Understanding organisational changes in the post-adoption of CRM implementation: A socio-technical perspective

This research-in-progress paper uses a socio-technical perspective to analyse how organisational changes unfold in the post-adoption stage of a CRM implementation in an organisation. The qualitative interpretive case study was conducted at an innovative office automation solutions organisation in Bangkok, Thailand. The research findings reveal that the organisation’s sociotechnical system has been changed after CRM implementation including actors, tasks, structure and technology. In terms of structure, the organisation hired a new CRM team to convince and support users to use the CRM system. CRM officers became an essential part in the sales department. In addition, new rules were set up to prevent cross selling across districts. In terms of tasks, patterns of work have been changed in the sales community. In terms of technology, the CRM system enabled the visibility of customer data among sales staff, thereby shaping the dynamics of their relationships. Furthermore, there are two main consequences (increased transparency and conflict within the organisation) that emerge after CRM implementation. The paper concludes by discussing the study’s theoretical contribution and implications to practice.