovernmententitiesUnionsSportsclubsDancestudios
ManyCRMsarebuiltaroundcommonworkflowsinfor-profitbusinessesthatdon'talwaysmapwellintothenon-profitworld.Thesalesfunnelmodelandterminologyunderlyingsalesforceautomation,forexample,maynotmapwelltotheactivitiesinanawarenessraisingcampaign.Substitutingsometermsandaddingsomenon-profitspecificthings,asConvioCommonGrounddoeswithSalesforce,doesn'talwaysovercometheissueswiththeunderlyingmodel.
UsersatisfactionNTEN's2007CRMSatisfactionSurveydeterminedthefollowing:
Thethreesystemsthatweremostcommonlyusedbyallorganizations—CiviCRM,Salesforce,andConvio—wererankedfirst,second,andsixth,respectivelyinwillingnesstorecommendrespectively.
NTEN's2009DataEcosystemSurveyreinforcedthisresultbyfindingthattheoverallhappinessoforganizationswassimilar,withgradesofB+,B,andB-goingtothetopthreetools:CiviCRM,Salesforce,andConvio,respectively.
Novendorlock-inAsignificantproblemwithmanyproprietaryCRMsisthedifficultyorganizationsfaceinmovingtoadifferentvendor.Asafreeandopensourcesoftwaresystem,CiviCRMwillalwaysletorganizationsusingitgettheirdataoutiftheyeverwanttomovetoadifferentsystem.Theabilitytodirectlyaccessandworkwithyourdataforcustomization,advanceddatabasequeries,datamigration,andsoonisoftenquiteimportant.
Someproprietarysystemsareonlyofferedbyasinglevendor.Serviceoutages,poorhelpresponsetimes,orunhelpfultechnicalsupportresponsesmayleaveyourorganizationwithnooptionbuttoswitchtoadifferentCRMjusttodealwithvendorissues.Bycontrast,thegrowingpoolofintegrators,trainers,andconsultantsforCiviCRM(http://civicrm.org/professional)enablesorganizationstoshiftfromoneprovidertoanotherwithouthavingtochangeCRMs.
Unlikewithsomeproprietarysystems,thereisnovendorlock-inwithCiviCRM.
http://civicrm.org/professional
IntegrationwithDrupalandJoomla!DrupalandJoomla!arecommonlyusedCMSs(ContentManagementSystems)inthenon-profitworld.CiviCRMintegrateswellwithbothofthem.ThisisimportantbecauseitallowsyourCRMtoeasilypresentpublicorstafffacingformsandlistingsontheWeb.Easyconfigurationofdonationandeventsignupformsandself-servefunctionalityformembershipsignupandrenewalsareincrediblyimportanttomanyorganizations.
Therearesignificantdifferencesbetweenthecapabilitieseachcontentmanagementsystemprovides.ThemostnotableoneforCiviCRMisthatithasmoreadvancedaccesscontrolcapabilities,andmoreflexiblerepurposingofcontentwhenintegratingwithDrupal.
Drupal'suseasaframeworkfordevelopingcustomizedsites,especiallythewayitfacilitatesmashingtogetherdataandfunctionalityfromnumerousexistingmodules,cantakeadvantageofCiviCRM'ssignificantandgrowingsupportforimportantcoreandcontributedmodules.ThisincludesexposingCiviCRMdatainViews,Drupal6CCKfieldsforCiviCRMcontacts,andsynchronizationofroles,groups,memberships,andorganicgroupsinvariousways.Thisallowsuserpermissionsonyourwebsite,e-mailprivileges,membershipstatus,groupcollaborationspaces,andexpressedinterestsintopicstobemixedandmatchedininterestingandusefulways.
OntheJoomla!side,thereisagrowinglistofextensionsavailablethattapintoCiviCRMresourcestodisplaycontentinmodules,limitaccesstocontentauthoring,andcontroluserauthenticationandaccountcreationbasedonmembershipstatus.
Inbothcases,CiviCRMletsyoutakeadvantageofapowerfulopensourcecontentmanagementsystem,integratingyourcontactdatabasedirectlyintoyourorganization'swebsite.CiviCRMhasahistoryofkeepingupwithdevelopmentsinbothCMSs,andthereiseveryindicationthatthisintegrationwillcontinueanddeepenwithDrupal7andJoomla!1.6supportinCiviCRM4.0.
TotalcostThecommonsayingthatfreeandopensourcesoftwareisfreelikekittensratherthanfreelikebeerappliestoCiviCRM.Thetotalcostofownershipofasoftwaresystemisanimportantmetricfordecidingwhichismoreappropriate.OpensourcesoftwarecostsforasystemlikeCiviCRMaredifferentfromthoseofproprietarysystems.Theabsenceofanupfrontpurchasecostisnottheendofthestory.Costsofmaintainingthesystemoveritswholelifeneedtobecalculated.Insteadofone-timepurchasecosts,orannualormonthlysoftwarelicensecosts,therearelikelytobeadditionalexpendituresoninstallation,training,andsupport.Dependingonanorganization'sCRMneeds,numberofCRMusers,andstaffcompetencies,CiviCRMmaybelessexpensive,orsometimesmuchlessexpensive,thantheotheralternatives.
DynamicopensourcedevelopmentThe"free"in"freeandopensourcesoftware"isprimarilythefreedomtomodifythesoftwaretomeetone'sneeds(seehttp://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Developing+with+the+CiviCRM+teamThisiscertainlyanadvantageformanyorganizationswithresourcesthatareunabletogetproprietarysystemsadaptedastheyrequire,orthatareunwillingtoletanotherorganizationdrivethefeaturedevelopmentroadmapandtimeframeoftheirenterpriseCRMsystem.
CiviCRMhasastrong,growingopensourcecommunityandsoftwareecosystem.CiviCRMisaveragingover8,000downloadspermonthin2010.Therehavebeenover12,000installationssinceversion2.0,witharound3,000activeCiviCRMinstallationsinthefallof2010(seethefollowingfigurewhichcountsmostsitesthathavehadadministrativesettingschangedorreviewedduringamonth).Notethattheapparentgrowthduring2.0isgreatlyexaggeratedbynotbeingabletoportrayupgradesfromearlierversions.Alsonotethatthenumberofactivesitesisnotbeingdirectlymeasured;soduringupgrade,therearespikesasnewandoldsitesarebothcounted,andon-goingimprovementstotheusabilityandadministrativeeaseofthesystemislikelytoincreasethenumberofactivesitesthatarenotcountedinthefollowinggraph:
http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRM/Developing+with+the+CiviCRM+team
Intermsofdevelopmentenergy,over90individualsandconsultantsdonatedtosupportenhancingCiviCRMduringthefallof2010.InadditiontotheseMakeItHappencontributions,therehavebeenalargenumberofothercontributionsfromthecommunityintermsofcodepatchesfornewfeatures,forumsuggestionshavesponsoredmajornewfeatures,including:
BCPhysicianHealthProgramFrontLineInternationalFoundationforHumanRightsDefendersGreaterManchesterCentreforVoluntaryOrganisation
InternationalMountainBikingAssociationUSPublicInterestResearchGroupQuestScholarsAlphaInternationalNewYorkStateSenateProgressiveTechnologyProject
Thenumberofissuesreportedandpatchessubmittedbythecommunityhasincreasedsignificantlyovertheyears.
Whilesomemightperceivemoreissuesbeingfiledbythecommunityasaproblem(peoplearefindingtheproductbuggy),itisveryhealthyfromanotherperspective.Forexample,themostrecentspikeincommunityissuesoccurredduringthealphaandbetatestingprecedingthemajor3.0release.Communitymemberswereencouragedtodownload,install,andtestpre-productionversionsinordertoprovidefeedbackonfeatures,usability,easeofupgrading,aswellasbugsbeforethenewversionwasreleased.Thispushwasverysuccessfulandledtoaspikeinpatchessubmitted,asillustratedinthefollowinghistogram,makingitabetterandmorebug-freerelease.During2010,therehasbeenanefforttogetconsultantsandbetter-resourceduserstocontributepatchesinordertoallowthecoreteamtofocusonenhancementsfornewreleases.
Over2,000newpostsappearedontheforumpermonthin2010,continuingthegradualgrowthofpreviousyearsforthismetric.
Thisrelevantnewcontentsupportedasteadyandlargergrowthinpageviews,asillustratedinthefollowinggraph:
OneuniqueaspectofCiviCRMthatsetsitapartfrommanyotheropensourceprojectsisthepresenceofacoredevelopmentteamworkingfull-timeonprojectdevelopment.Whilecommunityinvolvementisagreatsignofprojecthealth,thepresenceofacoredevelopmentteamhasensuredsteadyreleases,anaggressively-plannedprojectroadmap,andmoreresponsivesupportpatchingbugsandsupportingusers.
DocumentationExtensiveadministrator,user,anddeveloperdocumentationavailableathttp://wiki.civicrm.orgisupdatedforeachversionofCiviCRMbeforeitisreleased.Inaddition,UnderstandingCiviCRM:AComprehensiveGuideisavailableforfreeathttp://en.flossmanuals.net/civicrm.Oftenwhenanissuearises,othershavetriedtotacklethesamechallenge,andarecordofhowtheywerehelpedtosolvetheirissuecanbefoundbysearchinginthecommunityforumsathttp://forum.civicrm.org.
http://wiki.civicrm.orghttp://en.flossmanuals.net/civicrmhttp://forum.civicrm.org
ResponsivecommunitysupportOneofthechallengesfacedbyusersofsomeopensourcesoftwarecomparedtoproprietarysoftwarehasbeenthedifficultyofassuringthatsupportwillbeavailablewhenneeded.InadditiontothepaidsupportofferingsfromnumerousprofessionalCiviCRMconsultantsmentionedpreviously,theCiviCRMcommunityandcoreteamarerenownedfortheirquickandgenerousrepliestoquestionsintheforums.ForthosedevelopinginCiviCRM,thereisalsoa#civicrmircchannelonhttp://freenode.net,whereonecanusuallyfindthecoreteamandotherknowledgeablecommunitymembersrespondingtomorechallenginginquiries.
http://freenode.net
HowCiviCRMwillhelpyourorganizationGoodCRMimplementationsfacilitatebetteroutcomesandimprovedrelationshipswithyourconstituentsshownby,forexample,moredonationsandvolunteertime.Theyalsoimprovestaffefficiencyandautomateworkflows,reducingtheaveragecostandtimeinvolvedininteractionswiththeconstituents.Thisallowsyouandyourorganizationtodomore.CiviCRMwillimprovetherelationshipyourconstituentshavewithyourorganizationthroughvariousfeatures,including:
EasieronlineeventregistrationSelf-servemembershiprenewalMorecompleterecordofhistoryofinteractionsavailabletotheentirequalifiedstaffAutomatedworkflowimprovementsforcasemanagementPersonalizede-mailsAnti-spamoptionstoensurealle-mailcommunicationsarepermission-based
Improvedrelationshipsalsoresultfromdeeperchangestotheworkofanorganization.Segmentationofconstituentscanenablemoretargetedandeffectivecommunicationandinteraction.Forexample,sendingatextversionofyournewsletterratherthanthenormalHTMLversiontothose
whohavenotopenedthreeHTMLissuesinarowcanimprovedeliverability.Cross-marketingactionalertstofrequentdonorsordonationappealstofrequentactivistscanbemoreeffectivethansendingtheseappealstoalldonorsoractivists,sincethelattermayendupfillingpeople'sinboxestoofrequently,leadingmanytounsubscribe.Surveyingthosewhoimmediatelyreturnformoreserviceontheircasecanrevealsystemicissuesincaseofmanagementprotocols,orqualityassuranceissues.
Organizationswithwell-focusedandright-sizedCRMstrategiesproperlybalancethecostsofacquiringandupdatingconstituentinformationagainstthebenefitsofhavingandusingit.Staffeffortandconstituentinconveniencemeanthatitisoftenbetternottoforceorevenencouragetheentryoflessimportantinformation.Nonetheless,CiviCRMwillprovidequantitativeandqualitativeinformationthatcanguideactions,informexecutivedecision-making,andallowbalancedscorecardtypesofreportingtoboardsandexternalfunders.
SummaryInthischapterwelookedat:
ThereasonsthatorganizationschoosetoadoptaCRMstrategyTheimportanceofconsideringtheworkprocessesaswellasthesupportingtechnologieswhendevelopingyourConstituentRelationshipManagementstrategyThewaysinwhichnon-profitconstituentrelationshipmanagementissimilarto,butdifferentfrom,businesscustomerrelationshipmanagementinobjectivesandtechniquesHowtoidentifyandprioritizetheconstituentsandinteractionstobemanagedbyyourCRMWhenCiviCRMismoreappropriateasatooltosupportyourCRMstrategyratherthansinglepurposetools,customsoftwaredevelopment,orotherCRMsystemsThecommonadvantagesthatCiviCRMprovidesinclude:
Betterfocusonnon-profitneedsGreaterusersatisfactionAvoidanceofvendorlock-inExcellentintegrationwithpopularandpowerfulDrupalandJoomla!contentmanagementsystemsLowertotalcostofownershipAstrongandactivedevelopmentcommunity
ExtensivedocumentationforallkindsofusersGoodfreeandpaidsupport
ThebenefitsyourorganizationwillbelikelytoseewhenitadoptsCiviCRM
ItmightbetemptingtojumpinandstartinstallingandconfiguringCiviCRMandmigratingdatafromyourexistingsystems.However,ourexperienceisthattherearegreatadvantagesindevelopingaCRMimplementationplanthatidentifies,ataminimum,yourteam,yourrequirements,andthemajortasksthatwillneedtobeaccomplished.ThenextchapterwillwalkyouthroughhowtodevelopaCRMimplementationplanthatissuitedtoyourorganization'ssize,culture,andneeds.
Chapter2.PlanningYourCRMImplementationSonow,youthinkthatyourorganizationwillbetteraccomplishitsmissionwithCiviCRM.ThischapterwillhelpyouplanyourimplementationofCiviCRM,sothatyourCRMinitiativehasthebestchancetoenablegreaterorganizationsuccess.
Inthischapter,wewilldothefollowing:
IdentifypotentialbarrierstosuccessandlearnhowtoovercomethemSelectanappropriatedevelopmentmethodologyBuildabalancedteamGetstartedbymeasuringbaselinemetrics,creatingavision,andcreatingaplanFocusyourCRMstrategyfirstonyourconstituentsandmission,andthenonoperationalefficiencyRevieweffectivewaystogatherrequirementsIdentifyspecifictypesofrequirementstobeexaminedineachofthemajorareasofCiviCRMfunctionalityItemizeelementsofagoodimplementationplanReviewhowtocalculatethetotalcostofownershipofCRMsystemsandtheiralternativesPlanforsuccess
Thischapterspeakstopeoplewhohavetheresponsibility
forinitiating,scoping,andmanagingdevelopmentandimplementationfortheCRMstrategy.Theinitialsectionsofthechapterespeciallyaremanagement-oriented.Thematerialonimprovingconstituentrelationshipsisoftennon-technical,andnotspecifictoCiviCRM.Wehavewrittenitsothatitprimarilyaddressesexecutives,directors,andmanagersatmediumandlarge-sizedorganizations.Thepersonnelinsmallerorganizationsshouldalsobenefit,eventhoughtheymayneedtoscaledownthesuggestions.Forreaderswhoaretechnicaland/ordonothavemanagerialorexecutiveresponsibilities,thissectionshouldprovideagoodcontextforyourwork,andmayhelpyouadvisemanagersandexecutiveswhodonothaveexperiencewithCRMstrategydevelopmentandimplementation.
Thelatterpartsofthechapterfocusonidentifyingyourorganization'srequirementsforCRMfunctionalityindifferentareassuchascommunication,membership,fundraising,andevents.Thesesectionsareintendedtohelpwithbrainstormingtechniquesthatcouldbeapartofyourorganization'soverallCRMstrategy.Althoughexecutivesandmanagersoftheseareasareresponsiblefordecidingwhichtechniquestheywilluse,technicalstaffwantingtoelicitrequirementsfromthemwillfindnumeroussuggestedquestions.
Ofcourse,youmightbeasemi-technicalpersonwho'stryingtosolvethedatabaseproblematasmallnon-profitwithathree-memberstaff.Ifthisissoundsmorelikeyour
situation,thentheinitialpartsofthischaptermayprovideinspirationonwhereyouwouldliketoaim,whilethelatterpartswillprovideusefulideasandsuggestionsthatwillbemoreimmediatelyandpracticallyrelevantasyouplanyourwork.
IfyoualreadyhaveCiviCRMoranotherCRMoperatingin-housewithoutaCRMstrategy,it'snottoolatetobemoremethodicalinyourapproach.Thestepsbelowcanbeusedtoplantore-invigorateandre-focustheuseofCRMwithinyourorganizationasmuchastoplanafirstimplementation.
BarrierstosuccessConstituentRelationshipManagementinitiativescanbedifficult.Attheirbest,theyinvolvechangingexternalrelationshipsandinternalprocessesandtools.Externally,theexperiencesthattheconstituentshaveofyourorganizationneedtochange,sothattheyprovidemorevalueandfewerbarrierstoinvolvement.Internally,businessprocessesandsupportingtechnologicalsystemsneedtochangeinordertobreakdowndepartmentaloperations'silos,increaseefficiencies,andenablemoreeffectivetargeting,improvedresponsiveness,andnewinitiatives.ThesuccessoftheCRMprojectsoftendependsonchangingthebehaviorandattitudesofindividualsacrosstheorganization,andreplacing,changing,and/orintegratingmanyITsystemsusedacrosstheorganization.
Succeedingwiththemanagementoforganizationalculturechangemayinvolvegettingstaffmemberstotakeontasksandresponsibilitiesthatmaynotdirectlybenefitthemorthedepartmentmanagedbytheirsupervisor,butonlyprovidevaluetotheorganizationbywhatitenablesothersintheorganizationtoaccomplishoravoid.Asaresult,itismorechallengingtoaligntheinterestsofthestaffandorganizationalunitswiththeorganization'sinterestinimprovedconstituentrelations,aspromisedbytheCRMstrategy.ThisiswhyanExecutiveSponsor,suchastheExecutiveDirectorofasmalloramedium-sizednon-profit
organization,issoimportant.
Onthetechnicalside,CRMprojectsforreasonably-sizedorganizationstypicallyinvolvereplacingorintegratingmanysystems.Configuringandcustomizingasinglenewsoftwaresystem,migratingdatatoit,testinganddeployingit,andtrainingthestaffmemberscanbeachallengeatthebestoftimes.Doingitformultiplesystemsandmoreusersmultipliesthechallenge.SinceaCRMinitiativeinvolvesintegratingseparatesystems,thecomplexityofsuchendeavorsmustbefaced,suchasdisparatedataschemasrequiringtransformationsforinteroperability,andkeepingmiddlewareinsyncwithchangesinmultipleindependentsoftwarepackages.
Unfortunately,thesechallengestotheCRMimplementationinitiativemayleadtoaprojectfailureiftheyarenotrealizedandaddressed.Thecommoncausesforfailureareasfollows:
Lackofexecutive-levelsponsorshipresultinginimproperlyresolvedturfwars.IT-ledinitiativeshaveagreatertendencytofocusoncostefficiency.Thisfocuswillgenerallynotresultinbetterconstituentrelationsthatareorientedtowardachievingtheorganization'smission.AnITapproach,particularlywhereusersandusabilityexpertsarenotontheprojectteam,mayalsoleadtopooruseradoptionifthesystemisnotadaptedtotheirneeds,or
eveniftheusersarepoorlytrained.Nocustomerdataintegrationapproachresultinginnotovercomingthedatasilosproblem,noconsolidatedviewofconstituents,poorertargeting,andaninabilitytorealizeenterprise-levelbenefits.Lackofbuy-in,leadingtoalackofuseofthenewCRMsystemandcontinueduseoftheoldprocessesandsystemsitwasmeanttosupplant.Lackoftrainingandfollow-uptrainingcausingstaffanxietyandopposition.Thismaycausenon-useormisuseofthesystem,resultinginpoordatahandlingandmix-upsinthewayinwhichconstituentsaretreated.Notcustomizingenoughtoactuallymeettherequirementsoftheorganizationintheareasof:
DataintegrationBusinessprocessesUserexperiences
Over-customizing,causing:ThecostsofthesystemtoescalateThebestpracticesincorporatedinthebasefunctionalitytobeoverriddeninsomecasesUserformstobecomeoverlycomplexUserexperiencestobecomeoff-putting
Nostrategyfordealingwiththetechnicalchallengesassociatedwithdeveloping,extending,and/orintegratingtheCRMsoftwaresystem,leadingto:
CostoverrunsPoorlydesignedandbuiltsoftware
PooruserexperiencesIncompleteorinvaliddata
However,thisdoesnotmeanthatprojectfailureisinevitableorcommon.Theseclearlyidentifiablecausesoffailurecanbeovercomethrougheffectiveprojectplanning.
PerfectionistheenemyofthegoodCRMsystemsandtheirfunctionalcomponentssuchasfundraising,ticketsales,communicationwithsubscribersandotherstakeholders,membershipmanagement,andcasemanagementareessentialforthecoreoperationsofmostnon-profits.Thiscanleadtoalegitimatefearofprojectfailurewhenchangingthem.However,thisfearcaneasilycreateaperfectionistmentality,wheretheprojectteamattemptstoovercompensatebycreatingtoomuchoversight,toomuchcontingencyplanning,andtoomuchprojectdiscoverytimeinanefforttoavoidmissinganypotentiallyusefulfeaturethatcouldbeintegratedintotheproject.Whileplanningisgood,perfectionmaynotbegood,sinceperfectionisoftentheenemyofthegood.
CRMimplementationsriskerringonthesideofwhatisknown,somewhattongue-in-cheek,astheMITApproach.TheMITapproachbelievesin,andattemptstodesign,construct,anddeploy,the"RightThing"rightfromthestart.Itsbig-brainapproachtoproblemsolvingleadstocorrectness,completeness,andconsistencyinthedesign.Itvaluessimplicityintheuserinterfaceoversimplicityintheimplementationdesign.Theotherendofthespectrumiscapturedwithaphorismslike"LessisMore,""KISS"(Keepitsimple,stupid),and"WorseisBetter".Thisalternateview
willinglyacceptsdeviationsfromcorrectness,completeness,andconsistencyindesigninfavorofgeneralsimplicity,orsimplicityofimplementationoversimplicityofuserinterface.Thereasonthatsuchcounter-intuitiveapproachestodevelopingsolutionshavebecomerespectedandpopularistheproblemsandfailuresthatcanresultfromtryingtodoitallperfectlyfromthestart.
Neitherendofthespectrumishealthier.Handcuffingtheprojecttoanunattainablestandardofperfection,orover-simplifyinginordertoartificiallyreducecomplexitywillbothleadtoprojectfailure.
Thereisnoperfectantidotetothesetwoextremes.Asaprojectmanageritwillbeyourresponsibilitytosetthetone,determinepriorities,andplantheimplementationanddevelopmentprocess.Althoughitisnotaperspectiveonprojectmanagement,onerulethatwillhelpachievebalanceandmovetheprojectforwardis"Releaseearly,releaseoften."Thisiscommonlyembracedintheopensourcecommunitywherecollaborationisessentialtosuccess.Thismotto:
CapturestheintentofcatchingerrorsearlierAllowsuserstocapturevaluefromthesystemsoonerAllowsuserstobetterimagineandarticulatewhatthesoftwareshoulddothroughongoinguseandinteractionwithaworkingsystemearlyintheprocess
DevelopmentmethodologiesWhateverapproachyourorganizationdecidestotakefordevelopingandimplementingitsCRMstrategy,it'susuallygoodtohaveanagreeduponprocessandmethodology.Yourprocessesdefinethestepstobetakenasyouimplementtheproject.Yourmethodologydefinestherulesfortheprocess,thatis,themethodstobeusedthroughoutthecourseoftheproject.ThespiritoftheproblemsolvingapproachesjustreviewedcanbeseenintheTraditionalWaterfallDevelopmentmodelandinthecontrastingIterativeandIncrementalDevelopmentmodel.
Note
Projectsnaturallychangeandevolveovertime.Youmayfindthatyouembraceoneofthesemethodologiesforinitialimplementation,andthenmigratetoadifferentmethodormixed-methodformaintenanceandfuturedevelopmentwork.Bynomeansshouldyoufeelrestrictedbythedefinitionsprovided,butratheradjusttheprinciplestomeetyourchangingneedsthroughoutthecourseoftheproject.Thatbeingsaid,it'simportantthatyourteamunderstandstheprojectrulesatagivenpointintime,sothattheprojectmanagementprinciplesarerespected.
TheconventionalWaterfallDevelopmentmethodologyThetraditionalWaterfallmethodofsoftwaredevelopmentissometimesthoughtofas"bigdesignupfront".Itemploysasequentialapproachtodevelopment,movingfromneedsanalysisandrequirements,toarchitecturalanduserexperience,detaileddesign,implementation,integration,testing,deployment,andmaintenance.Theoutputofeachsteporphaseflowsdownward,likewater,tothenextstepintheprocess,asillustratedbythearrowsinthefollowingfigure:
TheWaterfallmodeltendstobemoreformal,more
planned,includesmoredocumentation,andoftenhasastrongerdivisionoflabor.Thismethodologybenefitsfromhavingclear,linear,andprogressivedevelopmentstepsinwhicheachphasebuildsuponthepreviousone.However,itcansufferfrominflexibilityifusedtoorigidly.Forexample,ifduringtheverificationandqualityassurancephase,yourealizeasignificantfunctionalitygapresultingfromincorrect(orchanging)specificationrequirements,thenitmaybedifficulttointerjectthosenewneedsintotheprocess.The"releaseearly,releaseoften"iterativeprinciplementionedearliercanhelpovercomethatinflexibility.Iftheoverallprocessiskepttightandthedevelopmentwindowshort,youcanjustifydelayingthenewfunctionalityorcorrectivespecificationsforthenextrelease.
IterativedevelopmentmethodologyIterativedevelopmentmodelsdepartfromthisstructurebybreakingtheworkupintochunksthatcanbedevelopedanddeliveredseparately.TheWaterfallprocessisusedineachphaseorsegmentoftheproject,buttheoverallprojectstructureisnotnecessarilyheldtothesamerigidprocess.AsonemovesfartherawayfromtheWaterfallapproach,thereisagreateremphasisonevaluatingincrementally-deliveredpiecesofthesolution,andincorporatingfeedbackonwhathasalreadybeendevelopedintotheplanningoffuturework,asillustratedintheloopinthefollowingfigure:
ThismethodologyseekstotakewhatisgoodinthetraditionalWaterfallapproach—structure,clearly-definedlinearsteps,astrongdevelopment/qualityassurance/rolloutprocess—andimproveitthroughshorterdevelopmentcyclesthatarecenteredonsmallersegmentsoftheoverallproject.Perhapsthebiggestchallengeinthismodelistheprojectmanagementrole,asitmayresultinmanymovingpiecesthatmustbetightlycoordinatedinordertoreleasethefinalworkingproduct.
AgiledevelopmentmethodologyAgiledevelopmentmethodologiesareaneffectivederivativeoftheiterativedevelopmentmodelthatmovesonestepfurtherawayfromtheWaterfallmodel.Theyarecharacterizedbyrequirementsandsolutionsevolvingtogether,requiringworkteamstobedrawnfromalltherelevantpartsoftheorganization.Theyorganizethemselvestoworkinrapidonetofour-weekiterationcycles.Agilecentersontime-basedreleasecycles,andinthisway,differsfromtheothermethodologiesdiscussed,whichareorientedmoretowardfunctionality-basedreleases.
ThefollowingfigureillustratestheimplementationofanAgilemethodologythathighlightsshortdailyScrumstatusmeetings,aproductbacklogcontainingfeaturesoruserstoriesforeachiteration,andasprintbacklogcontainingrevisableandre-prioritizableworkitemsfortheteamduringthecurrentiteration.
Adeliberateeffortisusuallymadeinordertoensurethatthesprintbacklogislongenoughtoensurethatthelowestpriorityitemswillnotbedealtwithbeforetheendoftheiteration.Althoughtheycanbeputontothelistofworkitemsthatmayormaynotbeselectedforthenextiteration,theideaisthattheclientortheproductownershould,atsomepoint,decidethatitnotworthinvestingmoreresourcesinthe"nicetohave,butnotreallynecessary"
items.
Asonemightexpect,thismethodologyreliesheavilyoneffectiveprioritization.Sincesoftwarereleasesanddevelopmentcyclesadheretorigidtimeframes,onlyhighpriorityissuesorfeaturesareactivelyaddressedatagivenpointintime;theremainderissuesfallingloweronthelistaresubjecttoreassignmentforthenextcycle.
FoodPantryAssociationofGreaterMetropolisThroughouttherestofthisbookwewilluseacasestudytohelpintroduceconceptsandexplainhowtoconfigure,customize,anduseCiviCRM.Whiletheorganizationandnamesareentirelyfictitiousandnotintendedtorefertoactualorganizationsorpeople,theorganization'sneedsandhowitoperatesareintendedtoreflectcommonpatternsinthenon-profitandadvocacysector.
InourcasestudyyouareinchargeofalladministrativefunctionsincludingcomputersystemsandfinancesforTheFoodPantryAssociationofGreaterMetropolis.FPAGMisthecentralorganizationinthefoodpantrysysteminthecityofMetropolisanditssurroundingareas.Thepantries,knownelsewhereasfoodbanks,rangefromsmallfaith-basedgroupstoafewlargernot-for-profitsinthecenteroftheonlylargecityinthearea.Thepantriesprovidethepoorwithfoodtobetakenhomeforconsumptionlater,andarekeptparticularlybusyduringthewintermonthsinthiscityofapproximately2.1millionpeople.
FPAGMenvisionsacommunitywherenoonesuffersfromhunger.Itsmissionistoprovidecost-effectivesharedservicestofoodpantriesintheregion.Operationally,FPAGMdoesthefollowing:
Provideswholesalefoodpickupfrombusinessdonors,
storageatadepot,andregulardeliveryofneededsuppliestopantriesSharesbestpracticesamongstfoodpantriesandfoodpantrydonorsBeginsassistingpantriesindealingwithproblematicindividualswhoabusethesystemorstaffRepresentstheconcernsofthepantriestolocalandstateadvocacyefforts,oftenbyundertakingresearchanddevelopingpolicysubmissions
TheFPAGMBoardofDirectorsconsistsoffourofficersandfivemembers-at-large.Yourboss,theExecutiveDirector,overseestheworkoffivefull-timestaff.Inaddition,theorganizationreceivesregularvolunteersupporttoassistwithdailyoperations.
Asbefore,moststaffresourcesaretakenupwithprovidingfooddistributionservicesforthepantries.AffiliatemembersandotherfoodproviderscontacttheFPAGMwhentheyhavesurplusfoodavailableforpickup.TheassociationownsthreevansfortransportingfoodfromtheproviderstoawarehouseattachedtotheFPAGMoffices,andthendistributingittothepantries.
TheFPAGMstaffalsohandlesdistribution.Thepantriesplacerequestsforfoodandthecosts(measuredbyweight)aretrackedagainsttheiraccounts.
Thissystemallowsthepantriesintheregiontofocuson
providingfoodandservicestoclients,poormembersofthecommunity,withoutmuchneedtoidentifyfoodsupplysources.Theassociationalsobenefitsfromeconomiesofscale,particularlywithwarehousespace,staff,andvehiclesrequiredtodistributefoodtothepantries.
Theassociationhoststwotrainingeventsandanannualconferencethatdrawsattendeesfromtheentirestatewhoareinvolvedinfoodpantrysupport.
Right-sizingtheprocessIt'simportanttoensurethattheprocessandmethodologyyouadoptforyourCRMinitiativeisappropriatetoyourorganization'scultureandsize,thecomplexityofitsexistingsystems,andthescaleofyourCRMeffort.Thisgoalof"right-sizing"theprocesstofityourneedsisessential,bothforyouastheprojectmanager/decisionmaker,andforanyconsultantsyouengageintheprocess.Besideshavingfamiliaritywithyourmethodologyofchoice,theprojectteam(organizationleaders,staff,andconsultants)shouldunderstandandappreciatehowyouhaveright-sizedtheproject.Forexample,ifyourepresentasmallorganizationwithtwotofivestaffmembers,avolunteerboardandcommitteestructure,and3,000contactrecords,buildingtoomuchstructureandprocessintoyourprojectwillimpedeefficientprogressratherthanhelpingit.Youneedenoughstructuretomakesurethattheprojectiswell-defined,well-managed,effectivelytested,andimplementedontimeandwithinbudget;butnotsomuchstructurethatyouspendallyourtimemanagingthemethodsinsteadofimplementingaCRM.
Otherthingsbeingequal,larger,older,andmorehierarchical,formalandbureaucraticorganizationstendtoneedamoreformalapproachwithmoredocuments,moreapprovals,andsoon.Smaller,newer,flatter,matrix-managed,andmoreflexibleorganizationswillfinditeasier
tomovealongthespectrumtowardstheAgilemethods.
Tinyorganizationsorinitiativesmaynotneedtoiteratebecausethescopeofworkistoosmall.AprojectintendingtoreplaceasingleexistingCRMsystemwithCiviCRMmayfinditbettertoproceedinasingleproductrollouttoreducetheeffortinvolvedinrunningoldandnewsystemsinparallel.Bycontrast,replacinganumberofseparatesiloedsystemswithCiviCRMcanbegroupedintooneormoreiterationsforeachsystembeingreplaced.
Sometimes,itcanbeusefultopilotCiviCRMinanimportant,urgent,oreasyarea.Youmightwanttoreachforalow-hangingfruitbyautomatingeventregistrationforthefirsttime.Anotherstrategywouldbetotacklethetoughestareafirst,sothatyoudon'tgethalf-waydownapathofconvertingtoanewCRMbeforeyourealizetherearesomeaspectsofyourneedsthatwillrequiremorecustomizationthanoriginallyenvisioned.Bytacklingtheelephantintheroomfirst,youcanreallocateresourcestoensureyourcriticalfunctionalityareasarefullyaddressed.
BuildingtheteamAcriticalfactorinthesuccessofyourCRMinitiativewillbedecidingwhoisonyourstrategyandimplementationteam.Thesizeoftheteamwillobviouslyvarybetweenorganizations;thosewiththreestaffmemberswillhavetodothingsdifferentlythanthosewith300.Whilethissectionisorientedtowardslargerorganizations,theprinciplesapplytoanysize.
Theimplementationteamincludesthepeoplewhowillplayadirectroleintheongoingprojectdevelopment.NoteveryoneaffectedbytheCRMinitiativeneedstobeonthiscoreteamtaskedwithdrivingthestrategyandimplementation.Agoodworkinggroupseldomislargerthansixtoeightpeople,andveryoften,asmallergroupcanbemoreeffective.Whatismostimportantisthatthisteamshouldberepresentativeofthedifferentvoicesoftheproject—organization,leadership,endusers,developers/implementers,importantstakeholders,andsoon.
Usually,itisimmediatelyclearthattheinvolvementandcooperationofsomeindividualsintheorganizationwillbenecessaryforthesuccessoftheinitiative.Inaddition,itisimportanttohaveavarietyofpeoplerepresentingdifferentrolesontheteam.Theteammembersmustbringtherightmixofexpertiseandexperiencetotheproject,bewillingto
worktogethertoeffectivelyaccomplishwhatneedstobedone,andworkinordertoensurethattheperspectivesandneedsofalltheaffectedpartsoftheorganizationareheardandweighedappropriately.Ifyouhavetightlinkstoexternalstakeholders,involvingtheminyourCRMstrategydevelopmentandtestingbeforeroll-outcandramaticallyimprovethesuccessofyourinitiative.
Fromahumanresourceperspective,atransformationalinitiativesuchasthisoneisagreatopportunitytoprovideemergingleaderswithastretchassignmentfortheirtalentandambition,experienceinmattersbeyondtheircurrentjobresponsibilities,andexposureacrosstheorganization.Theseniorteammemberscanevaluateandprovidefeedbacktothemastheystretchtheirwings.
Asrepresentativesfortheinitiativeinsideandoutsidetheorganization,theteammembersareideallyplacedwiththegoaltoadvocateandevangelizefortheirownsub-constituenciesinsupportoftheoverallCRMvision.Whatdowemeanbythat?Eachmemberoftheteamshouldrepresentavoiceinyourorganization—management,frontlinestaff,communication,accounting/bookkeeping,eventcoordination,advocacy,enduserconstituents,developers,differentkindsofexternalstakeholders,andsoon,eachwiththeirownexpectations,goals,andconcernswiththeCRMimplementation.Thecombineddiversityofperspectiveisessentialinordertoachieveawell-balancedandeffectiveteam.
You'llneedtojudgewhetherpeoplewhoarelikelytoberesistanttochange,ortotheinitiativeingeneral,shouldbebroughtintothetentearlyorlate.Theiroppositionorreluctancemaybeduetotheirpersonality,apatternofconflictwithateammember,institutionalfactorssuchaslossofcontrolofdataorbudget,orperceivedcriticism,assystemsandworkintheirareaofresponsibilityaretargetedforimprovement.Ourexperienceisthatitisusuallybettertobringtheminearlysothattheirvoicescanbeheardandtheirconcernsaddressedduringtheimplementation.Obtaintheirbuy-intotheprojectearlyinordertoreducethelikelihoodofthempoisoningtheperceptionwhenit'stimefororganization-wideadoption.Thisalsomakesitlesslikelythattheywillbetakingpot-shotsattheinitiativefromthesidelines,andwillbeunabletolegitimatelyclaimattheirendthattheirconcernswerenotgivendueconsideration.Acknowledgeandincorporateasmanypositiveaspectsfromtheexistingwaysofdoingthingsaspossibleandensurethatthereisadequateopportunityforfamiliarizationandtrainingwiththenewsysteminordertoencouragethatbuy-in.Skepticalvoicesarevaluablewhentheyhelptoprovidearealitycheckonoptimisticambitions,butcanbecomepoisonousiftheyveertowardsunreasonablenegativity.
Theidealteammayinclude:
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