Right-sizing the process

It's important to ensure that the process and methodology you adopt for your CRM initiative is appropriate to your organization's culture and size, the complexity of its existing systems, and the scale of your CRM effort. This goal of "right-sizing" the process to fit your needs is essential, both for you as the project manager/decision maker, and for any consultants you engage in the process. Besides having familiarity with your methodology of choice, the project team (organization leaders, staff, and consultants) should understand and appreciate how you have right-sized the project. For example, if you represent a small organization with two to five staff members, a volunteer board and committee structure, and 3,000 contact records, building too much structure and process into your project will impede efficient progress rather than helping it. You need enough structure to make sure that the project is well-defined, well-managed, effectively tested, and implemented...