If your company is in M&A mode, you may end up acquiring a new CRM system. It probably won't make sense to run multiple CRM systems for the long haul, but you don't necessarily want to scrap the new one immediately. David Taber, author of "Salesforce.com Secrets of Success," presents a brief primer in CIO this week on what to do when you end up with more than one CRM system following a merger.

If your organization plans to fully integrate the company it bought into your sales and marketing operations, you probably can't justify maintaining two separate CRM systems, Taber advises. If this is the case, it might make sense to get rid of one system as soon as possible.  

However, if the systems serve different arms of the company org chart, you might consider maintaining them both, at least until the next planned refresh cycle. If the acquired company has a different product line, supply chain or customer base, there may be little reason to try to integrate them right away. Taber points out that CRM systems tend to last a relatively short time--as little as five years--and you may not end up waiting long before it is time for a regularly scheduled transition.

A third option is to swap both systems out for a new one, but Taber cautions that this requires considerable planning and preparation, and it can be quite risky.

Taber describes how CRM technology is different from other enterprise IT in a number of ways. It can be susceptible to data quality problems, and its success depends on "happy and participative users." What's more, the more advanced the system is, the more likely it will be integrated with many other information systems, both external and internal. A strategic approach to absorbing a new CRM system can help make the most of a merger or acquisition.

For more:
- see Taber's column in CIO

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