Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 4 For Dummies®

Appendix A. Converting to Microsoft CRM

In This Chapter

• Planning the conversion

• Designing a system that meets your needs

• Establishing the new system and testing it

• Cleaning and importing the data

• Showing co-workers how to use the new installation

Although the end results can dramatically increase effectiveness, for most sales organizations, the prospect of migrating to a different CRM system is a harrowing prospect. Most sales managers would rather donate a kidney . . . without anesthesia!

It can be technically challenging, but the key to an effective migration is in management. It's important to get everybody on board and excited. Of course, if in the end everything goes wrong, if all of your contacts have the first and last names switched and billing information is mismatched, the challenge will be having enough lifeboats for everyone jumping ship. But the best advice before the migration is to keep morale high and keep people participating in the process.

We recommend working with a Microsoft CRM professional who has done this hundreds or even thousands of times. Let her handle the technical stuff while you keep everyone excited.

Tip

If you're committed to Microsoft CRM, it's a good idea to order the hardware and software early in the process so that when you get to the point of installation there won't be a delay. Obviously, there are financial considerations to be made, but there is no reason that the hardware and software installation can't proceed in parallel with the system design. ...