What is CRM

From wisegeek.com:A central goal of every business is to serve its customers. For as long as there have been merchants, success or failure has hinged on this simple rule. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a way of using technology to do just that.
There are many pieces of software available that offer customer relationship management features, but in reality, CRM goes beyond software implementation. It's a business strategy that often involves using multiple pieces of software, as well as implementing policies that promote (1) the collection of customer information, and (2) the use of that information by individuals throughout the company in order to maximize customer service and increase sales.

From Wikipedia: Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broad term that covers concepts used by companies to manage their relationships with customers, including the capture, storage and analysis of customer information.

There are three aspects of CRM which can each be implemented in isolation from each other:
- Operational CRM- automation or support of customer processes that include a company’s sales or service representative
- Collaborative CRM- direct communication with customers that does not include a company’s sales or service representative (“self service”)
- Analytical CRM- analysis of customer data for a broad range of purposes