ICT-enabled CRM system adoption: a dual Indian qualitative case study and conceptual framework development
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-05-2020-0198 |
| Published date | 05 October 2020 |
| Pages | 257-277 |
| Date | 05 October 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,International business |
| Author | Sheshadri Chatterjee,Ranjan Chaudhuri,Demetris Vrontis,Alkis Thrassou,Soumya K. Ghosh |
ICT-enabled CRM system adoption: a
dual Indian qualitative case study and
conceptual framework development
Sheshadri Chatterjee, Ranjan Chaudhuri, Demetris Vrontis, Alkis Thrassou and
Soumya K. Ghosh
Abstract
Purpose –The paper aims to develop a comprehensive framework for adopting an information and
communication technology (ICT)-enabled customer relationship management (CRM) system, toward
strengtheningand expanding the customer basis of the organization.
Design/methodology/approach –Advanced ICT-enabled CRM includes mobile CRM, AI integrated
CRM and social CRM andseveral business organizations have already startedexploring their advanced
utilization for direct financial gain and indirect ‘‘soft’’benefits. Most of them, however, are challengedin
the process, due to lower-than-demanded adoption of such CRM systems. To deal with the issue, the
paper methodologically applies a dual qualitative case study approach that ultimately develops an
advancedcomprehensive CRM adoption framework.
Findings –The key findings pertainingto the evaluation of organizations’ readiness to adopt advanced
ICT-enabled CRM systems in terms of infrastructure and resources, the identification of the critical
functional areas of the organization’s focus and the differences in the requisite approaches across
industriesand organization types.
Practical implications –In the contextof the internet and social media, the analysis andmanagement of
customer big data and theirtranscription into useable information is crucial. Traditionaland conventional
CRM was deemed unable to address this need, thus necessitating the use of advanced ICT-enabled
CRM. The proposed correspondingframework tangibly and practically, thus,directs businesses toward
the successfuldeployment of ICT-based CRM systems.
Originality/value –This study constitutes a novel attempt to identify the issues of deployment of ICT-
based CRM systems in an organization and proposes a comprehensive framework, which will enable
organizationsto overcome the barriers whenadopting a new system.
Keywords India, Artificial intelligence, Information and communication technology (ICT),
Customer relationship management (CRM), Adoption, Framework
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction –research context, gap and aim
The success of any business organization primarily depends on how it assesses the
purchase preference and biases of its customers. Giannakis-Bompolis and Boutsouki
(2014) categorized CRM as follows: “a comprehensive strategy and process of acquiring,
retaining and partnering with selective customers to create superior value for the company
and the customer.” Customer relationship management (CRM) is defined as “a strategic
approach concerned with creating improved stakeholder value through the development of
appropriate relationships with key customers and customer segments” (Payne and Frow,
2005, p. 168). Extant literature on industrial applications in CRM has established that
organizations, which deploy more resources to boost CRM activities often have better-
mapped process capabilities and financial performance (Singh, 2018;Hou et al.,2019;
Sheshadri Chatterjee is
based at the Department of
Computer Science and
Engineering, IIT Kharagpur,
Kharagpur, India.
Ranjan Chaudhuri is based
at NITIE, Mumbai, India.
Demetris Vrontis and Alkis
Thrassou are both based at
the University of Nicosia,
Nicosia, Cyprus.
Soumya K. Ghosh is based
at IIT Kharagpur,
Kharagpur, India.
Received 21 May 2020
Revised 20 July 2020
Accepted 30 July 2020
DOI 10.1108/JABS-05-2020-0198 VOL. 15 NO. 2 2021,pp. 257-277, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1558-7894 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES jPAGE 257
Tarsakoo and Charoensukmongkol, 2019). CRM systems’ recent emergence has focused
even more on the customer data value as a key organizational asset (Peltier et al.,2013;
Vrontis et al., 2017). Also, CRM operation that focuses on the implementation and
development of more effective and efficient customer-oriented strategies leads to a firm’s
success (Chang et al.,2010). An organization can improve its operating process by
technology and, as a result, it can improve its performance. This is needed for the better
realization of customers’ requirements (Coltman et al., 2011) and would help the concerned
decision-makers of the organization (May et al., 2013). Each organization needs to analyze
potential customers’ likes and dislikes as they contribute to the organization financially
(Dubinsky, 1999). Besides, organizations should keep records of their customers’ data for
interacting with them when needed (Kumar and Ramani, 2003). From these inputs,
customer data is converted into useable information that increases the total performance of
organizations (Stein and Smith,2009).
To ensure proper customer relationship, different forms of customer data are to be
preserved for scientific and strategic analysis (Kim et al., 2012). This analysis would help
improve the business health of organizations (Coyle et al.,2013;Kaur and Soch, 2018;Nair
et al., 2019). As organizations’ business improves, the number of customers would
increase. Understanding how CRM technology deployment affects transactional outcomes
would essentially determine companies’ path to progress to improve their financial viability
and market-linked performance. However, analysis of such a large amount of customer
data, instrumental for the betterment of the organization, will be difficult for people to do
without using appropriate technology (Wang and Feng, 2012). It is essential to keep
customers’ information up to date for customer satisfaction and for the efficient use of the
organization’s resources(Josiassen et al.,2014).
As technology changes rapidly in the CRM landscape, it becomes pertinent to calibrate
information technology strategies to redesign the process of CRM adoption and imple mentation,
so that each node in the company to customer interface gets linked to delivering outstanding
service and product value for customers, responds to real-time communications, interprets on line
and offline buying behavior and develops predictive models for the recommendation engine to tap
and harness customer value in the marketplace. Hence, there lies the importance of using
advanced ICT-enabled CRM systems (Finnegan and Currie, 2010). It can be inferred that this ICT-
enabled CRM system acts as a helpful and effective tool for an organization to win customers
(Chee, 2008). For a scientific analysis of customer data, technological characteristics play an
important and meaningful role (Verma and Verma, 2013;San-Martı
´net al., 2016). Huge volumes of
customer data need to be preserved in the cloud platform for efficient management (Chebbi et a l.,
2017;Busari et al., 2019). This preservation mechanism is less costly (Wen and Chen, 2010;
Kumar et al.,2011). There are different ty pes of advanced ICT-enabled CRM systems. They are
mobile CRM (Kim et al., 2015;Hung et al., 2013), electronic-CRM (Wen and Chen, 2010), cloud
CRM (Gupta et al., 2013), AI-integrated CRM (Sahu and Gupta, 2007;Chatterjee et al., 2020b),
social CRM (Harrigan et al., 2015), etc. Thus, the application of any form of an advanced ICT-
enabled CRM system is essential for improving organizations’ business health.
Extant works on the subject are scant, particularly those that attempt to develop a gen eral and
comprehensive framework for the adoption of ICT enabled CRM system in an organization.
Aiming to fill this gap, this study has adopted a case study methodology, focusing on two firms
(a service and a manufacturing one) to develop such a framework, comprising also critical
functional areas with their corresponding points of concerns (POCs), which require particular
attention toward successful adoption of ICT-enabled CRM systems.
2. Industry context
From 2017 to 2018, Salesforce wasthe market leader in CRM software, followed by Adobe,
Oracle, SAP and Microsoft. Interestingly, a significant amount of the CRM software marketis
captured by smaller firms. Figure 1 provides an idea about CRM applications’ market
PAGE 258 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES jVOL. 15 NO. 2 2021
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