Project Scope Management in CRM Implementation: A Case Study of Tesco

1. Executive Summary

This report deals with the case of the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in Tesco and specifically the concept of Project Scope Management. The goal of the project is to improve customer relations and optimize work with the help of a new CRM system. Managing the scope of the project is very important so that all the defined objectives are achieved within the time and cost constraints without the addition of new objectives. Various steps such as scope definition, scope control, and scope verification will be used to ensure that the CRM project is on track, achieves its goals as per the laid down objectives and is in line with Tesco’s business strategies.

2. Introduction

The adoption of a new CRM system in Tesco is a strategic business plan whose main purpose is to manage customers’ relations, increase the company’s effectiveness, and develop the business. This project entails the use of software to connect different functions of an organization for instance, sales, marketing, and customer care. Project scope management is crucial for the implementation of the CRM since it involves the identification of all the project’s deliverables, the consensus on how they are going to be accomplished, and within the specified time and cost constraints (Jami Pour & Hosseinzadeh, 2020). In this report, the focus will be on the concepts of scope management, and these include; defining the scope of the project, creating deliverables, managing the problem of scope creep and the use of WBS chart and scope verification. These methods will be beneficial in ensuring that the project is aligned to the strategic objectives and goals of Tesco.

Figure 1: Tesco Plc and Customer Relationship Management

Source: https://prezi.com/ysxqh6zt6s-f/tesco-plc-and-customer-relationship-management/

3. Defining the Project Scope

The CRM implementation project at Tesco entails the adoption and installation of a full-fledged CRM system that shall be used to facilitate the organization’s customer relations, data management, and sales and marketing plans. Some of the activities include the procurement of the CRM software, conversion of customer data from the existing systems, and educating the users of the new system. It will also involve setting up the system to suit the requirements of the various departments such as the customer service, marketing and the sales.

Inclusions of the project are:

• CRM software installation and configuration (Baker, 2022).
• Data migration from the existing customer management systems to the new CRM.
• In this case, there should be training of all the users in the system on how to use the system as well as the best practices to observe.
• To ensure that all the processes in the system are running properly, system testing and validation are carried out.

Exclusions include:

• Any change in the software after the implementation process is complete.
• Ongoing maintenance after the initial go-live phase.
• An additional category of systems that need to be integrated but which is not included within the current project is third party systems not yet considered for integration.

Scope Limitations: This project will not entail post-implementation support and maintenance of the system, as well as any updates that may be instituted in the future as part of the improvement process. The emphasis is still made on the initial stage of CRM implementation in Tesco, which comprises of effective launching, training and incorporation of the CRM system (Varajão et al., 2021).

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4. Establishing Deliverables and Milestones

Table 1: Project deliverables and milestones

Source: (Chian et al., 2024)

The success of the CRM system in Tesco can only be realized if some aspects are fulfilled in order to achieve the goals of the project. These deliverables include:

• Functional CRM system: An implementation of a CRM system that suits Tesco’s business and is ready for usage in its management of customer relations.
• Skilled staff:Providing training to all the employees who will be using CRM system to manage customer information, communication and analytics (Naderi, 2024).
• Data conversion: The process of transferring of the existing customer data to the new CRM environment and making sure that all relevant data is correct and comprehensive within the new environment.

Some of the distinct stages in the project schedule are:

• Implementation of the CRM system:The process of putting the chosen CRM software into operation, with all the necessary modules to be included.
• Data migration:Copying of customers’ data from the existing systems/legacy systems to the CRM system then validation of the copied data to check for accuracy.
• It is also important to provide training to the employees so that they can be introduced to the system and also improve on their proficiency with it.
• System testing:The process of testing the CRM system to determine that it meets all functional specification and performs optimally.
• Go-live:The official deployment of the CRM system across all relevant departments.

Co-ordination of these deliverables and these milestones has to be done with the business objectives of Tesco in mind. In order to achieve the overall goals of improving customer satisfaction, streamlining operations, and supporting the company’s growth, each of these milestones must be met on time and within the set scope.

Gantt Chart

 

Figure 2: Gantt Chart

5. Managing Scope Creep

Scope creep means the gradual enlargement or unfavourable changes in the scope of a project after it has been defined and authorized. The possible problem of scope creep points to the fact that this is very possible in large projects like the Tesco’s CRM implementation due to confusion of requirements, stakeholders or new features that may be introduced beyond the initial plan (Aizaz et al., 2021). This may result in the delay of the project, increased cost, and a decrease in the quality of the work that is being done.

Table 2: Control measures for managing Scope creep

Source: (Hemanta Doloi, 2024)

In order to minimize or even eliminate the problem of scope creep, the following control measures will be adopted:

• Approval procedures:The changes in scope must be documented and approved by the stakeholders before they are incorporated into the project. This guarantees that all changes made reflect on the project goals as intended.
• Change requests:A formal procedure will be implemented to manage the change requests and changes that may occur in the course of the project. All change requests will be assessed in terms of time, cost, and resources on the project.
• Regular scope reviews:These will assist in determining whether or not the project is still on track in terms of scope and meeting the set goals and objectives in order to detect cases of scope creep.

The following are some of the ways through which uncontrolled scope changes affect the project:

• More expenses: New additions or modifications may cause further expenses.
• Time delay:New tasks or requirements that may be added to the existing project can lead to an elongation of the project duration.
• Quality issues:The introduction of new features or changes can divert the resources and therefore the quality and performance of the system may also be compromised.

Thus, controlling the scope creep enables the project to deliver the intended goals without overrunning the time frame, cost or the quality.

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6. Applying Scope Management Techniques

In order to control the scope of the CRM implementation project in Tesco, several scope management methods will be used:

• Work breakdown structure (WBS): The project will be divided into several tasks and sub-tasks in order to accomplish all the deliverables in a sequential manner (Hemanta Doloi, 2024). The WBS will consist of the installation of the software, data conversion, training and system check. Such a breakdown will facilitate the distribution of resources, time estimation, and monitoring at the most detailed levels.
• Scope Statement: The scope statement that will be used to define the project will be detailed and will outline the expected goals, deliverables, and constraints of the project. It will specify what is included in the project, for instance, the successful implementation of the CRM system, the integration of customer data and training of the employees and what is not included for instance post implementation.
• Scope Verification:Scope verification will be conducted at various intervals and the feedback of the stakeholders will be sought at appropriate intervals. This process helps to ensure that the project stays on track in terms of the defined scope and that objectives are being met and that any changes are recorded and agreed.
• Tools for Managing Scope:Any of the project management tools such as MS project, JIRA etc. will be used to track the scope and the progress of the tasks. These tools will involve providing real-time information, assigning tasks, and enabling the stakeholders to check the conformities of the project with the outlined scope to support monitoring and control.

7. Project Scope Management

Example: Training implementation phase of the CRM project at Tesco:

• The scope is to train all the employees in the new CRM system with reference to the user interface, data input and output and data reports.
• The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of the training phase will include tasks such as content development for the training, scheduling and conducting of training sessions.
• Scope verification will require feedback from the employees at the end of each session to determine if the training scope has met the laid down goals and objectives.

Stakeholder Involvement:

Table 3: Role and responsibility of stakeholders

Source: (Shastri et al., 2020)

Project Team: They are in charge of arranging training sessions and making sure that the content delivered covers the required topic (Prymon-RyÅ›, 2023).

Management: Approves the training material, the training schedule, and any changes in the scope in relation to the business goals.

Vendors: Work together to bring in CRM specific training material and resources to maintain the scope while in process.

8. Conclusion

Project scope management is an important component that determines the success of the Tesco’s CRM implementation. Through scope definition, scope management, and scope control, Tesco is able to deliver all the defined deliverables within the set time and cost without allowing the scope to expand. With the help of tools like WBS, scope confirmation, and stakeholders’ engagement, the project can remain oriented at business objectives. Proper scope management will ensure that the system is implemented correctly, trained to the employees, and integrated into the customer data system for Tesco’s long-term success.

9. References

Aizaz, F., Khan, S. U. R., Khan, J. A., Ur-Rehman, I., & Akhunzada, A. (2021). An Empirical Investigation of Factors Causing Scope Creep in Agile Global Software Development Context: A Conceptual Model for Project Managers. IEEE Access, 9(1), 109166–109195.

Baker, F. A. (2022). The Scope of Project Management. Leadership and Management of Clinical Trials in Creative Arts Therapy, 17–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18085-9_2

Chian, L., Tunku, U., & Rahman, A. (2024). A CUSTOMIZED SCRUM FRAMEWORK FOR AGILE IMPLEMENTATION OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY WITH A MALAYSIAN SALESFORCE IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Information Systems. http://eprints.utar.edu.my/6463/1/2300150.pdf

Hemanta Doloi. (2024). Managing requirements, scope and configuration. Routledge EBooks, 109–125. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274179-10

Jami Pour, M., & Hosseinzadeh, M. (2020). An integrated framework of change management for social CRM implementation. Information Systems and E-Business Management, 19(1), 43–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-020-00479-z

Naderi, A. (2024). Project Management and Business Intelligence: A Bibliometric Analysis - Webthesis. Polito.it. https://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/secure/32053/1/tesi.pdf

Prymon-Ryś, E. (2023). Implementation and Evaluation of a Selected CRM Tool for the Stakeholder Relationship Management in an Innovative Project. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organisations, 49(3), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2023-0018

Varajão, J., Trigo, A., Pereira, J., & Moura, I. (2021). International Journal of Information Systems and Project International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management Management Information systems project management success Information systems project management success. https://doi.org/10.12821/ijispm090404

 

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