CRM Challenges in U.K. Local Government

This study examines the current stage of adoption and experience with packaged CRM software in the U.K. local government sector. The study also presents IDC's future outlook for this segment, and offers actionable advice to vendors.

"60% of U.K. local authorities have adopted packaged CRM software. This high rate makes the U.K. the leading Western European country in terms of local government use of CRM technologies. Most local governments have gone through a 'first wave' of CRM with a strong focus on improving the quality and consistency of citizen service. A 'second wave' of CRM is now underway, in which the main goal has shifted from improved customer service to greater efficiency," said Bo Lykkegaard, program manager, European Enterprise Applications at IDC.

"Customer experiences reveal important insight into the use of CRM. One key insight is that CRM implementations in local government are not essentially technical implementations, but rather enablers of cultural and organizational change. Successful projects dedicated significant efforts to issues such as change management, process reengineering, end-user training, and stakeholder communication," said Lykkegaard.