NASCIO Brief Calls for Increased Engagement in Customer Relationship Management
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released a publication on customer relationship management (CRM). The business practice of CRM has become more important in the last several years as state chief information officers (CIOs) have had to adapt to a shift from owning and operating services to now being the broker of services and a more consolidated environment. This is evident in the fact that, in 2019, for the first time ever, CRM made the NASCIO State CIO Top 10 Priorities list at number seven. CRM, which is described as “building customer agency confidence, trust and collaboration; internal customer service strategies; and service level agreements,” is an integral part of a state CIO’s daily operations.
NASCIO President and Delaware CIO James Collins said, “In the face of rapidly-evolving business models and a significant increase in the demand for digital services, it is more critical than ever for CIOs to prioritize cultivating partnerships — especially with government agencies responsible for delivering life and safety citizen services. This focus is fundamental to understanding the business processes that underly the missions of these agencies and essential for leveraging technology to realize the promise of digital government.”
The publication highlights challenges such as agency loss of control, consolidation, rate setting and funding and acquisition and also includes recommendations or “keys” to successful customer relationship management:
- Building relationships
- Selling the benefits of shared services
- Folding customer service into strategic plans
- Providing internal training
- Communications and feedback
The publication is available on the NASCIO website: www.NASCIO.org/ResourceCenter
