If you get on the wrong train, get off at the next station

I recently stumbled across an intriguing Japanese proverb: "If you get on the wrong train, get off at the next station – the longer you stay, the more expensive the return trip will be." While it speaks of trains, this adage is a powerful metaphor for many facets of life, especially for navigating failing projects—like CRM implementations.

What Does "The Wrong Train" Mean?

In simple terms, the wrong train won't take you where you need to go—or if it does, you'll arrive painfully late and exhausted by unnecessary detours. In your CRM journey, the wrong train could mean several things:

• The wrong approach to project management or scoping.
• The wrong partner or a vendor who's misaligned with your goals.
• The wrong priorities that derail the project before it even gains momentum.

What you're likely noticing, however, isn't the 'wrong train' itself but the lack of results. Results that may be:

• The absence of expected functionalities being delivered.
• The failure to achieve the outcomes promised at the project's inception.

Pinpointing which wrong train you’re on is less important than figuring out how to get on the right one. Identifying the root cause will, however, help ensure you don't repeat the same mistake.

How Do You Get on the Right Train?

Read more: If you get on the wrong train, get off at the next station - the longer it takes you to get off,...

Going beneath the waterline of successful CRM

In this video Gill Walker takes you beneath the waterline and shows you what it takes to deliver a successful CRM Solution - and it is not choosing the best technology. She shows you what is usually only seen by people who have delivered successful CRM Solutions more than once!

Successful CRM solutions have a lot of components, a lot of moving parts. There is far more that is not visible than is visible.

As this video demonstrates, the 'right' technology is less important in my opinion, than many other factors and yet far more effort goes into selecting the technology, sometimes too driven by licence costs, than the other aspects which have more impact.

There are several key components - education and scoping are recurring themes. Not surprisingly, these are the pieces that are often either omitted or done badly - so we should not be surprised that the results are often lacklustre, as the foundations were unimaginative - at best.

Celebrating twenty years since Opsis started helping organisations with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Why did I select a picture of crockery for this blog - rather than a celebratory cake? Here’s why.  When I realised that this month was twenty years since I founded Opsis, I had to research what gift is traditionally given for a twentieth anniversary.  I was surprised to learn that the traditional gift is China.

In the twenty years since Opsis came into life, with the vision of helping organisations with Microsoft CRM, Microsoft CRM has changed beyond recognition.  It has gone from a single product – that only had sales and service, as marketing only appeared in v3 – to the keystone of a suite of products that support almost all aspects of your business.  This journey from Microsoft CRM to Power Apps as part of the Power Platform family has been fascinating to watch and I am blessed to have been part of it.

Not surprisingly, the integration options that enable you to share data between Power Apps and other software have matured by leaps and bounds.  I remember when a clunky and memory hogging Microsoft Outlook add-on – a feature that gave Microsoft CRM a huge edge over the competition as they had limited or no email functionality - was a real benefit.  Early versions of Dynamics had the ability to share data with Word and Excel, and so solved some data analysis and simple reporting challenges.  One of the areas where Microsoft have always done well is leveraging existing functionality in other members of their family to provide richer functionality without reinventing the wheel.

Read more: Celebrating twenty years of Opsis

Achieving the ROI (Return on Investment) of CRM: Your Blueprint for Success

In today's fast-paced digital world, a well-implemented CRM isn't just a tool—it's the key to unlocking growth for your organisation. The return on investment (ROI) for your CRM implementation can be massive - some companies manage up to a 10x return. But how do you ensure your CRM delivers the maximum impact? The answer lies in understanding the core elements that create ROI:

• software,
• partner, 
• user adoption

Why ROI Matters

The ROI on your CRM implementation isn't just a number; it's a reflection of how well CRM has integrated into your business operations. It's about more than just money; it's about the effectiveness of your sales team, the productivity of your employees, and the overall cost-effectiveness of your CRM solution. When done right, a CRM can revolutionize how you do business, leading to improved customer relationships, streamlined processes, and a significant boost in revenue.

Read more: Achieving the ROI (Return on Investment) from CRM: Your Blueprint for Success