International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887) Volume 50– No.20, July 2012 5 Comprehensive Prioritized Perspectives of CRM System for Implementation in the Developing Countries’ Hospitals Hossein Monem Faculty of Computer Science and Information System, UTM, Malaysia Ab Razak Che Hussin Faculty of Computer Science and Information System, UTM, Malaysia Roxana Sharifian School of management & Medical Information Science, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ABSTRACT Research on the CRM implementation link has been fragmented due to various perspectives on CRM, especially in hospitals. Literatures show that comprehensive research on CRM implementation in healthcare is quite inadequate and lag in the hospitals in terms of IT technology implementation exist. In this study, different perspectives of the CRM implementation were reviewed. Furthermore, in order to prioritize CRM implementation perspectives, 35 high experience experts in the hospital information system, clinical information system, hospital’s chief information technology officer and hospital’s chief execute officer in Malaysia, Kuwait and Iran were interviewed. The empirical work in three developing countries indicates that resource, management, CRM application system, employees and patient perspectives have the highest to lowest impact. Moreover, results of the interviews showed that unlike regular customers in organizations and companies, patient’s involvement as a customer, had not been a considerable impact on success and failure of CRM implementation in the hospital of the developing countries. In addition, lack of measurement models pushed CRM projects to the higher risk. Keywords CRM implementation, HIS, Hospital, measurement model. 1. INTRODUCTION In the modern environment of business, the central critical point of all marketing activities is customer, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has high priority for companies [1, 2]. Organizations, companies and all enterprise need the customer to continue their business. Without customer any goal is meaningless to achieve by organizations. If the word ―Customer‖ removes from organizations then all business will be closed immediately[3]. CRM is an outcome of marketing issue. In short description CRM gives ability to organization administrators to manage and make efficient and productive relationship with customers. CRM is an information industry term for methodologies, software, and usually internet capabilities that help an enterprise to manage customer relationships in an organized and efficient manner[4]. However all organizational activities, directly or indirectly are ended to customer related services and customer has vital role in business’ activities, but There is limited research conducted in CRM area [5]. King and Burgess [6] claimed that ―relationship among CRM implementation factors are not well understood‖ and ―There is a need for stronger theoretical models of the entire CRM innovation process‖. Among various types of organizations, hospitals have played critical role for their customers. In the hospital patients have played customer’s role, but with different behaviors and attitudes. Patient’s expectations in contrast of regular customers are quite high and different[3]. Hospitals still have lag behind many of other organizations in using information technology and it is more difficult to adopt CRM system [7]. Although we have currently seen initiatives of CRMS adoption in a number of hospitals in Iran, Malaysia and Kuwait, the percentage of successful projects is quite low in the world. A deeper understanding of the essential perspectives of CRM system implementation in the hospital can provide considerable help and useful implications to associate academics, medical CRM system manager and CRM application vendors. To remedy the situation, we should first determine from where the problem stems. Going through the literature, it is founded that not only none of the previous researchers focused and investigated on CRM comprehensively, but also study onto hospital CRM success and failure are quite inadequate. To end these problems, holistically investigation is done onto different medical environment at Malaysia, Iran and Kuwait by authors to find out; first, what priorities exist between perspectives of previous comprehensive model, second, what differences are between regular customers of other organizations with patients in the hospitals in terms of impact on successful CRM implementation, and lastly, what measurement model could be used based on proposed exhaustive map in the hospitals. The rest of this manuscript is structured as follows: CRM system features in hospital are reviewed and then CRM architecture and subsystem’s Roles in Hospitals is presented. Background of study section is provided to previous work on CRM. And in the next part of paper, research methodology which is consist of CRM implementation perspectives and factors in the hospital is discussed. Paper is followed by results and discussion which is focused on perspectives’ priorities and measurement model. 1.1 CRM System Features in Hospital Depending on the mission of organization; CRM should have various characteristics and features. Hung [7] discussed about critical characteristics which should be considered for healthcare CRM operations. Three characteristics are as follows: Little power of patients: Regular customers have lots of information about what they needed. In contrast patients have little knowledge to decide what kind of service or treatment they needed. There is a great medical information asymmetry between medical service providers and patients. Information Technology: The use of information technology (IT) is essential for implementing CRM. An