The CRM Project Management Handbook: Building Realistic Expectations and Managing Risk

Rating:
Summary: Mandatory for anyone implementing CRM
Review: As a CRM consultant, the first 35 pages of the book alone made it worth the purchase price.

The author takes a very pragmatic approach to the realities of CRM and cuts through a lot of the BS that's out there right now. He makes an honest assessment of the reasons that CRM has often failed, and helps the reader avoid the traps that others have fallen into.

It's not a book about technical implementation, or a how-to book with lots of checklists. Rather, it is a book that will help you: build your business case for CRM (and/or decide that if CRM is even something your company should pursue); understand and avoid the most common risks; set realistic goals for projects; and take a tactical approach (i.e. short projects with measurable goals) to CRM.

A good read for anyone involved with implementing CRM. I'll be recommending it to clients as a must read and reference book for project managers, project sponsors, consultants and vendors who are working on CRM projects.

Now all we need is a very short book that explains CRM to the masses in simple terms - something I can give to the executives and "beginners" that I work with.

Rating:
Summary: Please correct error below (I am the author)
Review: Hi,

I am the author of this book. There is a mistake that has remained uncorrected for over 9 months now, and this is quite embarrassing, both for me and for Amazon. In your editorial review you have a quote "Required reading for all operational managers", which should be attributed to Dr Alain Micaleff (and NOT Dr Alain Michael). Check the back cover of the book for confirmation.

Can you please correct this asap - AND inform me that you have received this message and will be acting on it?

Thanks,
Michael Gentle ([e-mail])

Rating:
Summary: Not what the title suggests
Review: I ordered this book with expedite delivery only to find out that it is neither a handbook nor its contents are strictly about project 'management'. It is about CRM though, but it seems more like a list of separate and partially elaborated ideas, such as the ones written on flash cards, glued together by textual bridges to produce a book. Some ideas are valuable, but there seems to be no underlying plan or theory to give coherence to the book. It seems to me like the name 'project management handbook' is way too ambitious, and was thought more for its marketing impact than to be precise in describing the contents.