From Ebay to smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all sizes struggle to accurately answer a common question: who are my customers? If you can't answer that question, chances are you're also in dark about following questions. What customer demand trends can I expect in future? How can I improve customer retention? What can I do to build long-term relationships of trust with customers? Knowing answer to these questions can mean difference between long-term growth and profitability and crashing and burning.

Enter eCRM

With proliferation of e-business into just about every consumer market, customers are faced with more options than ever. As a result, they have naturally become increasingly demanding both of products they purchase and customer service they receive. The idea is that, "if company A doesn't meet my expectations, I can always go to companies B thru Z. By merely doing a Google search on your product or service you can quickly discover number of competitors waiting for chance to eat your lunch.

The importance of eCRM is highlighted when you think of fact that e-business' customer 'touch points' are limited and usually virtual. There's seldom any face-to-face contact because company usually doesn't have a physical location, just a web domain.

Because of relatively recent appearance of eCRM on business scene, many people aren't quite sure how to define it. In fact, definition of eCRM varies almost as widely as techniques companies use to manage it. For some people, eCRM may be as simple as pulling data off their order tracking system; they may believe keeping track of who bought what tells them whole story. Other e-businesses with more experience may take a more complex view; metadata, datamining and drilldowns, and CTI can all be seen as vital eCRM tools used to paint a picture of customer.

Bringing an HR consultant into your organisation can often be only way to get a particular objective achieved. It may be a project that needs to be delivered such as a recruitment campaign, a compensation & benefits review or implementation of an HR information system. Another possibility may be need to cover a maternity leave post. Whatever company requirement, whether it be linked to strategic or operational HR there is a consultant to fit bill, whether they be a generalist or specialist.

The advantages to bringing in an external professional can be buying in specific expertise just as and when it’s needed. Many HR consultants have many years solid practical experience before launching into world of consultancy. They bring with them a fresh eye on workings of your company and can often offer new problem-solving solutions to issues such as staff retention or absence. They can also offer tailored solutions, using basics gained from experience with other companies.

They are used to “hitting ground running”, which requires building key relationships, establishing credibility very quickly and just getting on with job in hand whether this be as a change agent or a role caretaker.

Being an “outsider” they tend not to get involved with office politics, which can cloud many judgements of permanent members of staff. Their decisions can, therefore, be based on benefits to organisation, not whether it will upset opinions of certain individuals. This is particularly important in any change management and organisational design project.

Using an HR consultant can save an organisation time and money. Time is saved by, for example, outsourcing a project that existing HR professionals in an organisation can’t spare from usual day to day tasks; this can include coaching or conducting 360 degree appraisal. A consultant can also be brought in on an ad hoc basis when no HR expertise exists at all within organisation, for example, when an investigation surrounding gross misconduct needs to be conducted.