In today’s marketplace, CRM most often refers to the specific tools, usually a web application or software, that allow organizations to focus their attention on individual customers and associates—be they buyers, suppliers, service users, or anyone else the organization does business with.
Given the importance of maintaining and perfecting customer relationships, one might assume that these tools have been a mainstay of business for as long as the concept has existed, but the reality is that CRM is a relatively new development.