Chapter 2. Planning Your CRM Implementation

So now, you think that your organization will better accomplish its mission with CiviCRM. This chapter will help you plan your implementation of CiviCRM, so that your CRM initiative has the best chance to enable greater organization success.

In this chapter, we will do the following:

• Identify potential barriers to success and learn how to overcome them

• Select an appropriate development methodology

• Build a balanced team

• Get started by measuring baseline metrics, creating a vision, and creating a plan

• Focus your CRM strategy first on your constituents and mission, and then on operational efficiency

• Review effective ways to gather requirements

• Identify specific types of requirements to be examined in each of the major areas of CiviCRM functionality

• Itemize elements of a good implementation plan

• Review how to calculate the total cost of ownership of CRM systems and their alternatives

• Plan for success

This chapter speaks to people who have the responsibility for...