The use of technology in customer relationship management (CRM)

Abstract

Relationships have increased in importance in the field of business and marketing in the recent past. This importance can be linked to the changing nature of competition and technological developments. In this context, the question that has been posed is how these two factors affect the development of relationships. In the case of competition, relationships can serve as the basis for competitive advantage, while technology serves as the enabler of relationship building. The focus of this article is a theoretical discussion of the technological developments and their application in the CRM context in the implementation of CRM strategy. The article examines the nature of CRM and the components of the various technological CRM systems as well as the specific types of systems that can be used in relationship building, concluding with a discussion of specific technological tools in the CRM context.