The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs Implementation dynamics for CRM system development

Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online's data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. Summary This paper considers the implementation of CRM systems based on evidence from longitudinal case studies in medium-sized companies operating in the business-to-business sector. This research addresses systems implementation from two key perspectives. These are 1) the emergence of risks to implementations from an organizational context rather than a technological context and 2) the emergence of unwritten/unconscious strategies that contribute to the achievement of implementation success. An immersive case study approach is employed where video data is used to capture key phases of the implementation process. Analysis suggests that a set of four implicit contracts exist between the main actors, leading to a successful implementation, despite other failures. These 'contracts' are believed to make a positive contribution for CRM implementation practitioners by mitigating some of the ongoing organizational risks.