As an old CRM hack it is always interesting to see how the "CRM Industry" (primarily the unholy alliance of technology vendors and analysts) is adjusting to the brave new world of social networking and increasingly empowered customers.

Paul Greenberg reviews a recent study from William Band of Forrester that shows how the CRM landscape at an application level is being stretched and shaped. Community platforms, customer forums and enterprise feedback managements are identified as new ways of connecting more closely with customers. Greenberg identifies the study as the first of its type to tackle the need to serve the customer for purposes of mutual benefit. That is, "inside-out" and "outside-in".

One of the interesting observations made in the Forrester report is that technologies enabling the Holy Grail for CRM Professionals....a 360-degree view of customers -  are maturing and converging. But perhaps also more like chips to play. As Greenberg says:

"The only thing is that the Holy 360 is no longer a Holy Grail for CRM. It should be seen as a prerequisite for companies trying to gain insight into their individual customers and some sense of where to go with them. The new Holy Grail is "a company like me" which is not a data record. Its an idealized state of corporate existence where each customer feels that the company knows them and they know the company - as a peer. Is it possible to achieve that state? Highly unlikely. Its something to strive for and aim at with some percent of success - the ROI of that "state" is many customers functioning as advocates on your behalf."

Leaves you wondering whether we should be talking about extending CRM, re-engineering CRM or coming up with a more useful term! And whilst an applications checklist or roadmap is useful, the danger with these assessments is that the impact of services (& experience!) is missing. Not deliberately of course, services are not in scope for these types of reviews. But in the newer "social" areas of engaging customers - the challenges are less about technology (the famed silver bullet) and way more about strategy and content...