More Alphabet Soup: CRM

A junior, working alongside a host of senior IT consultants, I found that I was treated to daily servings of alphabet soup....ahhh...acronyms! Before long; however, I had become fluent in tech talk. I knew that SAP was an ERP system and that ABAP was a programming language. Just when I thought I had a handle on the tech venacular, I was introduced to a new bit of jargon, CRM.

My boss had asked me to complete a user manual for our new CRM system. He dubbed me as the "go-to" if anyone had questions regarding the application. I knew I would have to do a deep dive to get myself up to snuff on this new software. After a week of working on the user manual, my boss suggested that I conduct a conference call with our German colleagues to migrate their client contact onto our CRM system.

When I called Uwe, he asked me how I liked "sugar." I was extremely confused. Although I speak fluent German, I was wondering why he was asking me why I liked "sugar" and why he was calling it "sugar" in English, and not "Zucker" in German. Moreover, I was perplexed that he would be asking me about sugar at all. As Uwe and I continued our conversation about the CRM product, I realized that software was called "Sugar CRM," my fears were allayed.

When I was first introduced to CRM, I thought it presented a great way to centralize all client information. In addition, it was optimal for my company at the time, with subsidiaries across Europe, to be able to share client information using one database.

Given what I now know about CRM applications, I do not think that social netwpreorking functionality can replace CRM. Perhaps it can be a complement to CRM as is presented in the following article: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/54575.html. CRM should not be discarded in exchange for social networking functionality. CRM emerged for businesses and social networking did not emerge with a purely business focus. As social networking evolves into a business marketing tool, it can be leveraged as a business asset. At the same time; however, I do not believe that it should replace the tradition role of CRM.

To decode the alphabet soup, see the following links:


What is SAP? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_AG
What is ABAP? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABAP

Social Networking and Social Capital: Are we really that social?

Officially uninformed and truly unbeknownst to me--whether I like it or not now--I became a social networking statistic in 2003. I had met a cute guy, Chris at a bar in the Hamptons during the summer of 2003 --- the summer after I had graduated from Boston College. Chris, a Notre Dame alumus whose alma mater like that of my own, Boston College, was a fellow member of the Jesuit order. Although I had only met Chris briefly that one summer night, I was not hesitate to accept his invitation to join Friendster.

In hindsight, I am aware that Chris had offered me some serious social capital pre-Friendster invitation. At the time of our introduction; however, I was oblivious. Given the amount of supposed weirdos whose days rise and set while logging on and off to their social networking sites, I did not have reservations about Chris' invitation because of his social capital. He was not only a college graduate, but he was a college graduate of a school just like my own alma mater.

If you're wondering...I no longer communicate with Chris, nor do I access my Friendster account; I have long since migrated to Facebook. Before pledging my allegiance to Facebook, I did required some coaxing from my fellow Boston College alumni. Again, my decision join Facebook was a resulting of an overwhelming amount of social capital. In addition, when I had initially joined Facebook, each member was required to have a school email address. I believe the fact that Facebook was targeting college students further touted the power of social capital amongst college students.

Today, I no longer communicate with Chris (nor do I check my Friendster account) and I have over 400 friends on my Facebook page --- many of which I infrequently---if at all---communicate with...which leads me to my final questions....how "social" are we really? Despite the fact that we have social networks, we have become increasingly less social. It is easier to "ping" someone on Facebook or IM than to call them or meet for coffee. The increasingly prominent profile of social networking capabilities have actually made us less social. In addition, this social capital which has been formed over centuries is becoming less of a social construct given the backdrop of these social networking sites. We base our "feel good" connections with people / groups of whom we barely know, let alone with people we actually communicate. Indeed, social networking continues to aid and abet the longstanding "social" aspect of society --- the one which had for centuries before instituted and built the concept of "social capital."

"On My Honor.....This is my first ever blog post!"

Working on the Hill --- "It's kinda URGENT!

You may be asking yourself why I chose to name my blog "It's Kinda Urgent." It was a phrase, which someone at work used this afternoon. I thought it was an entertaining and somewhat oxymoronic....if something is urgent, then it is well, URGENT...cue: big bold letters! "Can I get a witness?"

Dictionary.com defines urgent by the following:

ur⋅gent 

 /ˈɜrdʒənt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ur-juhnt] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
compelling or requiring immediate action or attention; imperative; pressing: an urgent matter.
2.
insistent or earnest in solicitation; importunate, as a person: an urgent pleader.
3.
expressed with insistence, as requests or appeals: an urgent tone of voice.

Since something urgent is said to require immediate attention, how can "kinda" modify urgent?!?

Also, my name is Heather Broberg and I am a MBA student at American University. I have created this blog for one of my classes, Social Networking and Business.

Oh and by the way...."On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own."

Blog ya lata!