IBM Global Services
General Motors: Customer-centric
strategy drives IBM-managed
CRM services
With this in mind, GM established
a Customer And Relationship
Services (CARS) group — charged
with improving customer satisfaction,
creating remote service centers
with redundant environments, and
selecting service providers. In
answer to this call, GM has teamed
with IBM and Sitel Corporation to
implement this vision. IBM was
selected to help deliver an end-to-end
CRM solution to General Motors.
Advanced and integrated CRM:
GM Customer and Relationship
The foundation for change
Services: Working to help ensure
To develop the solution, IBM systems
continual satisfaction
integrators worked to align technolo-
As one of the world’s largest vehicle
gies with GM’s business processes,
Align marketing, sales and service
manufacturers, General Motors
and to configure and deploy a CRM
processes via an optimized
maintains a global infrastructure of
packaged application across selec-
call center infrastructure and
extraordinary breadth. The company
ted contact centers and business
ongoing management of the
sells automobiles in 200 countries
functions. Leveraging its experience
customer relationship manage-
and, until recently, supported over
in the automotive environment, IBM
ment (CRM) solution
60 contact centers devoted to various
was also able to provide industry-
marketing, sales and service func-
based intellectual capital. Today, GM
IBM CRM Management Services,
tions. While each center was effective
has consolidated 15 contact centers
leveraging IBM’s automotive know-
in its own right, as a group they
how in CRM
lacked built-in coordination. In addi-
Overview
■ Challenge
■ Solution
■ Benefit
tion, there was no technological
Improved customer satisfaction
redundancy; if a center shut down,
and a reduction in overall costs
that portion of GM’s service structure
was essentially out of business.
into three coordinated centers. Each
vision,” says Heisel. It is this sort of
new hub encompasses multiple and
teamwork that she hopes will enable
redundant operations, and the loca-
GM to “pull everything we can out
tions are transparent to the customer,
of the technologies” in order to
just as the CARS group intended.
“respond to customers individually,”
and achieve a greater return on its
IBM provides, maintains and supports
CRM investment. Already, GM has
the CRM applications and technology
seen improved customer satisfaction
in the new centers. This includes an
across business functions and a
®
AIX -based infrastructure housing the
reduction in overall IT costs.
database, application servers and
related systems. IBM supports the
CRM Management Services
hardware and software; provides
IBM offers a robust suite of solu-
backup and recovery, performance
tions designed to help companies
monitoring and database adminis-
accomplish CRM transformation.
tration; manages WAN and LAN
IBM CRM Management Services
networks; delivers deskside support
can help deploy and manage a
and change management, and more.
customized CRM package encom-
“IBM has tapped into its resources
passing flexible, modular solutions;
to solve problems with the best tech-
using proven, industry-based tem-
nologies possible,” says Julie Heisel,
plates; contact center services, and
General Manager of the GM CARS
ongoing management services —
Group. Indeed, the centers have
leveraged through state-of-the-art
weathered a West Coast earthquake,
IBM technology centers. IBM Global
upheavals due to the September 11th
Services enhances the offering with
attacks, and a Florida hurricane — all
renowned consulting and integration
without visible disruption.
services. Some of the tangible ben-
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IBM Global Services
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All Rights Reserved
IBM, the IBM logo, AIX and the e-business
logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
International Business Machines Corporation in
the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, products and service names
may be trademarks or service marks of others.
References in this publication to IBM products
and services do not imply that IBM intends to
make them available in all countries in which
IBM operates.
efits to IBM CRM customers include
The Plan to Win: Achieving lifetime
the potential for improved return on
customer enthusiasm
investment and a faster realization
As with any CRM initiative, the
of measurable results.
technologies are building blocks
for something bigger: lifetime cus-
For more information
tomer enthusiasm. Recognizing this,
To learn more about IBM Global
GM, IBM and Sitel worked together
Services or CRM Management
to develop a strategic mission and
Services, contact your IBM sales
roadmap. “Our Plan to Win ensures
representative or visit:
that we continually talk about progress and check ourselves against the
ibm.com/services
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