The Impact of Social Media on CRM

This assignment delves into the transformative impact of social media on modern Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies. It examines how businesses leverage social media platforms to engage with customers, build relationships, and enhance customer service. The assignment emphasizes the importance of incorporating social media research methods into CRM strategy development and highlights best practices for integrating social media into existing CRM systems. Additionally, it discusses the role of executive sponsorship and stakeholder management in successful CRM deployments in the digital era.

INFORMATION SYSTEM PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHARTER FOR CRM
Name
Course
Unit
Date

Contents
Overview of the Project...............................................................................................................................3
Background.................................................................................................................................................3
Description of the Project and its Objectives...............................................................................................4
Approach to the Project...............................................................................................................................4
Roles and Responsibilities...........................................................................................................................5
Stakeholder register.....................................................................................................................................6
Stakeholder management Strategy...............................................................................................................8
Statement of the Project Scope..................................................................................................................10
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................11

Project Title High Service Inc. Customer Relationship Management Project
Charter
Sponsor of the
Program
Natalie, VP Operations
Sponsor of the
Project
CIO, Ben
Project manager
Project manager
Contact
Team members of
the Project
Start Date for
Project
Overview of the Project
Background
The use of social media is exploding, with customers adopting social media platforms
rapidly1; however, the adoption of social media as a significant component of CRM is still
lagging2 or not fully implemented yet it has numerous benefits3. Social media platforms such as
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, as well as blogs form complex and extensive networks
of users who self-organize themselves into communities and groups. Users also join some of
these communities and groups organized around lifestyles, restaurants, products, geographic
locations, or politics4. Whether or not High Service Inc. participates, customers will always
interact on social media; High Service Inc. can therefore, leverage social media use and growth
to increase and enhance their customer engagement, directly respond to customer issues, measure
social media activity, and gauge how customers perceive their brand 5
1 DeMers, "7 Reasons You Need To Be Using Social Media As Your Customer Service Portal."
2 Quinton, "The Digital Era Requires New Knowledge To Develop Relevant CRM Strategy: A Cry For Adopting Social
Media Research Methods To Elicit This New Knowledge."
3 Wang, Dugan and Sojka, "CRM Systems With Social Networking Capabilities: The Value Of Incorporating A CRM
2.0 System In Sales/Marketing Education."
4 Zaglia, "Brand Communities Embedded In Social Networks."
5 Malthouse et al., "Managing Customer Relationships In The Social Media Era: Introducing The Social CRM House."

Description of the Project and its Objectives
With a competitive business environment and the emergence of social media as a
significant factor in online opportunities for marketing, sales, and better customer service, High
Service Inc. is in the process of implementing a Social CRM program, within the larger
company-wide CRM program that will incorporate social media and be available for use by the
company’s staff (that total 100000) distributed across the globe. The CRM is aimed at improving
the customer experience and leverage its inherent benefits in the following areas;
Marketing: Improve the company’s brand image
Gain insights from customers and social media metrics
Sales: Increase company revenue
: Get new customers and gain insights about the customers through social media activity
Customer service: Increase customer retention and satisfaction
: Lower service costs
Approach to the Project
The project will, working with the Marketing Manager, propose the business case as well as
determine requirements for the system. Working with a consultant, a list of vendors will be
developed and a new system with between 3 and 5 solutions will be trialed and the most suitable
one procured and integrated into the existing High Service Inc. architecture. The necessary social
media (blogs, Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and twitter) API’s will be procured. The new
system processes will be trialed in conjunction with the department of marketing and after being
satisfied, be implemented across the enterprise. The implementation will entail user training and
support and analytics and metrics established to measure its impact and effectiveness. The
project will be implemented following the agile development approach so as to minimize errors

and have the project operational within the stipulated time period, with a greater focus placed on
people rather than just the process6.
Roles and Responsibilities
Person/ Group Title Role
Steering committee Consisting of ten
senior executives,
including Natalie
Their main role is to oversee the entire
program. They also ensure
accountability with respect to
sponsorship and participation. They
demonstrate executive commitment to
the program/ project in the long term,
handle strategy and evolution, and
adoption of proposed solutions7
Natalie, the VP Operations Program sponsor Has the highest level responsibility for
ensuring the project succeeds and will
make the major decisions and calls on
how the entire CRM project will be
run. The executive sponsor has the
final role in making key decisions in
how a business or major program is
run8
Ito Program Manager Will manage different/ multiple
projects within the entire CRMM
project, of which the social media
CRM is just but one of them. In a
major program, the program manager
runs multiple projects within the
program9
Ben, the Company CIO Project Sponsor Will handle the highest responsibility
for decision making within the social
media CRM project. Also responsible
for coordinating withy other
departments such as sales, finance,
marketing, and procurement as well as
hiring the members of the project team
and the project manager
6Conboy et al., "People Over Process: Key Challenges In Agile Development."
7 Rymes, "ERP & CRM: Why You Still Need A Steering Committee After Go-Live."
8 'Crestwood Associates', "The Importance Of Executive Sponsorship For ERP/CRM Deployments - CRM Software
Blog | Dynamics 365."
9 "Difference Between Program And Project Managers."

[Author] Project manager The management of the project team,
ensuring project is undertaken as
required and deliverables for the social
CRM project are achieved. A project
manager is responsible for managing
the entire team responsible for
undertaking and fulfilling the project
and the achievement of the project
deliverables10.
George Marketing manager Responsible for helping the project
manager and project team in proposing
the social media CRM business case
and determining the requirements of
the system
External Consultant Consultant Helping the project team choose the
vendors
Marketing department Marketing department Help with testing of the new system
and giving feedback during trial tests
Other departments Sales, Marketing,
Finance
Help in determining user requirements
and giving feedback during testing
HR Department HR Help with hiring members of the
project team, both internally and
externally; the HR will place adverts
for specific job roles, in conjunction
with Ben and the project manager
Stakeholder register
This is the document used for managing the project that contains information concerning all the
stakeholders within the project. The stakeholders refer to persons, entities, or groups or even
organizations that can be affected, have an interest, or be impacted by the project, its outcome,
whether this is directly or indirectly11. The stakeholder register is as follows;
Stakeholder Register
Stakeholder Register
Project
Name
High Service Inc. Customer Relationship
Management Project Charter
Project Manager [Author]
Objective
of the
Project
To source, select, test, and implement a
social media CRM
Project Sponsor Ben
Prepared
By
[Author] Date Prepared
Submitted Natalie, Stakeholder Steering Committee
10 "Difference Between Program And Project Managers."
11 Usmani, "Stakeholder Register In Project Management."

To
I
D Name Organiz
ation
Role Title Type of
Communi
cation
vehicle for
Communi
cation
Stake Influe
nce
Project
Perspecti
ve
Comm
ents
1 Natalie VP
Operatio
ns, High
Service
Inc.
Program
Sponsor
Overall
program
coordin
ator
Reporting
to Steering
Committee
E-mail Has very high
interest since
the success of
the entire CRM
program
depends to a
significant level
on how
successful the
social media
CRM is
High High Progra
m
sponso
r
Internal
status
meeting
Verbal/ meetings
2 Ito High
Service
Executiv
e
Program
Manage
r
Overall
project
manage
ment
Reporting
to Steering
Committee
E-mail Has a high
stake since is
responsible for
managing the
entire program
High High Manag
er
Internal status meeting
3 Ben CIO Project
Sponsor
Decisio
n
making
on
hiring,
staffing
Internal
status
meeting
E-mail Very high Very
high
Very high Hiring
entire
social
media
CRM
team
Direct
Communic
ation
Verbal/ meetings
4 [Autho
r]
Social
Media
CRM
project
Project
manager
Managi
ng
project
team
Reporting to project
Sponsor
Very high Very
high
Very high Critica
l for
project
succes
s
Fulfillin
g
project
objectiv
es
Reporting to Steering Committee
Reporti
ng
Internal
status
meeting
E-mail
Ensuring deliverables
met
Verbal/ meetings
Testing and training
5 George Marketin
g
Manager
Decisio
n
making
on
needs in
business
case
Assistin
g in
business
case
develop
ment
Internal
status
meeting
Verbal/
meetings
High High High Critica
l in
ensurin
g
project
approv
al

develop
ment
E-mail
6 Externa
l
Consult
ant
External Selectin
g
vendors
Consult
ant
External
Official
Communic
ation
E-mail High Mediu
m
Medium Consul
ting to
choose
vendor
s
Status
meetings
E-mail/ verbal
Reporting
to team
E-mail
7 Project
team
Social
Media
CRM
team
Deliver
y team
Team Internal
status
meeting
Verbal/
meetings
Very High High Very
High
Project
deliver
y
E-mail
8 Steerin
g
Commi
ttee
High
Service
Executiv
e team
Steering Steering Committee verbal Very High High very High Ensuri
ng
commi
tment
and
adopti
on
Verbal
meetings
E-mail
9 HR
Depart
ment
High
Service
HR
Hiring HR
Depart
ment
Internal
status
meeting
E-mail High Very
High
Very high Hiring
requisi
te staff
for
project
team
memos Verbal
10 Other
Departments High
Service
Finance
Supporti
ng
project
team
Depart
ments
Internal status meeting High Mediu
m
High Suppor
ting
decisio
n
makin
g
High service Marketing Memos E-mail
High Service procurement
1
1 Custom
ers
The
public
Customers (existing
and potential)
Social
media
Social
media
High Low Medium
1
2 High
Service
Staff
High
Service
Employe
es
Using
the
system
Staff of
High
Service
Inc.
Official
Communic
ation
E-mail High Mediu
m-
Low
High Future
Users
1
3 Softwa
re/
system
vendor
s
Sellers
of social
media
CRM
software
Providin
g
solution
Vendors External E-mail Very High High High Solution
providers
Verbal

Stakeholder management Strategy
This project has a variety of people, and the success of the social media CRM project and the
entire CRM program of High Service Inc. depends significantly or wholly on the people
involved in this project, namely the stakeholders listed above. The project manager must
determine the stakeholders and the areas of the project they influence, and their level of
influence. The commitment of the stakeholders to the project must be obtained and assured for
the project to be successful; the stakeholders must ‘buy in’ to the project12. Effective stakeholder
management for a project requires certain soft skills as well as leadership sills to harness all the
resources the stakeholders hold and keep them happy and involved. The basic framework for
managing stakeholders is based on the balance of People-Process-technology. First of all, as the
stakeholder registers shows, the stakeholders must be identified, along with their roles and
titles13. After identifying the people, their level of impact in the project is determined with regard
to the stake they hold in the project as well as their influence and perspectives on the project.
After this, a defined method must be determined on how they will be communicated with. The
processes within the project, such as reporting and communication must be well defined,
especially where technology is involved, such as using video conferencing, given that some team
members will be remotely based and can only participate in the project through the web. The
processes of how they communicate, make contributions, and attend ‘meetings’ will be clearly
defined, along with the applicable process technologies. Further, the project manager will ensure
that the relevant stakeholders are trained in the processes and their attendant technologies. The
stakeholder’s expectations will be determined and used as the basis for undertaking the projects;
the expectations contribute significantly to determining the requirements for the project. This is
premised on the principle that everything that is done (or not done) creates some form of
expectation. The strategy will entail;
 Identifying stakeholders I the project, and having their expectations reviewed as well as
analyzing their levels of interest and influence
 Devloping an effective communication strategy with the preferred communication
methods and a defined schedule
12 Chinyio, Construction Stakeholder Management.
13 Baker, "Planning Effective Stakeholder Management Strategies."

 Reforming change/ risk impact analysis where a method for resolving conflicts is
developed while also identifying adversaries and advocates for the social media CRM
project
 Executing the project plans and evaluating success by engaging the stakeholders
proactively and gaining feedback; the approach can be refined as feedback is obtained14
Statement of the Project Scope
The social media CRM project has the following scope;
 Selecting vendors and evaluating several solutions (between 3 and 5) and trying them out
 Establishing a robust social media presence in Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and
Instagram
 Developing standard processes for the maintenance and updating of social media sites
 Developing a use policy that is acceptable and in line with organizational regulations for
employees involved in the social media CRM
 Integration of accounts so that content can be leveraged across channels
 Developing and implementing a strategy to acquire customers/ fans and having a means
for metrics and measurement
 Executing a plan that can be maintained and scaled, focusing on attaining specific
benefits of better customer satisfaction and retention, customer service, and increased
sales and revenues as well as a better brand presence and perception by the customers
 The project will be done in phases, starting with establishing the teams and stakeholders,
followed by identifying and trying solutions than making changes based on feedback, and
finally, a system wide implementation and training of the users15.
14 O'Loughlin, "How To Manage And Engage Project Stakeholders."
15 Moustafaev, Project Scope Management: A Practical Guide To Requirements For Engineering, Product,
Engineering, IT And Enterprise Projects.

Bibliography
Baker, Ernest. "Planning Effective Stakeholder Management Strategies". Pmi.Org, 2012.
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/planning-effective-stakeholder-management-
strategies-development-6058.
Bridges, Jennifer. "Difference Between Program And Project Managers".Projectmanager.Com,
2016. https://www.projectmanager.com/training/the-difference-between-a-program-
manager-and-a-project-manager.
Chinyio, Ezekiel. Construction Stakeholder Management. 2nd ed. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K:
Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
Conboy, Kieran, Sharon Coyle, Xiaofeng Wang, and Minna Pikkarainen. "People Over Process:
Key Challenges In Agile Development". IEEE Software 28, no. 4 (2011): 48-57.
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'Crestwood Associates'. "The Importance Of Executive Sponsorship For ERP/CRM
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sponsorship-for-erpcrm-deployments/.
DeMers, Jason. "7 Reasons You Need To Be Using Social Media As Your Customer Service
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reasons-you-need-to-be-using-social-media-as-your-customer-service-portal/.
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"Managing Customer Relationships In The Social Media Era: Introducing The Social
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Moustafaev, Jamal. Project Scope Management: A Practical Guide To Requirements For
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Usmani, Fahad. "Stakeholder Register In Project Management". PM Study Circle - A PMP Exam
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Wang, Xin, Riley Dugan, and Jane Sojka. "CRM Systems With Social Networking Capabilities:
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8008230303.
Zaglia, Melanie E. "Brand Communities Embedded In Social Networks". Journal Of Business
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