Special Edition Using® Microsoft® CRM

Establishing Your Requirements

The first step in acquiring vendor services is to get clear about what you need and document it in enough detail that you can evaluate vendors against your stated needs. This process is called establishing requirements and provides the basis for requesting information and proposals from vendors. When established, your requirements will support selecting a vendor, and managing your relationship with them after you've made the selection.

Defining a Required Technology Service

When you are looking for technology services, such as direct mail providers or consultants, who conduct customer surveys and focus groups, you need to identify your requirements up front and provide them as the roadmap to your potential vendors. ...