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tSM Customer Relationship Management

The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module is a critical component of the Telco Service Management (tSM) system, enabling dynamic monitoring and management of business relationships at various levels. It provides tools for managing customers, leads, accounts, contracts, and contacts, forming the backbone of customer-centric operations. As the core module, CRM ensures seamless integration and data sharing across all other tSM modules, offering unparalleled insights and automation.

1. Module Overview​

Purpose​

  • Centralizes customer, lead, account, and contact management.
  • Tracks and manages the entire customer lifecycle, from initial lead creation to account termination.
  • Supports detailed segmentation and customizations tailored to the needs of the business.

Target Audience​

  • Sales teams, customer support agents, administrators, and technical staff.

Key Features​

  • Customer Lifecycle Management: Monitors customer status from lead generation to contract management and beyond.
  • Lead Management: Captures and processes leads automatically, prioritizing them for sales opportunities.
  • Account and Customer Segmentation: Supports classification using Customer Types, Lead Types, and Account Types.
  • Integration Across Modules: Seamlessly connects with Ordering, Ticketing, Stock Management, Preventive Maintenance, and more.
  • Customizable Attributes: Allows registering additional attributes and fields per the company's needs.

2. Core Functionalities​

2.1. Customer Management​

  • Core Entity: The Customer is the central entity shared across all tSM modules. Customers can represent individuals or organizations that purchase or receive services.
  • Features:
    • Centralized repository for customer data, including attributes like ID, name, status, contact details, and validity.
    • Enables segmentation using Customer Types (e.g., Residential, Enterprise).
    • Links customers to related accounts, leads, persons, CRM addresses, and contracts.
    • Allows users to schedule customer-related events and track them via calendars.
    • Provides search functionality and history tracking, with options for exporting customer data to standard formats.

2.2. Lead Management​

  • Overview: Leads represent the first point of contact or a potential business opportunity.
  • Features:
    • Automated Lead Creation: Leads can be created automatically, such as when a customer checks service availability via a portal.
    • Tracks the lifecycle of leads from New → Qualified → Converted/Closed.
    • Supports Lead Types for prioritization (e.g., Hot, Warm, Cold).
    • Enables conversion of leads into full-fledged customers with associated accounts and contracts.
    • Provides search, history tracking, and the ability to prioritize and export lead data.

2.3. Account Management​

  • Overview: Represents the financial and contractual details of customers.
  • Features:
    • Tracks payment methods, billing types (Prepaid, Postpaid), and contract statuses.
    • Supports Account Types (e.g., hierarchical structures for enterprises).
    • Links accounts to customers, leads, persons, CRM addresses, and contracts.
    • Allows users to update or terminate accounts based on service or financial requirements.

2.4. Contact Management​

  • Enables managing multiple contact types for customers, accounts, and leads:
    • Contact Types: Email, phone, external applications, websites, and data mailboxes.
    • Tracks communication channels and history, ensuring better engagement.

2.5. CRM Addresses​

  • Overview: Supports managing addresses for customers, accounts, and leads.
  • Address Types:
    • Billing Address: For invoicing and payments.
    • Installation Address: Linked to service provisioning.
    • Correspondence Address: For general communication.
  • Advanced Features:
    • Fetches address data using integrations with providers (e.g., Google, HERE).
    • Validates addresses using external registries or business systems.

2.6. Integration Across Modules​

  • Ordering: Ensures accurate customer and account data in service orders.
  • Ticketing: Links customer requests to tickets for resolution tracking.
  • Change Management: Tracks updates or changes to customer services.
  • Preventive Maintenance: Associates maintenance tasks with customer-owned assets.
  • Stock Management: Tracks inventory assigned to customer contracts.

3. Key Entities​

3.1. Customer​

  • Definition: Core entity representing active or potential users of services.
  • Attributes:
    • Identifier, name, status, description, contact information, and associated accounts.
    • Extensibility: Additional attributes and custom functions can be added to meet business needs.
  • Relationships:
    • Links to accounts, leads, persons, CRM addresses, and contracts.
  • Lifecycle:
    • Creation: Via API, manual input, or self-service portals.
    • Active Management: Updates based on interactions or service changes.
    • Termination: Upon service cancellation or inactivity.

3.2. Lead​

  • Definition: Represents potential customers in the sales funnel.
  • Attributes:
    • Status, assigned sales representative, revenue potential, associated contacts.
  • Lifecycle:
    • New: Created automatically or manually.
    • Qualified: Prioritized and tracked.
    • Converted/Closed: Converted into a customer or archived.
  • Lead Type: Categorizes leads as Hot, Warm, or Cold.

3.3. Account​

  • Definition: Represents the contractual and financial relationship with the customer.
  • Attributes:
    • Payment methods, billing types, contract status, and customer links.
  • Relationships:
    • Links to customers, leads, CRM addresses, and contracts.

3.4. Person​

  • Definition: Represents individuals linked to customers, leads, or accounts.
  • Attributes:
    • Role (e.g., Administrator, Billing Contact), phone, and email.
  • Relationships:
    • Connects to multiple entities using Person Roles (e.g., Manager, Salesperson).

4. Integration and Extensibility​

APIs​

  • Offers CRUD and bulk operations for all entities.
  • Supports specific methods for querying details, entity searches, and triggering workflows.

Customization​

  • Entities and attributes are fully extensible.
  • Enables frontend logic customization via JEXL for forms and workflows.

Third-Party Integrations​

  • Supports integration with systems like Salesforce, Oracle CRM, and analytics tools via tSM API.

5. Real-Life Use Cases​

  1. Automated Lead Creation:

    • Leads are generated when customers check service availability via the portal.

  2. Address Management:

    • Integrates with providers like Google or HERE to fetch and validate addresses.

  3. Data Validation:

    • Ensures accurate customer information by syncing with external business registries.