CRM for the Public Sector
As private sector business methods cross over into the public sector, many government bodies are investigating how they can apply private sector Customer Relationship Management (CRM) models.
For the private sector, there are clearly identified CRM processes which increase profits and improve efficiency. These are focussed on sales, marketing and customer service activities, which often operate along fundamentally different lines to the public sector. So how can private sector CRM methods be adapted to the public sector?
As independent CRM specialists, Concentrix have worked with nearly 400 private companies throughout the UK and improved their businesses using CRM. We have also applied this expertise to CRM in the public sector.
CRM may operate differently in private and public sectors, but the principles are the same. This means the most effective CRM methods used in the private sector can be transferred to the public sector relatively painlessly. For example, the focus on sales in the private sector may become a focus on service uptake in the public sector. Commercially driven sales forecasts, opportunities and lead management processes can all be used in the public sector, albeit with a different perspective. Private sector marketing techniques, for example those used for lead generation, can be adapted in the public sector to segment and target potential service users, promote messages, raise awareness or gain increased responses from campaigns. There is also cross-over in customer care, where private sector and public sector CRM methods of contact and case management are often similar. The main difference is that in the private sector, a key advantage of CRM is its use in determining service levels (so the level of service provided relates to the potential value of the customer), whereas the public sector generally values customers equally. The tools and CRM software used, however, remain the same.
Deployed correctly, private sector CRM models can be highly effective in the public sector. The models move even closer together due to the customisation possible with some of the modern commercially available CRM products. This means that not just the principles can be adapted: private and public sectors can even use the same CRM software.
For more information about CRM for the public sector, appropriate CRM products and CRM services, contact Concentrix. Using our extensive CRM experience, we can ensure the success of public sector CRM projects.