Data Visualization is key to CRM success

Data visualization is a standard term that describes any effort to assist human beings recognize the importance of information through setting it in a visual context. Patterns, developments and correlations that might go undetected in textual content may be uncovered and diagnosed simpler with statistics through Data visualization tools.

Why Data Visualization is important for CRM tools?

Conventional CRM solutions have evolved from simple contact management solutions to sophisticated commercial databases, branching out to advertising and marketing, customer service, accounting etc.. These solutions are now cloud-based, facilitating their connection to famous web services (e.g. LinkedIn,Twitter and Facebook) and other B2B applications. They have now ended up organisation systems at the heart of a corporation’s internal and external processes.However, their user interfaces have remained as old as 1990s : tables, pie charts, record builders are very common – simple perspectives at the central database whose only value is the uncooked records they incorporate.

Due to poor data visualizations, current CRM tools are sufferings from followings weaknesses.

CRM adoption issues. We have now become so used to the sleek user interfaces of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Therefore, we expect the same user-friendly designs from our CRM tools too. But these CRM tools are disappointed to remain stuck in spreadsheet world . This generate severe adoption issues for CRM tools, which require additional training, customization and monitoring. This also has a big negative impact on the ROI of the original CRM investment.

Poor Data quality. Poor adoption of CRM tools leafs to irregular data updates. This is bad enough from an administrative perspective but also means that CRM tool cannot realize its full BI potential.

Poor Decision support systems. Most of the CRM tools tends to distinguish administrative interfaces from the analytical interfaces. As a result, CRM users rarely consult the dashboards and mostly use the administrative interface. They don’t use the wealth of information contained in their commercial database to clarify their priorities and are left with the perception of CRM tool as an enforcement tool for management.

We believe that modern web technologies (e.g. HTML5, JavaScript) have simplified the development of dynamic user interfaces. CRM tool publishers can use them in three areas like Mental models, Visual alerts and Playability to improve the decision support systems.

New entrants on the CRM tools market have started to implement data visualizations, but the larger players have focused on other development opportunities (e.g. social integrations). That may be good for their current share price but will be critical if they intend to maintain their relevance in the industry.