A customer relationship management case study - critical success factors in action

Critical success factors (CSFs) are seen as a way of identifying those elements of an information systems project that are critical for the success of that project. However, existing research about CSFs has been largely derivative in nature. Many researchers use the existing literature to derive their lists of CSFs for industries, IS domains (such as: EIS, ERP, CRM) and case studies. Moreover, these lists have come from only one targeted group of people, senior management. There is a need for a new perspective and fresh primary sources. This paper argues that after 27 years of CSF method application little theoretical development has occurred Firstly, CSFs are not easily deciphered or compiled; and secondly, hierarchical (multiple) lists of CSFs may present a better representation of the position. Using a case study in CRM adoption and implementation, this paper discusses research undertaken to determine the nature of CSFs and highlights the issues, and problems in CSFs thinking over the past two decades, while providing a new interpretation of CSFs in use.