Impact of the CRM System and Time Management on Organizational Effectiveness and Performance: Case Study of an E-Commerce Micro Enterprise

Abstract

Purpose: The main goal of the study is to examine the impact of the implementation of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and Time Management (TM) tools on organizational effectiveness and performance (OEP). A literature review provides the background for presenting the results of own research performed for an e-commerce microenterprise. Design/Approach/Methodology: The empirical research involved a case study with the use of participant observation method and direct unstructured interview. The participant observation results were compared with the results of a direct interview with the CEO of the company and discussed against the background of the research results in the literature. Findings: The research has shown a significant impact of the CRM system on increasing the OEP. There were also differences in the perception of TM's impact on the OEP, the people who did not have TM tools in place used the CRM less and were not able to benefit from the CRM potential. It also became one of the reasons for the failure of the first CRM implementation in the company. In addition, the lack of knowledge of IT management support tools, training, as well as the non-intuitive nature of the CRM system resulted in barriers preventing a further use of the system. Practical Implications: The results indicate what TM functions of the CRM system can be useful to improve the work organization and to increase the OEP of a micro enterprise. Originality/Value: The impact of the simultaneous use of the CRM system and TM tools on OEP has not been described in the literature. The previous studies concerned mainly the impact of the CRM on organizational performance or the TM on the sales team's perfor-mance. No article was devoted to the application of CRM and/or TM in a micro¬enter¬prise. The value of the article results from pointing out the synergy effect from the com¬bination of CRM and TM tools.