Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy that helps companies develop and manage their customer relationships. CRM helps the company with a better understanding of the customer and the customers needs. Through the growth of social media, traditional CRM has been further developed into social CRM, which gives the companies a new approach to being competitive in differ-ent media. The new type of relationship between company and costumer is two-way and it is the customer who owns the relationship. Companies can be active on different platforms to directly interact with existing or potential customers. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate SME´s expectations and results of social CRM. The purpose was achieved by answering the following questions: Which incentives are key for SME to accept social CRM? What are SME´s expectations on using social CRM? To what extent do SME use social CRM? And what results did SME achieve by using social CRM? The study was conducted through a semi-structured interview study. Four different SMEs from different industries participated in the study. Compilation of interview results is presented in tabular form and shows that SME seldom has set goals and desired values before working in social media, but theresults achieved are nevertheless in line with what the companies thought the work in social media would give. Thecompanies in the study feel that they have been able to follow the development and be where customers are. / Customer Relationship Management (CRM)är en strategi som hjälper företag att utveckla och hanterasinakundrelationer. CRM hjälper företaget med en bättre förståelse för kunden och kundens behov. Genom framväxten av sociala medier har traditionell CRM vidareutvecklats till social CRM, vilket ger företagen ett nytt angreppssätt för att vara konkurrenskraftiga i olika medier. Den nya ty-pen av relation mellan företag och kund är tvåvägs och det är kunden som äger relationen. Företagen kan vara aktiva på olika plattformar för att direkt interagera med existerande kunder eller potentiella kunder. Syftet med denna uppsats är att utvärdera små och medelstora företags (SMEs) förväntningar på och resultat av social CRM. Syftet uppnåddes genom efter att ha svarat på följande fråge-ställningar: Vilka är drivkrafterna till att SME adapterar social CRM? Vilka för-väntningar har SME inför att använda social CRM? I vilken grad använder SME social CRM? Vilka resultat uppnådde SME av att använda social CRM? Studien genomfördes genom en semi-strukturerad intervjustudie riktad till SME. Fyra olika SME från olika branscher deltog i studien. Sammanställning av intervjuresultat redovisas i tabellform och visar att SME sällan har utarbetade mål och önskade värden innan arbete i sociala medier, men att dom uppnådda resultat ändå ligger i linje med vad företagen trodde arbetet i sociala medier skulle ge. Företagen i studien upplever att de lyckats följa utvecklingen och vara där kunderna är.

The main aim of this diploma thesis is to create an overview of analytic CRM systems which are offered in the Czech Republic with the emphasis on systems which can be used for marketing processes of the firms. The overview contains the reflection of new trends in CRM systems and marketing and the development to the future. In the last decade there is a huge development of CRM systems, which are generally known as sales force automation and less as an instrument for marketing management of the companies. Last but not least CRM is mistaken with information systems, even if the CRM concept is known for a lot of years and was developed from marketing, which is very often forgotten. The topic of this diploma thesis is originally view on CRM from marketing perspective and creation of compact view of analytic CRM systems, which are offered in the Czech Republic. Emphasis is put on using of these systems for marketing management and the target is disproving the myths, which are spoken about CRM as well CRM systems. Orientation of this document is mainly on analytic CRM systems, which has the most development in the last decades and can be used very well for marketing functions in companies. There is also a large development of marketing and CRM systems. The target is also making a summary of these trends and makes a hypothesis if CRM systems are developed according the future of marketing, if the CRM systems manage the reaction on this things.

This thesis is focused on CRM solutions in small and medium-sized organizations with respect to the quality of their customer relationship. The main goal of this work is to design an optimal CRM solution in the environment of real organization. To achieve this goal it is necessary to understand the theoretical basis of several topics, such as organizations and their relationship with customers, CRM systems, their features and trends. On the basis of these theoretical topics it is possible to analyze current CRM solution in the organization. From the data obtained by the methods of observation and controlled interview it was possible to prepare a design for optimal CRM solution. This optimal solution comes also from user and organization requirements. The optimal CRM solution saves time and costs associated with current CRM solution and replaces existing and ineffective CRM tools.

This thesis deals with analysis and possibilities of improvements in the area of customer relationship management in a company. There is a theoretical framework regarding customer relationship management and CRM systems including their implementation. The thesis includes analysis of current state of CRM in a concrete company and a proposal of a new CRM system implementation schedule based on the analysis. Finally, there is a discussion of benefits of the proposed project and author's proposals heading to improvements of CRM in the company.

Business Value of the CRM Approach – the Case of 5 Stars Hotels in Lebanon (Business Value de l'approche CRM – le cas des hôtels 5 étoiles au Liban) Le Customer Relationship Management (CRM) est un processus continu à l'échelle organisationnelle. Il permet une approche systémique pour aligner les différents processus, les technologies, et le client. L'application de l'approche CRM dans l'hôtel accompagne le cycle-client pendant toutes ses étapes. C'est une approche continue qui est définie par deux activités principales : l'analyse et l'action. Ces deux actions forment une boucle qui gère la relation client, tant que cette relation existe entre le client et l'hôtel. Le succès de cette approche à accroître la fidélisation des clients et à favoriser la rétention de clients a incité les hôtels à se concentrer sur le CRM. Malgré les importants investissements dans le CRM, nombreux sont les projets CRM qui ne parviennent pas à atteindre les objectifs attendus. Néanmoins, une poignée de projets CRM réussis démontre à la fois une preuve du concept et des lignes directrices pour une approche réussite. Notre recherche vise à éclaircir la « business value » de l'approche CRM dans les hôtels. Elle réunie le concept de l'identification des facteurs clés de succès et le concept de l'impact du CRM sur la performance organisationnelle en un seul modèle de recherche. Cette étude a été achevée en examinant l'approche CRM des hôtels 5 étoiles au Liban. L'échantillon final représente 87,5% de ces hôtels. / Business Value of the CRM Approach – the Case of 5 Stars Hotels in Lebanon Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an organizational-wide ongoing process. It provides a systemic approach to aligning business processes, technologies, and the customer. The application of the CRM approach in the hospitality sector accompanies the guest cycle in all its stages. It is an ongoing process defined by two main activities: the analysis and the action which are repeated as long as the relationship exists between the hotel and its customer. The success of this ongoing approach in increasing customer loyalty and fostering customer retention has yielded into the development of hotels' concentrations towards the CRM. Despite the extensive investments in CRM, numerous CRM projects fail to meet the expected business goals. Nevertheless, a handful of successful CRM projects give both a proof-of-concept and a guideline for a successful CRM approach. This research is intended to illuminate the business value of CRM approach in hotels. It brings together the concept of identifying the critical success factors of the CRM approach, and the impact of the CRM approach on the organizational performance in a single research model. This study was completed by examining the CRM approach in 5 stars hotels in Lebanon. The final sample represents 87.5% of the 5 stars hotels in Lebanon.

Bakgrund: CRM säljs ofta in som ett verktyg för att uppnå kundlojalitet. Forskningen är tvetydig på om sambandet mellan CRM och lojalitet gäller, och en rad problem som sägs hämma CRM-satsningar tas upp. Trots svårigheterna med CRM är ordet fortfarande lite av ett buzzword, och aktuellt än idag. CRM har utvecklats mycket sedan 1995, då begreppet först myntades, men innebörden är det samma: det är viktigt att fokusera på kunderna och bibehålla den kundbas som finns idag. Klädbranschen har upplevt en nedåtgående trend, och har endast vuxit online de senaste åren. E-handel är ett område där företag är extra utsatta för konkurrens, och ett sätt att hantera detta är att försöka bibehålla befintliga kunder. I studien undersöks svenska små och medelstora e-handelsföretag i klädbranschen ur ett fenomenologisktperspektiv; deras upplevelser och erfarenheter av CRM-lösningar och dessa lösningars påverkan på lojalitet. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur e-handelsföretags CRM-ansvariga ser på sina system och hur de upplever att deras CRM-lösningar bidrar till lojala kunder. Metod och genomförande: Studien har en fenomenologisk och hermeneutisk utgångspunkt, med kvalitativ och induktiv forskningsstrategi. Metod för datainsamling är semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta fallföretag i Sverige som bedriver handel med kläder online. Resultat: Studien visar att fallföretagen upplever allt mer konkurrens, samt att kundernas beteende blir allt mer utmanande. Intervjupersonernas uppfattning är lojalitet är viktigt, då kunder som återkommer är lätta att påverka, vilket är bra ur ettkostnadsperspektiv. Studien kartlägger också vilka former av CRM-lösningar som används idag, och konstaterat att småföretag använder relativt enkla lösningar. Slutligen upplever intervjupersonerna att deras CRM-lösningar har någon form av påverkan på kunderna, men att system som erbjuder till exempel personlig anpassning av kommunikation skulle bidra ännu mer då kommunikationen anses bli mer relevant. / Background: CRM is often proposed as tool for achieving customer loyalty. However, research conducted in this field is ambiguous on the correlation between CRM and customer loyalty, and many obstacles that hinder CRM projects are found. Despite the difficulties associated with CRM, CRM is still a buzzword today and the concept is present. The acronym was introduced in 1995 and has since developed a lot, however, the concept still has the same implication: it is important to be customeroriented and maintaining the extant group of customers. The apparel retail sector has experienced a decline, with growth exclusively in the ecommercechannel. E-commerce is a sector where companies are exposed tocompetition, and one possible strategy for dealing with the competitiveness is focusing more on maintaining the base of extant customers. In this project Swedish SMEs running e-businesses in the apparel retail sector are studied by using phenomenology, in order to assess their experiences of CRM systems and the systems’ perceived impact on customer loyalty. Aim: The purpose of this project is assessing how the CRM managers of e-commerce companies experience their CRM systems and the systems’ perceived impact on customer loyalty. Research method and execution: The project is based on phenomenology and hermeneutics, and uses a qualitative and inductive approach. The method used to gather information is semi-structured interviews with eight e-commerce companies in the apparel retail sector. Results: This study shows that the companies experience a high level of competition and the customer behavior to be more challenging. The people interviewed consider loyalty as important, due to the fact that recurring customers are more easily influenced, which is cost effective approach. The study also maps the current use of CRM systems and finds that small companies use relatively simple solutions. In the end the people interviewed express that they perceive that their CRM-systems influence the customers to some extent, but point out that solutions that provide customized communication would have a greater influence due to increasingly relevant content.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) which focuses on the relationship with customers has become more and more important in business management. CRM is a managerial system based on technological applications which can help companies to get competitive advantages. In our paper, we focus on the CRM in the Chinese context and our purpose is to identify important factors during the management of customer relationship in China. We have studied one of the largest Chinese Telecom companies.

The diploma thesis is committed to mapping CRM applications available in cloud and trends within. The goal is to describe what CRM is, how it evolved into Cloud CRM, analyze main differences between the two approaches and analyze trends that can be observed in CRM market and CRM applications. This is coupled with description of the most common CRM solutions and products available both on-premises as well as on-demand. In the first part, the thesis introduces theory behind Customer Relationship Management and its different understanding by various authors. It also describes the most common functionality of CRM. The second part explores the world of CRM application, characterizing infrastructure behind, deployment models, access options, licensing models and technology. In the next part the three on-premise solutions -- Oracle Siebel, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SAP 360 Customer are described in terms of their look and feel, functionality, social and mobile CRM capabilities and pricing. The next part finally deals with CRM in the form of Cloud, introduces the term cloud computing, clarifies when cloud is the right choice and generally compares costs of running CRM on-demand and on-premise. This is followed by trends description on CRM market and functionality. The last chapter describes two cloud CRM solutions for each of the enterprise, medium and small company target segments.

Customer Relationship Management has been an integral part of the enterprise since two decades. Today, enterprises that focus on customer satisfaction need to manage their relationships with their customers effectively. This demand has allowed software vendors to create CRM solutions. The technology and broadband advancement allowed the CRM vendors to enhance their product portfolio by developing web-based CRM systems, in addition to their CRM on-premise solutions. These vendors adopted the business model in which CRM on-demand systems are provided via monthly-subscription fees, decreasing the total cost of ownership massively for enterprises in need of these systems. This business model is especially attractive for Small-To-Medium Enterprises who are searching for cost-efficient CRM systems. Currently, CRM on-demand market is quite saturated with more than 40 vendors providing similar solutions. Furthermore, CRM on-demand is delivered via Software-as-a-service method, which is a relatively new technology with unique benefits along with drawbacks. Thus, it’s of vital importance for managers in SMEs to make the right decision while evaluating the CRM on-demand option and systems. This research is meant to address this issue by building a proposed framework for CRM on-demand system evaluation. The inductive research uses qualitative and quantitative approaches for data collection and analysis. The evaluation criteria for CRM on-demand systems at a functional and general level were proposed. The general criteria were refined via collecting data from CRM on-demand experts and users in SMEs by structured questionnaires. Combining these criteria created the proposed framework which was applied to evaluate two major CRM on-demand systems in the market. The results indicate that CRM on-demand systems cover the basic functionalities of CRM including sales, marketing and service modules and offer enhanced functionality such as mobile CRM, social CRM and customizations. The research also revealed drawbacks of CRM on-demand systems such as disintegration with legacy applications, limited language support, limited country availability and technology maturity which needs to be addressed in the future. This research provides valuable insight for managers in SMEs when selecting CRM on-demand systems for their companies. Furthermore, the academicians interested in CRM and cloud computing could improve this initial proposed framework and adapt it further to different cases.

Customer relationship management includes all the sophisticated methodologies. It is a comprehensive way to manage the relationships which company has with its customers. There is a fierce competiton between companies, small businesses have to compete on equal terms with large organizations. This situation leads to discussion about customer oriented approach and diligence to prevent the loss of customer portfolio. Increase in the knowledge of customers is a key point of success. Information technology boosts customer relationship management. Companies face expensiveness of technologies and they try to find cheaper and more reachable solution. To find and evaluate criteria of success of CRM Software-as-a-Service in Czech Republic is the objective of my thesis. The goal is to define a method on how to find aspects of success, to research and to evaluate the results. Thesis contains insight into levels of CRM, summary of criteria of CRM choice, description of SaaS technology, research, results and final conclusion.