<p>Copyright TM Forum 2005<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>This horizontal functional process grouping considers the fundamental knowledge of customers needs and includes all functionalities necessary for the acquisition, enhancement and retention of a relationship with a customer. It is about customer service and support, whether storefront, telephone, web or field service. It is also about retention management, cross-selling, up-selling and direct marketing for the purpose of selling to customers. CRM also includes the collection of customer information and its application to personalize, customize and integrate delivery of service to a customer, as well as to identify opportunities for increasing the value of the customer to the enterprise.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>CRM applies to both conventional retail customer interactions, as well as to wholesale interactions, such as when an enterprise is selling to another enterprise that is acting as the retailer.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>CRM makes no distinction between manual or automated interactions with customers, nor whether interactions are by paper, telephone, web-based transactions or some other alternative arrangement.<br/></p>