Fewer clients invested in enterprise-wide CRM endeavors from mid-2001 to late 2002, opting instead to proceed with smaller, shorter and more tactical projects, according to a report released yesterday from Meta Group Inc., Stamford, CT.
Analysis from Meta Group's CRM Consulting Services METAspectrum, which evaluates the top 10 CRM vendors, found that clients have a low level of confidence in vendors based largely on early CRM troubles usually associated with enterprise-wide projects.
The analysis also found that more vendors are changing CRM messages from an enterprise-wide scale to a more tactical, value-based approach, taking into consideration individual clients' maturity levels, short-term needs and long-term visions.
In addition, as CRM consulting services firms mature, their greatest challenge is client immaturity, which leads to a higher relative importance of presence criteria (versus performance) as clients seek known quality.
Meta Group also predicted that CRM services will grow 5 percent to 6 percent in 2003 and 8 percent to 10 percent in 2004 and 2005.
