Case Studies

Ford Motor Company
CRM Web Site

After Ford’s CEO, Jacques Nasser, told the company in 2000 that henceforth it would be a "customer-focused" corporation, managers and executives quickly realized they didn’t possess the knowledge, expertise, and experience to implement Nasser’s vision. So corporate management commissioned a Web site devoted solely to nurturing a customer-focused environment at Ford. The Web site was designed to be a user-friendly library of practical information about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) explained in clear, concise business language that any Ford manager or executive could readily understand. The Web site contained case studies, "elevator stories," anecdotes, White Papers, work plan checklists, a step-by-step implementation guide, ROI calculators, measurement tools, and even a glossary of CRM terms to make sure that everyone involved in a CRM initiative was familiar with the language of "one-to-one" customer development theory.

Ford CRM Web site "mission statement:"

To provide a fast, practical education in CRM concepts

To deliver usable CRM tools to every manager’s desktop

To serve as a scalable resource for CRM knowledge

To host discussions, Webcasts and other CRM knowledge-sharing events

To assist managers in developing, launching and managing CRM initiatives

To recognize outstanding CRM achievements

To store, organize, and share CRM knowledge

To build and nurture a CRM community

The CRM Web site also made it possible for Ford managers to share ideas, work collaboratively, and review the progress of ongoing customer-focused initiatives. And it allowed managers at the Ford brands (Jaguar, Mazda, et al) to share their knowledge and experience with their corporate counterparts. Most important, it provided a single, one-stop destination for anyone at Ford who needed CRM knowledge and resources, which helped bring Nasser’s vision of Ford as a customer-centric company into sharper focus.