J.D. Edwards CRM Data Model Inheritance

The advantages of implementing customer relationship management (CRM) applications are well understood. A single-source, 360-degree view of all intellectual capital speeds information retrieval, ensures data consistency, preserves organizational memory, and allows an organization to turn information into action and action into profits.

However, the prospect of integrating existing data into new CRM applications can be overwhelming. In a typical business, intellectual capital is stored in a variety of disparate systems and databases. Most CRM applications require the client to move this information into a new database, using a structure defined by the CRM vendor. Custom applications must be rewritten for this new database, and the procedures to update and secure the data must be revised.

A typical data integration process can take 12-18 months to complete and use 50-65 percent of the implementation budget. Issues of data ownership, synchronization, and security take time to resolve and often require the use of expensive outside consultants. In a yearlong implementation cycle, sales opportunities are lost, ROI is delayed, and the existing environment continues to change, further delaying data transfer.

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