Customer knowledge management - improving performance of customer relationship management with knowledge management

In this paper, we illustrate the use of modern information technology to provide knowledge support to CRM processes. This knowledge support allows for performance enhancement in customer oriented business processes. We base our reasoning on an integrated customer knowledge management process model, which identifies six CRM sub-processes and four aspects of knowledge management. This integrated model aims at achieving knowledge transparency, knowledge dissemination, knowledge development and knowledge efficiency. The application of the four aspects content, competence, community and composition in specific CRM sub-processes are demonstrated in several action research cases. These cases were implemented in European companies in the financial services sector and concern the support of customer-facing processes across all channels. They validate the proposed architecture while indicating critical success factors for a successful implementation of customer knowledge management.