Are CRM systems ready for AI integration? A conceptual framework of organizational readiness for effective AI-CRM integration

• Published in: The Bottom line (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 144 - 157
• Main Authors: Chatterjee, Sheshadri, Ghosh, Soumya Kanti, Chaudhuri, Ranjan, Nguyen, Bang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 30.05.2019
• Subjects: Algorithms; Artificial intelligence; Automation; Business operations; Communication; Customer relationship management; Customers; Decision making; Sales; Software; Success
• ISSN: 0888-045X; 2054-1724
• DOI: 10.1108/BL-02-2019-0069

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to check if an organization is ready to adopt an AI-integrated CRM system. The study also analyzes different situations which can provide a comprehensive check list in the form of indicators that could provide a signal indicating whether the organization is ready to adopt an AI-integrated CRM system by capturing actionable and appropriate data.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general review, and appropriate literature has been used to support the conceptual framework.FindingsThe key findings of this study are the different indicators that make up the conceptual framework. This framework can help organizations to check at a glance whether they are ready to adopt AI-integrated CRM system in their organizations. Specifically, it has been identified that different approaches are needed to tackle various types of customer data so that those may be made fit and actionable for appropriate utilization of AI algorithms to facilitate business success of an organization.Practical implicationsThe paper has elaborately discussed the different approaches to be undertaken to calibrate and reorient the various kinds of actionable data and the contemplated challenges one would face in doing so. This would help the practitioners that how the data so captured can be made fit for action and utilization toward application of AI technologies integrated with existing CRM system in an organization.Originality/valueThis study is claimed to be a unique study to provide a conceptual framework which could help arranging and rearranging of captured data by an organization for making the data fit and ready for use with the help of AI technologies. This successful integration of AI with CRM system can help organizations toward taking quick and automated decision-making without much intervention of human beings.