OPEN UNIVERSITY

MALAYSIA
--------

CLOUD CRM SYSTEM FOR
EXPRESS SERVICE
IT FOR MANAGERS
BMME5103 ASSIGNMENT
SEMESTER 2014






Prepared by: Doan Ly Minh Huy
Class: MBAOUM0314 K13A
ID Number: CGS00017280


June 2014
Contents
Section I. Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 1
Section II. Concept ........................................................................................................................ 2
1. Problem definition ............................................................................................................... 2
2. Problem Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 3
Section III. CRM in todays Trend ............................................................................................. 7
1. Mix of channels for CRM .................................................................................................... 7
2. Mobility Trend changes the access of customer service ...................................................... 9
3. The decrease of inbound calls in the year 2016 ................................................................. 10
Section IV. Design and Implementation of CRM in cloud ...................................................... 11
1. Implementation Process ..................................................................................................... 11
2. Consolidation Process ........................................................................................................ 13
3. Optimization Process ......................................................................................................... 14
4. Transformation Process ..................................................................................................... 16
Section V. Innovation for CRM System on Cloud ................................................................... 18
Section VI. Conclusion................................................................................................................ 19
Reference ..................................................................................................................................... 20






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Section I. Executive Summary
Cloud Computing, a further step of the humanity in general and of the IT industry in
particularity, has the ability to transform a large field of IT industry. With Cloud computing, IT
developers are not limited by the concept of storage as well as memory, because everything they
need has been transferred to an open space and its totally easy to download or replace data from
cloud to private computer and vice versa. With large amount of server, Cloud computing is really
a spacious cloud in literality, where the users pay few money to have more and more amount of
storage.
About CRM, were talking about the management and enhancement the customer relationship,
and with the development of the technology of the world as well as the Economics, the
relationships between seller and buyer becomes more complicated. Besides that, the consumers
have been increasing in quantity and quality or knowledge, they are fully aware of the power
they wield. Thereby, to keep the loyal customers and to attract potential customers, an enterprise
needs to develop CRM system become more effective and more highly interactive with cheap
cost. And, CRM on cloud computing is the best solution for firms nowadays.
In specific, with Express service, CRM is key factor deciding the success of an express firm.
Managing and developing customer database, providing convenient services for customers,
differentiating service to create competitive advantages against competitors are the missions
must done for firm to obtain market share. This shows the importance of optimizing CRM
system on cloud. From all of things above, we can realize that an IT manager will have to design
an cloud model that is compatible with CRM system of Express company, plan the step by step
particularly the implementation of the cloud computing. Moreover, the combination of CRM



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system and mobile device as well as social media technology is very important, due to the
outstandingly developing of mobile device.
Section II. Concept
1. Problem definition
It seems like everything have been hosted in cloud computing nowadays, from the enterprise
application to school curricular, all of things have been shifted to the Internet to improve
accessibility.
- Cloud computing is a computing model, not a technology. In this model, all servers,
networks, applications and other elements related to data centers are deployed and ready
for IT end users via the Internet, allowing IT administrators can purchase each type and
number of computing services that they need. Cloud model is different from traditional
infrastructure in which customers need to spend resources to manage. Instead, they plug
into the "cloud" for infrastructure services, platform services (OS), software or services
(such as SaaS apps), and act as internal data center or computer providing the same
functionality.




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- CRM is the abbreviation for customer relationship management. It includes all aspects of
the interaction between corporation and customer. While the phrase customer relationship
management focuses on the business-customer relationship, CRM system are related to
manage business contacts, clients, contracts win and sales leads, especially provide the
best services to customers.
- Based on the concept of CRM above, we can understand more clearly about CRM on
cloud. The simple explanation for this concept means all the software, tools related to
CRM as well as the organizations customer data is resided in the cloud, and the end-
users will use it through the Internet. The cloud CRM often provides the access to the
application or database via web-based tools (or Web browser) logins where the CRM
system administrator has previously determined access level across the organization.
And, the CRM system becomes friendly with user owing to interactive system between
users and application, easily accessing to cloud from Internet-enabled computer or mobile
device such as smartphones or tablets.
2. Problem Characteristics
The cloud model enables the popularity, convenience, on-demand network access to
configurable computing resources such as networks, servers, storage, applications and services.
This model is composed of five essential characteristics:
- On-demand self-service: consumers have access to their services and have the
power to change cloud services through an online control panel or directly with the
providers. In basic, they can add or delete users and change storage networks and
software as needed.



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- Broad network access: users can access their database and applications by using
their smartphones, tablets, laptops and so on. They can use these devices wherever
they are located with a simple online access point. This mobility attract businesses
because employees and employers can easily be in work whether in business hours or
on off-times, whether on the road or in the office.
- Resource pooling: The providers computing resources are pooled to serve multiple
consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources
dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. There is a sense
of location independence in that the customer generally has no control or knowledge
over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location
at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).
- Rapid elasticity: the cloud is flexible and scalable to suite the immediate business
needs. Corporation can quickly add or remove users, software features, and other
resources.
- Measured service: cloud provides measuring storage levels, processing, bandwidth,
and the number of user accounts and the firm is billed appropriately. The amount of
resources that firm may use can be monitored and controlled from both firms side
and cloud providers side which provides transparency.
3. Recent Trends
According to website of Forbes, Cloud computing has taken companies in 2014 with nearly 60
percent of current small to medium businesses using cloud services and 72 percent of them
virtualizing significant portion of their servers. The year 2014 promises an expanding of cloud



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technologies on every front from infrastructure and SaaS to customized security and platform
independence. And, we will watch for seven major cloud computing trends in 2014
- Hybrid Clouds: the rise of hybrid cloud, the combination between the security of
private clouds and the powerful, scalable and cost-effective benefits of public clouds,
encourages businesses to adopt cloud-based infrastructure. The hybrid clouds bring
out the range of solution for IT decision-makers, who need the benefits of private
cloud and public cloud.
- The industrial Internet takes off: search for the Industrial Internet to start
transforming operations in 2014, as solutions combining intelligent machines, big
data analytics, and end-user applications begin to roll out across major industries.
Cloud computing platforms will play a big role in creating the next generation of
intelligent, software-defined machines that are operable and controllable entirely from
centralized to remote locations.
- Web-powered Apps: the scalability and efficiency are among key benefits of cloud
computing, the businesses choose cloud cause of simple interaction with high
effective based on web platform. Hence, developing cloud computing as well as its
applications on web platform is essential and important.
- BYOD and the Personal Cloud in Enterprise IT: The BYOD movement is already
approaching enterprise environments and is expected to expand in 2014. As end-users
put more of their own data into personal cloud services for syncing, streaming, and
storage, IT executives are finding ways to incorporate personal cloud services in the
firm environment via techniques such as Mobile Device Management.



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- Platform-as-a-Service Continue to Grow: PaaS Solution will become the new trend
for businesses in the upcoming year. It doesnt only reduce the IT costs but also
develop application to maximize the efficiency for corporations. According to the
analyst firm IDC, the PaaS market is expected to grow from $3.8 billion to $14
billion by 2017.
- Graphic as a Service: the high-end graphics applications often require a massive
hardware infrastructure. To meet these demands, the huge IT Corporations such as
AMD and NVDIA are developing emerging cloud-based graphics technologies, and,
end-users will be able to run graphically intense applications by only an HTML5 web
browser.
- Identity Management in the Cloud: beside the advantages being brought by the
cloud computing such as accessibility, convenience, high speed interaction, and high
power, there exist the risks inside the cloud, particularly in security policies. To huge
enterprises, security problem is matter of survival. Thereby, looking for the identity
management solutions is totally essential to bring new paradigms of security to the
cloud in 2014.










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Section III. CRM in todays Trend
The trend of todays CRM is transforming transactions into context. It means the customer
relationships doesnt act traditionally anymore, the interaction between the firm and the customer
is not the direct meeting to serve and consult, not the annual party for V.I.P customer and so on,
but it develops into a higher level with various interactive channels bringing more effective.
Moreover, the integration of social media and mobile technologies into CRM make this trend
being accelerating.
And, according to the research of OVUM, we have identified three key trends impacting on the
enterprises and their implications today
1. Mix of channels for CRM
The development of technologies leads to the extension of the interactive channels for
managing customer relationship. The customers are aware of the power they wield
and the influence they have on the firm, therefore they have many options for
selecting the type of services. The Figure 1 shows consumers preferences for
customer services in Europe (France, Germany and US).






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Based on Table Figure 1, the channels of Phone call with a CSR and Email make up
over 70% respondents of customers nowadays. In which, Phone call with a CSR also
had high percent of respondents two years ago. It indicates that the Phone channel is
never backward, particularly smart phones. Besides that, other channels make up the
same percent, because the improvement of social media and technologies, the
increase in engaging with businesses across different channels of customers. This
requires the enterprises need to hire multi-skill employees to manage and develop
interactive channel with customers effectively.






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2. Mobility Trend changes the access of customer service
According to the figure of OVUM source,
More than 60% of inbound customer service calls in 2016 will be made from
mobile devices (which include smartphones, PCs, tablets and feature phones). And
42% of calls will be made from smart devices that have high bandwidth data
connectivity such as smartphones, PCs and tablets

These figures show that the ways to engage with the customer service center is
changing over the next few years, in which the high-tech devices make up high
percents of inbound calls. This means the enterprises need to support adequately
multiple channels, where the customers can switch from one channel to another
seamlessly or use different channels at the same time during a single interaction, this



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supporting does not only raise the firms to a higher level, but also interact with
customers effectively and accurately.
3. The decrease of inbound calls in the year 2016
The research of OVUM predicts that call volumes will plateau in the developed
European countries and beginning in 2016 inbound customer service calls will
decrease due to changes in customer demographics, proliferation of new channels,
outbound campaigns, crowd sourcing, and improved self-service functionalities.
Besides that, the length of inbound calls intends to increase when the voice channel
becomes the last resort for contacting to the service center of customers. Of course,
the sensible enterprises can realize this trend rapidly and have appropriate plans to
invest in infrastructure, to upgrade the personalization database, and to allow for
appropriate interactions to the needs and wants of the specific customers.














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Section IV. Design and Implementation of CRM in cloud
The globalization makes the World becomes flat, it means the interactions between the nations in
the view of macrocosm and the corporations in the view of microcosm are uninterrupted and
rapid. In particular, to Express Service, CRM system plays a core role to link the business to
business within the countries, link the effort of the firm to the success. Moreover, Express
company need to manage huge database about customer and provide the useful services to
support the customers obtain the efficiency. With given limited resources and budgets, Express
company need to allocate resources logically and utilize budgets effectively to minimize costs
and maximize the efficiency.
Based on the CRM cloud model of OVUM, we will build an appropriate prototype for Express
service. The entire prototype will go through four processes in turn: Implementation process,
Consolidation process, Optimization process, Transformation process. Within each process, it
has six parts to design and assess the process includes: Outcome, Objective, Engagement,
Technology, Process, Structure.
1. Implementation Process
This process is the fundament for building and developing the stable cloud for CRM.
And, the design task is the first bricks for whole cloud building, it has to satisfy
requirement about technologic standards and CRM goals. Our prototype will be built on
the platform being compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and so
on. Moreover, integrating the social media applications is also essential, with the
development and out spreading over the World, the popularity of social media as well as
social network has connected every person, every business, helped the information
seamless.



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- Outcome: in this process, we intend to result in saving costs and satisfying
customers. By using the applications supporting customers parallel to utilizing score
scale such as business outcome, customer satisfaction level, and level of respondent
of customers, we can assess the possibility of this prototype
- Objective: designing a prototype supporting social media and being able to conduct
on mobile devices on the cloud platform. Increasing the interaction between
customers and the businesses, for example the customer can transfer the information
about exporting goods or importing goods rapidly to Express company and vice
versa.
- Engagement: the CRM prototype has to bring the promising convenience for
customers through the different channels. Besides using the current interactive
channel is phone call, we need to extend more different channels to be more flexible
in interacting with customers. For example: Express Application on smartphones or
tablets, emails, Video Calls
- Technology: we will utilize hybrid cloud to develop CRM system because the hybrid
cloud is the set of the best features of public cloud and private cloud. With Hybrid
Cloud, we can providing the customers the best services with the most efficient
technology, due to the pay-as-you-go scalability and ideal for heavy and
unpredictable traffic of public cloud, enhanced security and ultimate control of
private cloud. The company can rent or buy a whole server from third parties for
serving the database of customers and develop the applications support the business.
Moreover, we develop the CRM system in a higher level, bring the friendly
interaction and new experience for customers by integrating GPS into applications of



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company for supporting pick up goods and deliver goods to customers, integrating PR
code or Bar code scan application to make easier in checking the status of goods from
afar.
- Process: there will be a little change in business process of the company in first
process. Because everything about CRM system and applications has just started and
its necessary to check the CRM system on cloud and run the test with a range of
customers to assess the feedback.
- Structure: the first phase will be conducted by the HR department, Customer Service
department and IT department. Each department manages the data about customers
and provides the plans as well as the standards to the IT department. IT department
will analyze and deign the base for system and write the applications as required.
Every department organizes and works independently.
2. Consolidation Process
Moving to process 2, the company begins consolidating and upgrading the system,
especially the communication channels. Increasing the cooperation between the
departments to promote the efficiency, maximize the benefit.
- Outcome: we keep on saving costs and attracting customer with best services form
CRM system. Creating the close connection between departments to produce
homogeneous system.
- Objective: improving customer service is the core goal of this process. We will make
the research to investigate the needs of customers over the fields and realize the
potential markets for develop the CRM cloud.



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- Engagement: the database of customers on the cloud has been almost completed and
other applications become finish version and pending to be downloaded by customers
and businesses.
- Technology: in this process, the system will be checked carefully to find out the bugs
or errors. Applications will be tested for the stability, bring the new fresh innovation
to customers. Its necessary to totally finish server infrastructure, ensure the stable
bandwidth for storing customer database, application memory, encoding and so on.
Connecting from server to all devices in whole company, officially providing the
services and applications to customers.
- Process: the CRM system must be completed in this process to use in wide. Whole
system will be conducted by IT department and the outsourcing technology and its
management. Other departments are able to concentrate on managing the customer
service center, support customers in professional field, run the projects. The more
time spending in customers, the less time spending in infrastructure.
- Structure: pushing strongly the cooperation between Customer Service department,
HR department and IT department. Giving out the roadmap for cloud in order to
diffuse the fundamental understanding of tactical and strategic goals of company.
3. Optimization Process
This process is time for company to realize the benefits from CRM cloud bringing to
customers and company. We can figure out the value beyond the customer service
matures, the interaction between business and customer is raised in a higher level, is more
modern and professional. And, in this process, the firm focuses on upgrading and
optimizing the CRM system so as to enhance the competitive advantage.



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- Outcome: we make the customer estimate our customer service good quality, make
our Express service be the best choice of customer. Thereby, customers will be loyal
and always choose our service for expressing.
- Objective: our goal is not only about cost saving, but we will create more effective
value having influence on customer behavior. This requires we have more accurately
measure customer value, bigger system to track a wider variety of customer options,
wider visibility into customer behavior.
- Engagement: in this process, customers change from using multichannel to cross-
channel. The customers are able to connect to company through a mix set of
complicated contact channels, they have more options to choose services, switch from
one to another one. All of these is for purpose achieving the best efficiency.
- Technology: company mitigates risk with cloud as we are easily able to pilot, roll out
and tune new customer service center applications to test those against changing
customer needs and behavior. Besides that, thanks to the PR code application, the
new customer can compress their information into PR code and upload it onto CRM
system on cloud easily, then the data will be automatically added to database, and
both customer and company might access it anywhere anytime for updating and
using. With a mobile device, the business become more flexible and quicker, the
delay in transferring information will be eliminated.
- Process: the current business process is running stably and effectively, thus the
company has plans to make new business processes parallel to current one. Of course,
the new ones are also built on cloud platform because of the benefits of cloud
computing. For further purpose, we leverage the cloud, create higher interaction not



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only between the company and the customer, but also between the inbound and
outbound customers.
- Structure: the CRM system becomes more complex with multidimensional customer
issues, it requires the interdepartmental collaboration, development of unified
business structure.
4. Transformation Process
In the final process, a company is transforming everything, from its service processes to
its cloud-based technologies, from its approach to building teams to how it communicates
internally and externally. In which, to the express company, Customer is the key factor
bringing the success and the value of the company, all activities are focused on
supporting the best services and delivering the success for the customer.
- Outcome: in the last process, we intend to transform customer from passive
consumer into a partner of company. Both of sides collaborate together to create
successful value, more benefits. We use up the functions and the benefits of CRM on
cloud, upgrade better version, ongoing integrate more convenient application to
support different services.
- Objective: to express company, we follow the core goal which is customer
experience. With a broad range of data related to customer, we need a set of
interactive management tools beyond CRM system in order to bring customer a new
fresh experience, help customer approach the evolution of technology.
- Engagement: we open up new communication method within the company. We turn
that inward, connect different departments closely to share data and workflows,
cooperate to enhance the quality of services and to eliminate the defects.



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- Technology: by this process, we innovate in CRM system to make it popular and
indispensable in modern age. We deploy the technology which is more flexible,
scalable and cost-effective than pure delivery tools. We integrate the analytic tools to
grasp firmly the customers psychology, predict customer behavior in order to meet
their demand.
- Process: our business processes will be designed and run around customer experience
lifestyle cycle and cloud. We build workflow seamless interact between the channels
and departments, and identify customer effort.
- Structure: we restructure our team rely on customers experience mission,
companys mission and trends of market. Determining clearly role of each department
from internal audit, then promote the effort to provide best experiences to customer.















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Section V. Innovation for CRM System on Cloud
Besides the given efficiency from current cloud platform, we also need to keep innovating and
making new things to satisfy the unlimited demand of customer and come up with the
development of the age.
Social capabilities are embedded directly into cloud-based business processes so its easier for
customer to share information. This collaborative work environment seamlessly connects users
and content within a social network, no matter where people are located or which devices they
prefer to use. Social relationship management capabilities allow companies to build relationships
by engaging people even before they become customers. We create a social network which is
just spared for expressing community. In which, people can share experience and knowledge,
even cooperate to develop together.
Moreover, we develop the goods tracking tools on the cloud, which is very helpful for customer
to trace the current place of shipments. By attaching a bar code or PR code on every shipment
every when it comes to one place, we can check detail the status of shipment such as location,
time, number of packages and content inside the package, even the estimate time arrive of
flights. This means we bring customer assurance about their shipment, increase the loyalty of
them and attract potential customer.









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Section VI. Conclusion
To express service nowadays, an agile technology infrastructure is very essential, because it
supports customer service effectively and efficiently. In particular, Customer is the heart of
express company, who bring the revenue to company, bring new customer and new
opportunities. Based on the CRM system on cloud, we do not only deliver service, but also
deliver the success to customer. We are partner of customer, accompany with customer to follow
higher values, look for the joint goal to grow together.
Deploying the CRM system on cloud through four processes helps the express company to
organize customer service well, save the costs, check and complete the whole system to give out
best services. Applying tactical and strategic methods into system to analyze behavior and
psychology of customer and providing a level of agility and transformational qualities that will
help us successfully impact customer service and the larger customer experience. This will aid
the express company in sustaining a long term competitive advantage in an era when products
and services are becoming commoditized at a quicker pace due to globalization.












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Reference
1. CRM in the Cloud: What you need to know. Forward View Magazine.
http://www.ibm.com/
2. CRM and Cloud Computing: Any Relation?. Sales Force Website.
http://www.vendorseek.com/
3. Should You Move Your CRM To Cloud?. Francesca Patterson author.
http://www.cctoffice.com/
4. Cloud Computing. http://www.ost-vn.com/resources/cloud-computing.html
5. Cloud CRM - Customer Relationship Management cloud. Webopedia CRM Resources.
http://www.webopedia.com/
6. Seven Cloud Computing Trends In 2014. Suhas Sreedhar author. http://www.forbes.com/

7. Deploying Customer Service in the Cloud. By OVUM November 2012