It is difficult to fully understand how to best implement information technologies that run business processes without understanding the impact that the new technology might have on employees whose jobs will be affected by it, and the impact the new technology will have on a company’s business partners. The papers in this book stress the business impact and the implications of adopting electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) technology.

The book consists of a collection of papers on eCRM, which involves the use of information technology (IT), and especially the Internet, to attract and retain high-value customers through computer-supported customer interactions that enhance customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty. It is part of the “Advances in Management Information Systems” series. Each volume in the series focuses on a single topic of interest to management information systems (MIS) researchers and practitioners. Interested readers may want to investigate other volumes in the series, which cover topics such as information quality, IT outsourcing, and human-computer interaction (HCI).

Because of the narrow focus of the book, it will appeal to two very different sets of readers: the first and obvious set is eCRM researchers, many of whom have contributed the papers in this volume. The second set might seem surprising--although written as a compendium of research papers, taken together, the volume will provide a very useful introduction to eCRM for IT developers, managers, programmers, and quality assurance (QA) staff. This group can learn a great deal about the implications of configuration decisions on the business itself, such as its ability to attract and retain customers, increase profitability, or simplify business processes. Some of the case studies give specific examples of why eCRM systems are needed, how they are actually used, and why they are important.

A common theme is the need to align customer-oriented technology with customer-oriented business processes. Some papers provide a thorough analysis of prior literature, and others report on case studies of eCRM in specific industries, such as financial services or online grocery shopping; each includes an extensive reference list. Since each paper is written independently, there is some degree of repetition of definitions, background, and common findings. However, the papers are well constructed and fairly easy to read, and each begins with a well-written abstract to guide the reader to the relevant chapters. It is a relatively short book, and has a detailed index--the casual reader will be able to access relevant sections fairly quickly.

Although the book was published in 2006, the writing remains fresh and the findings apply to newer eCRM products. The need for alignment of business processes and IT will not diminish over time. In fact, as technology becomes increasingly embedded in business processes, the lessons from this book will become more valuable. Customers will not go away--all companies are well aware of the importance of retaining valued customers. Customers expect good service and eCRM is now the baseline for providing it.