| Course | MGT 215 Customer Relationship Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | CRM selection and implementation report |
| Length | About 1,048 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MGT 215 Module 7
From Spreadsheets to One Client Record: Selecting and Implementing a CRM System at a Commercial Insurance Agency
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
MGT 215: Customer Relationship Management
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
From Spreadsheets to One Client Record: Selecting and Implementing a CRM System at a Commercial Insurance Agency
Keystone Commercial Insurance, a composite independent agency in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, employs 48 people and places property, liability, workers' compensation and auto coverage for about 3,400 business clients, from restaurants to trucking firms. Policies are stored in an agency management system that handles billing, but relationships live elsewhere. Each of the agency's eleven producers keeps client notes, contacts and renewal reminders in personal spreadsheets and email folders. When a producer retired last year, the agency lost track of several renewals and two large clients moved to competitors. The owners have decided to buy a CRM system. This paper recommends how to select and implement one.
What the Agency Needs
Interviews with producers, account managers and owners identified six needs. All client contacts, notes and emails should be in one record visible to the team. Renewal tasks should start automatically 120 days before expiration. The system should connect to the agency management system so policy details are not entered twice. Producers want to track prospects through the sales process. Owners want reports on renewals, new business and cross-selling opportunities. And the system must work on phones, since producers spend much of the week visiting clients.
Lessons from CRM Research
Boulding et al. (2005) reviewed research on CRM and concluded that its value comes from integrating customer information with the processes through which a firm creates value, not from technology alone. They noted that CRM can fail when firms do not adapt processes, and they warned against using customer data in ways customers see as unfair. For Keystone, the lesson is that the system must be built into the renewal process, not added beside it.
Why Employees Accept or Resist
Davis (1989) proposed that two beliefs drive whether workers take up a new system: that it improves their job performance, which he called perceived usefulness, and that it is free of effort, which he called perceived ease of use. In his studies, usefulness was more strongly linked to use than ease. Venkatesh et al. (2003) combined eight models into a unified theory, finding that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence predicted intention to use a system, while facilitating conditions, such as training and support, predicted actual use. Keystone's producers, paid on commission and attached to their spreadsheets, will adopt the system only if it visibly helps them keep and win clients, if respected colleagues use it and if help is close at hand.
Comparing Three Systems
Three systems were shortlisted and are described here without vendor names. System A is a large general CRM platform. System B is built for insurance agencies. System C is a low-cost CRM included with the agency's email software.
System B scores highest because it fits the agency's most heavily weighted needs. Its three-year cost of about $86,000 is higher than System C's but lower than System A's estimated $140,000, which includes the customization A would require.
| Criterion | Weight | System A | System B | System C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration with agency management system | 25% | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Renewal workflow | 20% | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Ease of use for producers | 15% | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Mobile access | 10% | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Reporting | 10% | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Cost over three years | 10% | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Vendor support and training | 5% | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Data security | 5% | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Weighted score out of 5 | 100% | 3.45 | 4.25 | 2.75 |
Preparing the Data
Before migration, each producer will clean their client list with an account manager, removing duplicates and confirming contacts. The agency will budget six weeks for this. Notes older than five years will be archived rather than imported.
Phased Rollout
The rollout will begin with the five account managers who handle renewals, because the renewal workflow offers the clearest benefit and the most immediate relief. After six weeks, producers will join, led by a senior producer who volunteered as champion and who will show colleagues how the system helped her keep a client. Following Venkatesh and colleagues, an on-site trainer will be available for the first month, and a short weekly session will answer questions. Owners will review renewals only through the system, which signals that it is now how work is done.
Risks and How to Reduce Them
Three risks stand out. First, producers may keep their spreadsheets as a private backup and enter little in the new system, which would leave the agency where it started. The owners will address this by making the system the only source for renewal assignments and commission reports after the third month. Second, the connection to the agency management system may not work as smoothly as the vendor promises; Keystone will ask for a test using its own records before signing and will hold back part of the setup fee until the link works. Third, client data in one place is a more attractive target for theft, so the agency will require two-step sign-in and limit exports to the owners. Boulding and colleagues' caution about fairness also applies: clients will not receive marketing based on private details they shared with a producer in confidence.
Budget and Timeline
The total first-year cost is about $38,000, including licenses for 48 users, setup and integration, and the on-site trainer. Data cleanup will take about six weeks, account managers will begin using the system in month three and producers in month five. By month nine, the owners expect every renewal to run through the system, and a review at month twelve will decide whether to add marketing features.
Measuring Adoption and Results
The agency will judge adoption by the share of renewals managed through the system's workflow, the share of client contacts logged and the number of prospects tracked, rather than logins. Business results will be measured by the renewal retention rate, the number of policies per client and renewals missed, compared with the year before.
Conclusion
Keystone's problem is not missing software but scattered relationships. Research on CRM implementation and technology acceptance points to choosing a system that fits the agency's renewal process and introducing it in a way that shows producers its usefulness. System B, a phased rollout and measures of real use offer the best chance that the agency will no longer lose clients when a producer leaves.
References
Boulding, W., Staelin, R., Ehret, M., & Johnston, W. J. (2005). A customer relationship management roadmap: What is known, potential pitfalls, and where to go. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 155-166. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.2005.69.4.155
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425-478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
Reading the MGT 215 Module 7 assignment instructions
Selecting and implementing CRM technology is a later topic in Aspen's MGT 215, and the paper usually asks students to recommend a system and plan its introduction. Defer to the Module 7 prompt your classroom provides; the example applies the task to one agency. Describe the organization's needs before naming any product. Use research on CRM implementation and technology acceptance. Set selection criteria and weight them according to the needs. Compare options fairly; vendor names are optional and anonymous options are acceptable. Plan the implementation, including data migration, training and the order of rollout. Address why employees might resist the system. Close with measures of adoption and of the business results the system is meant to support.
How the MGT 215 Module 7 example is put together
The paper opens with Keystone Commercial Insurance, whose producers keep client details in their own spreadsheets and inboxes, so renewals are missed when someone is out. Boulding and colleagues' Journal of Marketing article reviews CRM research and stresses integrating CRM with processes and avoiding treating customers unfairly with data. Davis's MIS Quarterly article found perceived usefulness more strongly linked to use than ease of use. Venkatesh and colleagues' unified theory adds social influence and facilitating conditions. A table scores three systems on eight weighted criteria; System B, built for agencies, scores 4.25 of 5. The rollout begins with account managers handling renewals, then producers, with a senior producer as champion. Measures include the share of renewals managed in the system and the renewal retention rate.
Where the marks sit in the MGT 215 Module 7 rubric
A system selection paper is assessed on whether criteria come from needs, whether options are compared fairly and whether the plan addresses adoption, not only installation. This example lists the agency's needs before any system is named and weights criteria accordingly. Boulding and colleagues' review provides a research basis for integration. Davis's and Venkatesh and colleagues' models explain why employees may resist, which shapes training and leadership choices. The weighted table shows the calculation openly, and the plan includes data cleanup and phasing. Measures distinguish actual use from logins and link use to renewal retention.
Common MGT 215 Module 7 mistakes, and how to avoid them
System selection papers frequently compare features from vendor websites and pick the one with the most. Start with what the organization needs and weight criteria accordingly. Another weakness is ending at the purchase; most CRM problems arise during implementation, when employees keep using old habits. Use research on technology acceptance to plan training and leadership. Budget for data cleanup, which usually takes longer than expected. Roll out in phases, starting where the system's usefulness will be most visible. Avoid naming vendors unless your course asks for it and you can verify claims. Finally, measure whether people use the system for real work and whether business results improve.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MGT 215 Module 7 questions, answered
What does MGT 215 Module 7 usually ask for?
Aspen's MGT 215 covers selecting and implementing CRM systems in this module, so a recommendation for choosing and introducing a system is typical. Consult your classroom prompt.
How should a company choose a CRM system?
By defining its needs first, setting weighted criteria from those needs and comparing options fairly, including cost and fit with existing processes.
Why do employees resist new CRM systems?
Davis and Venkatesh and colleagues found people adopt systems they believe are useful and easy, and are influenced by colleagues and organizational support.
Where can I find a free MGT 215 Module 7 sample paper?
The example above recommends a CRM system for a commercial insurance agency, with a weighted comparison of three options and a phased rollout plan.
How do you measure CRM adoption?
By whether employees use the system for real work, such as the share of renewals managed in it, rather than only how often they log in.