Case studyUp and Go Sporting Equipment is a small business which imports and supplies a range of sporting equipment to retail stores in Australia and New Zealand. The business was set-up approximately twelve years ago by its directors, Carol and Russell Higgins. It was initially run as a home-based, family business but the last seven years have seen rapid growth and the company has expanded into commercial premises and now has twenty-one staff. Up and Go Sporting Equipment

Carol HigginsDirector, Sales and MarketingCarol HigginsDirector, Sales and MarketingExecutive assistantSales ManagerOperations managerMarketing managerWarehouse managerSales reps (4)Internal sales assistantCustomer service officers (4)Financial controllerMarketing assistantStorespeople (4)Import clerkOrganisation Chart

Keeping track of client details had always been relatively ad-hoc and in the early days Carol and Russell had a personal relationship with the majority of their customers. However, as the company expanded, they lost the ability to keep track of their customers without assistance from a client management system. There are now three systems in place to keep track of customer information:The marketing department has a database which is used to track what promotional material is sent to each client. It also contains contact information for mail-outs, email campaigns and telemarketing.The sales department has a database which tracks direct contact with each client. It also contains information about discounts and special offers for each client.The customer service department has a computerised accounting system which is used for invoicing and processing payment. There are a number of obvious business implications in managing the client data as the client details are spread across their these three systems and the necessity of a centralized client management system with all client details consolidated and accessible from one client management system seems to be necessary for the company for efficient client management. Carol and Russell have asked you to look at the issue and to prepare a tender for the above scenario ie developing a client management system.