Project

ITEC 640 Group Project

Dr. Aaron Drew

University of Maryland Global Campus

October 5, 2025

Group Members

Vincent Hall

Mehwish Ashraf

Eugene Masamuna

Nkengazong Tung

Introduction

Project proposals are necessary for various reasons, including securing funding for resources, obtaining approval for new initiatives or processes, and they can have a range of aims, which can be financial or process-related.  In today's market, almost every organization relies on information systems to be efficient in managing customer relationships and driving sales growth.  Project proposals typically include core project components such as timelines, budgeting, goals, and objectives.  These are submitted to key stakeholders for approval to proceed with projects.

This project team will implement a cloud-based customer relationship system for Micro Center.  Micro Center is a small to mid-sized company specializing in computer hardware and consumer electronics.  The mission statement of Micro Center is "to be the best computer store in the world".  Micro Center leverages technology to achieve short pickup times and cloud-based PC priority care, enhancing its service.  It is one of the fastest-growing online retailers of consumer electronics.

This group project proposes implementing a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) system for Micro Center's internal use, with a focus on online sales operations.  A more modernized CRM will help centralize customer data, automate sales workflows, and enable advanced analytics.  These will also align with Micro Center's strategic goals for seamless, data–driven customer service. By providing sales teams with a more unified view of customers and real-time insights, the CRM will enable Micro Center to become a more seamless, supportive, and data-driven retail operation. This would be relevant both in-store and online.  The goal is to leverage cloud technology to enhance customer engagement, improve sales efficiency, and make more informed strategic decisions.

Statement of Need

Today, Micro Centers' online sales operations can suffer from fragmented data and manual processes.  Customer information can be stored on various systems, including e-commerce platforms, in-store point-of-sale systems, and support databases.  This creates data silos, preventing a comprehensive view of all customers and their sales interactions. This fragmented view of the business may make it nearly impossible to gauge the overall performance.

Sales and service may not have access to customers' order history, depending on where orders are placed. Any marketing effort that cannot be personalized will be ineffective, and sales representatives will struggle to sell products or services effectively.    This can lead to inefficiencies, such as duplicate work, missed sales opportunities, and potentially less-than-ideal customer experiences.

Manual data entry and these potentially disjointed workflows can limit productivity.  Some routine tasks, such as emails and quotes that rely on spreadsheets, can be time-consuming and prone to human error.  Without automating these processes, any form of reporting or analytics may be inaccurate, time-consuming, or overly simplistic.

A cloud-based CRM system can directly address these needs. It can centralize previously siloed information across multiple channels (online, in-store, support).  It can also automate sales and marketing workflows.  A cloud CRM can also provide access to real-time data anywhere, across multiple locations, which will be an enhancement for it as a multi-store retail business. 

Project Definition

Scope

· The scope includes the selection, configuration, and deployment of a cloud-based CRM platform to support Micro Center's online sales organization. 

· Implement core CRM functionality for customer contact and account management, lead tracking, sales pipelines, and integration into the overall order system.

· Integrate data sources by moving existing information from customer and sales data into the CRM, including customer accounts, purchase history, and support tickets.

· Developing automated workflows to manage the sales process. This can include quotes, email confirmations, and follow-up emails on orders.

· Configuring analytics for reporting to create dashboards that provide information on sales performance, customer trends, and ongoing campaigns.

· Prepare project management deliverables, including project charter, design documents, test plans, and deployment plans.

Objectives

· Unify customer data by creating a single, consistent repository.

· Automate sales workflows to reduce manual inputs and potential errors.

· Enhance analytics by providing real-time dashboards and reports to analyze online sales metrics, customer behavior, and the effectiveness of promotions/campaigns.

· Enhance customer service by offering a comprehensive customer history, enabling personalized support and expedited issue resolution.

· Increase revenue by implementing cross-selling and targeted marketing efforts, leveraging better data on customer preferences, and focusing on enhancing customer retention.

Deliverables

· A project charter and management plan will be developed to define the scope, objectives, stakeholders, timeline, and budget.

· A requirement document that outlines business needs, any technical requirements for the CRM, and/or integration requirements.

· The data migration plan will focus on integrating customer and sales data into the newly built CRM database.

· Training materials may include quick-reference guides, frequently asked questions, or other content that helps train on the new processes.

· Deployment plan for deploying the CRM into production with minimal service disruption.

· A closure report will provide a summarized outcome of the transition through the CRM, including lessons learned and overall performance against the initial goals.

Lifecycle Phases

· This team project will follow the waterfall method, which progresses through sequential phases or iterations.  They include:

· Initiation and planning to finalize the project charter, identify the stakeholders, form the project team, and create a detailed project plan/schedule.

· Requirements analysis to gather and document any requirements by checking with stakeholders such as sales, marketing, and support.

· Design phase, which develops the CRM configuration.

· Implementation/configuration, which will configure the cloud CRM platform according to the design phase.

· The testing phase conducts system integration testing and user acceptance testing.

· The deployment phase rolls out the CRM into active use.

· The closure phase is used to obtain final formal acceptance from stakeholders, hand over any necessary documentation, and document lessons learned.

Team roles and responsibilities

· The Project Manager oversees the overall planning, execution, and control of the project. Coordinates tasks such as risk management, scheduling, and communication with stakeholders.

· A business analyst or consultant gathers requirements, analyzes current processes, and translates business needs into a CRM.

· CRM developer configures the CRM platform (and develops any necessary integration.

· A data specialist is responsible for acquiring and migrating existing data (customer records, transactions, etc.) into the new system. 

· The trainer develops training materials and conducts training sessions for end users.

References

HashMicro. (2025). Cloud-based CRM: Benefits and implementation strategies. https://www.hashmicro.com/blog/cloud-based-crm/#:~:text=Customer%20relationship%20management%20,coordinate%20sales%2C%20marketing%2C%20and%20support

Micro Center. (2025). About Micro Center. https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/about_microcenter.aspx#:~:text=Committed%20to%20Customer%20Satisfaction

Salesforce. (2025). Data silos: What they are and how to eliminate them. https://www.salesforce.com/data/connectivity/data-silos/#:~:text=A%20360,marketing%2C%20sales%2C%20or%20customer%20service

Tredence. (2025). Retail data management: A strategic imperative for modern retailers. https://www.tredence.com/blog/retail-data-management#:~:text=,consuming%20task%20for%20them