Towards a taxonomy of reusable CRM requirements for the ...

[Pages:251]Towards a taxonomy of reusable CRM requirements for the Not for Profit sector

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by

Peter Flory

August 2011

School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics Brunel University

TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

ABSTRACT

Traditional (or commercial) CRM is a well-defined domain but there is currently no generally accepted definition of what constitutes CRM in the not for profit (NfP) sector. Not for profit organisations are organisations which exist for a social purpose, are independent of the State, and which re-invest all of their financial surpluses in the services they offer or in the organisation itself. This research aims to answer the question "What exactly is CRM as applied to the NfP sector, what are its boundaries and what functions should an NfP CRM information system perform?"

Grounded Theory Method (GTM) within a Design Science framework was used to collect, analyse, categorise, generalise and structure data from a number of NfP organisations and NfP information systems suppliers. An NfP CRM model was constructed from this data in the form of three multi-level taxonomies. The main taxonomy relates to generic and reusable information system requirements both functional and non-functional. Within this taxonomy the high-level categorisations of commercial CRM, namely "Marketing, "Sales" and "Service", are greatly extended to reflect the special needs of the NfP sector and in particular a much broader definition of "customer". The two minor taxonomies relate to issues of CRM strategy and CRM systems architecture which need to be considered alongside the system requirements. In addition to and resulting from the taxonomies, an over-arching definition of NfP CRM was developed.

NfP organisations now have a framework that will enable them to know what to expect of CRM systems and from which they can select requirements to build their own specification of information system needs. Using the requirements taxonomy for this task will make the process of requirements analysis and specification easier, quicker, cheaper and more complete than using traditional methods. The framework will also allow NfP system suppliers to know what NfP organisations expect of their systems and will assist them with the specification of new system features. The minor taxonomies will provide NfP organisations with a series of strategic issues and systems architecture options that should be considered when implementing a CRM system.

This research also demonstrates how GTM can be utilised: as the development phase of Design Research, as a general method of domain analysis, and as a tool to develop a taxonomy of reusable information system requirements.

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TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would particularly like to thank my supervisor, Dr Sergio de Cesare, for all his help and guidance throughout this research. He has always been there to offer friendly and helpful suggestions when I became bogged down or reached a decision point. His invaluable assistance has greatly contributed to my completion of this thesis. I would also like to thank my second supervisor, Professor Mark Lycett, and Dr David Bell for his helpful suggestions. I would like to thank all the people who took part in this research (far too many to name) from 25 different not for profit organisations and 16 information system suppliers to the not for profit sector. Special thanks go to friends and colleagues; Dave Carlos, John Bird and Aaron Woods for the enormous efforts they put in on my behalf. Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank my wife, Sandra, for her forbearance and understanding when I was away in meeting after meeting after meeting, and then closeted away in the study for hour after hour, day after day, so that I could develop this thesis, and many thanks also for her excellent note taking and proof-reading skills.

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TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: THESIS OVERVIEW............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Aim and Objectives............................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research Approach .............................................................................................................. 5 1.4 Thesis Outline ....................................................................................................................... 7

CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Domain Analysis ................................................................................................................. 11

2.2.1 Definitions ................................................................................................................. 11 2.2.2 Defining the domain.................................................................................................. 13 2.2.3 Modelling the domain................................................................................................ 16 2.2.4 Non-functional requirements ..................................................................................... 17 2.2.5 Gathering requirements ............................................................................................ 18 2.2.6 Completeness of requirements ................................................................................. 19 2.2.7 Level of requirements ............................................................................................... 21 2.2.8 Domain Experts ........................................................................................................ 23 2.3 Domain Modelling ............................................................................................................... 24 2.3.1 History ...................................................................................................................... 24 2.3.2 UML .......................................................................................................................... 25 2.3.3 Beyond UML............................................................................................................. 26 2.3.4 Ontologies ................................................................................................................ 26 2.4 Domain Analysis and Modelling Summary.......................................................................... 28 2.4.1 Domain Analysis Literature ....................................................................................... 28 2.4.2 Problems with Domain Analysis Literature................................................................ 31 2.4.3 Key Lessons to Take Forward into the Research ..................................................... 32 2.5 Well-defined Domains and COTS Systems ........................................................................ 33 2.6 Traditional (Commercial) CRM............................................................................................ 34 2.6.1 CRM Strategy ........................................................................................................... 34 2.6.2 CRM Systems Architecture....................................................................................... 38 2.6.3 First Level Functional Breakdown of CRM................................................................ 40 2.6.4 Second Level Functional Breakdown of CRM........................................................... 44 2.6.5 Traditional CRM Summary ....................................................................................... 46 2.7 Not for Profit Sector CRM ................................................................................................... 46

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TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

2.7.1 What is the Not for Profit Sector?.............................................................................. 46 2.7.2 Who is the NfP Customer? ....................................................................................... 48 2.7.3 NfP Sector CRM Strategy ......................................................................................... 53 2.7.4 Commercial and NfP CRM strategy compared ....................................................... 56 2.7.5 Commercial and NfP CRM systems compared ...................................................... 57 2.7.6 NfP Sector CRM Summary....................................................................................... 63 2.8 The Research Aim and Why it is Needed ........................................................................... 63 2.9 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 64

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 66 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 66 3.2 Research Approach ............................................................................................................ 66

3.2.1 Design Research ...................................................................................................... 66 3.2.2 Grounded Theory Method......................................................................................... 67 3.2.3 Grounded Theory Data Collection ............................................................................ 69 3.2.4 Grounded Theory Coding ......................................................................................... 70 3.2.5 Grounded Theory Analysis/Theorising...................................................................... 71 3.3 Application of Grounded Theory Method ............................................................................ 71 3.3.1 The Participants ........................................................................................................ 71 3.3.2 The GTM Research Activities ................................................................................... 73 3.3.3 Initial Data Collection ................................................................................................ 74 3.3.4 Main Data Collection................................................................................................. 75 3.3.5 Tools for Coding and Analysis .................................................................................. 76 3.3.6 Coding and Analysis in Practice................................................................................ 76 3.3.7 Further Data Collection and Analysis........................................................................ 78 3.4 Testing Evaluation and Conclusion..................................................................................... 79 3.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 80

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND RESULTS ? NfP CRM REQUIREMENTS ............................. 82 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 82 4.2 General Discussion............................................................................................................. 85

4.2.1 Functionality Discussions.......................................................................................... 85 4.2.2 Using NVivo8 ............................................................................................................ 88 4.3 Non-functional Requirements ............................................................................................. 93 4.3.1 Environment ............................................................................................................. 93 4.3.2 Integration................................................................................................................. 97

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TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

4.4 General Functionality ........................................................................................................ 101 4.4.1 Business Rules Processing .................................................................................... 102 4.4.2 Data Management .................................................................................................. 103 4.4.3 Database Administrator Functions .......................................................................... 105

4.5 Marketing-related Functionality ......................................................................................... 105 4.5.1 Customer Management .......................................................................................... 107 4.5.2 Query, Reporting and Analysis ............................................................................... 111 4.5.3 Marketing ................................................................................................................ 114 4.5.4 Communications ..................................................................................................... 116 4.5.5 Channels ................................................................................................................ 118

4.6 Sales-related Functionality................................................................................................ 119 4.6.1 Sales....................................................................................................................... 120 4.6.2 Fundraising ............................................................................................................. 122 4.6.3 Membership Management ...................................................................................... 127 4.6.4 Event Management................................................................................................. 129 4.6.5 Financial Management ........................................................................................... 131

4.7 Service-related Functionality............................................................................................. 136 4.7.1 Service.................................................................................................................... 136 4.7.2 Beneficiary Services ............................................................................................... 138

4.8 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 140

CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND RESULTS ? OTHER NfP CRM ISSUES ............................. 143 5.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 143 5.2 NfP CRM Strategy Issues ................................................................................................. 144

5.2.1 General Discussion................................................................................................. 144 5.2.2 Who is the Customer? ............................................................................................ 147 5.2.3 Organisational Issues ............................................................................................. 150 5.2.4 Data Issues............................................................................................................. 154 5.2.5 Relationships .......................................................................................................... 157 5.2.6 Customer Issues..................................................................................................... 157 5.2.7 Systems Issues....................................................................................................... 162 5.3 Systems Architecture Issues............................................................................................. 163 5.3.1 General Discussion................................................................................................. 163 5.3.2 Reasons for Considering NfP CRM Architecture .................................................... 164 5.3.3 Architecture Options ............................................................................................... 165 5.3.4 Organisational Approaches..................................................................................... 170

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TOWARDS A TAXONOMY OF REUSABLE CRM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOT FOR PROFIT SECTOR

5.4 Back to Definitions ............................................................................................................ 174 5.5 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 176

CHAPTER 6: TESTING AND EVALUATION ........................................................................ 179 6.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 179 6.2 Taxonomy Testing ............................................................................................................ 179

6.2.1 The Test Objectives ............................................................................................... 179 6.2.2 The Test Bed Organisation .................................................................................... 179 6.2.3 The Testing Process ............................................................................................... 180 6.2.4 Initial Modifications to the Taxonomy ...................................................................... 181 6.2.5 How the Taxonomy was Used ................................................................................ 182 6.2.6 Test Results............................................................................................................ 186 6.3 Evaluation by the NfP Organisation .................................................................................. 187 6.4 Evaluation by Peers .......................................................................................................... 189 6.4.1 The Evaluation Process .......................................................................................... 189 6.4.2 Changes to the Taxonomy...................................................................................... 189 6.4.3 Discussion Points ................................................................................................... 190 6.4.4 Peer Evaluation Summary ...................................................................................... 196 6.5 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 197

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUDING DISCUSSION ......................................................................... 198 7.1 Summary of the Thesis ..................................................................................................... 198 7.2 Research Contributions .................................................................................................... 200

7.2.1 The Major Contributions.......................................................................................... 200 7.2.2 Additional Contributions .......................................................................................... 202 7.3 Future Research Opportunities ......................................................................................... 204

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 208

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