SOCIAL CRM BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT: A FRAMEWORK FOR ORCHESTRATION

Abstract

With the increasing popularity of social media, customers rapidly adopt new social communication channels to interact. Companies thrive to provide customer service through these channels and adopt social communication channels as part of their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy, called Social CRM. The data communicated through those external social communication channels is crucial for the success of companies’ most trivial and important business processes. The management and alignment of business processes related to Social CRM introduce challenges among the management and orchestration of the wide range of social communication channels available. Orchestration is the automated configuration, coordination, and management of computer systems in business processes. We observed from both literature and practice that there is a need for a CRM business process orchestration framework due to the impact of Social CRM adoption. This research contributes to academia and provides a guiding CRM orchestration framework for businesses. We conducted an empirical design science research within the aviation industry and addressed the impact of Social CRM on business process management. We found three types of business processes that change or emerge in Social CRM, three perspectives for Social CRM management and control, and three patterns in CRM digitalization. Based on eight expert interviews, literature and orchestration software documentation, we successfully developed the CRM Business Process Orchestration Framework (CRM BPOF). The framework consists of two components: phases to perform within a CRM orchestration project, and disciplines to perform throughout a CRM orchestration project. In total, the framework contains 26 activities that should be carried out by different stakeholders. These stakeholders can use the CRM BPOF as a set of guiding principles to perform a CRM orchestration project. The CRM BPOF was evaluated through expert evaluation sessions. The results indicated that the CRM BPOF is perceived as a useful framework and is considered easy to use. Moreover, evaluation participants intend to use the CRM BPOF in the future. This research also addressed topics for future research.