About the Book
A Master Framework for the CRM Center of Excellence: Introducing Universal Standards for Customer Relationship Management CoEs" is a transformative guide designed to redefine how enterprise businesses approach CRM. Co-authored by Salesforce CRM veterans Velu Palani and Charlie Havens, this book delivers a comprehensive framework to establish, manage, and optimize CRM Centers of Excellence (CoEs). It empowers company leadership to build and align CRM information technology platform strategies with business objectives, ensuring robust customer engagement, operational efficiency, and sustainable business outcomes.
This organizational self-help guide introduces a universal framework that spans 27 CRM CoE functions across customer-centricity, operations, and foundational domains. By leveraging step-by-step processes, readers can refine CoE strategies, enhance corporate governance, improve data process management, better manage solution delivery, and achieve measurable business goals. Key features include principles, best practices, and standards tailored to help CoE practitioners and company leaders navigate challenges such as risk mitigation, cost optimization, and evolving leadership roles.
Addressing the critical gap in CRM governance, the book integrates insights on the latest technologies, including AI and automation, to prepare organizations for future trends. It emphasizes iterative transformation and continuous improvement, enabling readers to adapt to changing industry landscapes while fostering innovation within their organizations.
With real-world Salesforce CoE case studies and expert guidance, Palani and Havens share decades of hands-on business technology management experience. Their approach offers actionable insights into aligning CoEs with digital transformation efforts, maximizing CRM ROI, and embedding customer-centric principles into organizational culture. This indispensable resource is tailored for CRM leaders, strategists, and business executives aiming to elevate their CoEs to new levels of excellence.
About the Author :
Velu Palani is a seasoned leader in CRM and digital transformation with over two decades of experience helping organizations unlock the full potential of their Salesforce investments. Currently the Executive Director of Salesforce Platform Services & Center of Excellence (CoE) at Health Care Service Corporation (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IL, TX, MT, OK, and NM), Velu has spearheaded numerous large-scale CRM implementations, optimizing operations across industries like healthcare and financial services.Since Salesforce's inception, Velu has been an early adopter. He combines deep technical knowledge with strategic insights to create scalable CRM solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes. His passion for advancing CRM Centers of Excellence led to establishing CRMCoE.com, a knowledge-sharing platform that fosters best practices among CRM leaders. A frequent speaker at industry events, Velu is recognized for his expertise in generative AI integration and his ability to guide organizations through the complexities of digital transformation.Velu has collaborated with Charlie Havens for over a decade to build frameworks that ensure CRM CoEs align seamlessly with enterprise objectives. Their shared commitment to standardizing CRM methodologies inspired this book, which offers a practical roadmap for business technology leaders aiming to elevate customer engagement and operational efficiency. Charlie Havens is an expert in CRM governance, change management, and the strategic execution of Salesforce-driven initiatives. Charlie has played pivotal roles in corporate and nonprofit sectors, including co-founding the Salesforce Platform Strategic Enablement Team at Health Care Service Corporation. His expertise lies in translating complex business needs into actionable IT solutions, particularly for Salesforce Sales Cloud implementations.Charlie's leadership extends to fostering collaborative CRM communities, exemplified by his role in establishing the Chicago Salesforce Partner User Group, which became one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. Known for his practical approach, Charlie champions scalable strategies that empower CRM Centers of Excellence to achieve sustainable success.Over the past decade, Charlie has partnered with Velu Palani to create innovative business technology solutions that address the challenges of CRM CoE leadership. Their collaborative efforts reflect a shared dedication to embedding standardized frameworks and best practices into CRM operations, resulting in this comprehensive guide to transforming CRM Centers of Excellence.
Review :
"In an era where businesses constantly strive to optimize their software utilization, this book provides a clear road map for establishing a CRM CoE that drives efficiency, innovation, and continuous improvement ... Keep this guide as your trusted companion. Let its insights and experiences illuminate your path, and don't hesitate to revisit its pages as you navigate the journey ahead." from the book's forward, Sanjay Gidwani, COO, Copado, Inc.
"I'm delighted to finally see a thorough guide to setting up and running a CoE. An effective CRM is central to every business, but the reality for most companies is that CRMs evolve organically without centralized oversight, guidance, or support. The most effective large organizations I've seen have taken the important step of establishing a CoE to provide the needed support functions. This is your guide." from the Praise for the Book, Andrew Davis, Chief Product Officer of AutoRABIT, Author of Mastering Salesforce DevOps.
"There is hope if you embark on an enterprise CRM journey or have inherited a complex, sprawling CRM environment. Having lived through the stand-up of a successful CRM CoE, I wish this book existed when we started. The book codifies many of the techniques that we found successful. The frameworks, principles, and advice provide much-needed guidance for anyone creating or managing a CoE." from Praise for the Book, Jim Petrassi, Divisional Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer Healthcare Services Corporation.
