Customer Relationship Management: Concepts, Applications and Technologies

This highly regarded textbook provides the definitive account of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) concepts, applications, and technologies, focusing on how companies can create and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with customers.

Readers will gain a thorough understanding of the conceptual foundations of CRM, see CRM in practice through illustrative case examples and exercises, and understand how to organise customer data gathering, analysis, and presentation for decision making. The book achieves these outcomes by first considering strategic CRM before moving into operational CRM and, finally, onto analytical aspects of CRM.

The fifth edition has been fully updated to include:

• A series of new case examples to illustrate CRM within various regional and industrial contexts, including those relevant to large, medium, and small enterprises
• A series of new exercises and discussion questions to help readers understand CRM concepts and to support pedagogical processes, particularly in higher education environments
• A greater emphasis on managerial applications of CRM through new content to help guide managers
• An updated account of new and emerging technologies relevant to CRM
• Expanded coverage of customer experience (CX), customer engagement (CE), and customer journey management (CJM)

Customer Relationship Management is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying CRM, Sales Management, Customer Experience Management, and Relationship Marketing, as well as executives who oversee CRM functions. Online resources include an Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a bank of exam questions.

Daniel D. Prior, BCom, MCom, GradCertUnivLear&Teach, PhD, FAMI CPM SFHEA, is Associate Professor of Buyer-Supplier Engagement at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Visiting Professor of Strategic Sales at Cranfield University, UK. Daniel is currently Deputy Head Education (Courses) of the UNSW Canberra School of Business and former Co-Director of the Centre for Strategic Marketing and Sales at Cranfield University, UK.

Francis Buttle, BSc, MA, PhD, is founder and principal consultant of Francis Buttle & Associates. He was previously Professor of CRM, Relationship Marketing, and Marketing at Macquarie University (Australia) and Manchester Business School (UK).

Stan Maklan, BSc, MBA, PhD, is Emeritus Professor at Cranfield School of Management (UK), where he was previously Professor of Marketing and Technology and Director of the Centre for Strategic Marketing and Sales.

'In the fifth edition, Prior, Buttle and Maklan take what was already THE reference book for Customer Relationship Management to the next level, providing a highly contemporary and deeply pragmatic view of how to create value with CRM today and tomorrow.' Ross Dawson, futurist, keynote speaker, strategy advisor, and author of 5 books including Thriving on Overload

'Completely updated, this remains absolutely the best exposition of customer relationship management. Can’t think of a better guide to increasing your performance and profits. This book belongs on the desk of every company that is serious about CRM. The wealth of information and insight is astonishing.' Professor Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA

'The great thing about this book is that the authors keep it updated. Students get that rare combination of a comprehensive guide to theory, the injection of practical experience and the latest thinking on strategy, technology, and applications.' Dr. Merlin Stone, Professor of Marketing and Strategy (retd.), St Mary’s University, Twickenham, UK, and co-author Customer Relationship Marketing: New Thinking, New Strategy, New Tools

'This book is a complete guide to Customer Relationship Management. Of course, it covers the basics of CRM including Strategic CRM, Operational CRM and Analytical CRM, but the enriched fifth edition also explores cutting edge issues such as Artificial Intelligence, bots, Big Data, analytics for unstructured data, and how these impact on customer experience. This is a must-have book for everyone wanting to learn about CRM.' Aina Neva Fiati, Managing Director, iSystem Asia – Customer Strategy Excellence Center, Jakarta, Indonesia

'At last, a serious manual for delivering what CRM always promised but generally failed to deliver. It is not, however, for the faint-hearted, but only for those who are serious about creating a holistic and unified organizational environment to create and deliver value to customers, and to keep them coming back for more.' Jeremy Cox, Founder and Chief Analyst, CX-Create Ltd., UK, and author of Mid-Market CRM: Customer Relationship Excellence in Mid-Sized Enterprises

'The pressure to create excellent customer experience has intensified considerably over the past few years because of the challenges of our evolving digital economy. Directors are desperate for robust, proven processes to be embedded in their organisations. Daniel Prior, Stan Maklan and Francis Buttle are outstanding researchers, teachers and experienced practitioners in the CRM/Customer Experience domains, and I urge you to take time to read this state-of-the-art book on this topic. Absorb. Apply. Achieve.' Professor Malcolm McDonald, MA(Oxon), MSc, PhD, DLitt, DSc., Emeritus Professor at Cranfield University and Visiting Professor at five of the top Business Schools in the UK. Formerly Marketing and Sales Director of Canada Dry

'An excellent insight into how CRM really works. I’ve used previous editions for my teaching as the book really helps students to understand CRM. I also use it with my clients, and they have been amazed at the difference that it has made to their businesses. It really helps them to develop critical customer knowledge and from there, appropriate customer strategies. This new edition, with updated content and case examples, has moved understanding forward yet again and has become my new go-to for CRM.' Dr. Julie Jones, PhD, FCIM, Chartered Marketer, Aberystwyth Business School, Wales, UK

'A dynamic, strategic, practical and deeply relevant guide to creating and implementing a winning customer experience strategy. A must read.' Larry Hochman, European Business Speaker of the Year, Customer Experience expert and author of The Relationship Revolution

'This book offers a comprehensive overview of the key ideas and issues related to modern Customer Relationship Management in an easily understandable format. It provides a lot of actionable insights and rich illustrative examples, and is a must read for all managers, scholars, and students interested in this domain.' Joona Keränen, Associate Professor, RMIT University Australia