CRM Services to Grow in 2004

META Group this week released a report showing that the CRM services market is expected to grow by 20 percent in 2004 after deferred projects move towards completion. The METAspectrum evaluation of CRM services market focuses on both commercial and nonprofit organizations attempting to improve client or constituent relations via strategy formulation, software selection, software implementation, business process improvement, training, and deployment. The evaluation focuses on nine CRM service providers: Accenture, BearingPoint, Cap Gemini Earnst & Young, Deloitte, EDS, Extraprise, Headstrong, IBM BCS, and Inforte. Michael Doane, vice president with META Group's Professional Services Strategies advisory service, says that in the near term it is up to CRM consulting firms to capture and demonstrate business value through CRM. These groups must help IT organizations understand that CRM success is not based solely on software implementations, but also include strategy, integration, deployment, and value measurement. META Group research indicates that businesses have greater success when using outside consulting services for these areas. Other findings of the report show that as CRM consulting services firms mature, the greatest challenge they face is client immaturity and that CRM service leadership requires an ability to move beyond value measurement and into long-term value capture for clients while still adhering to time and cost limitations.