Context
Before I formally moved into Product, I was already working on many of the same problems through an enterprise CRM transformation.
At HQ, I supported Customer Service across more than 40 branches in Malaysia, together with a large Customer Service team and a BPO handling customer support and online channels.
The organisation was working with a CRM that had been in place for more than 15 years. Customer complaints were being handled, but the system made it difficult to understand patterns, categorise issues properly, escalate them consistently, or learn from what customers were telling us.
My Role
There wasn't a dedicated Product Manager owning the problem.
I gradually took on more ownership of the CRM project, working from HQ while supporting Customer Service across more than 40 branches in Malaysia, together with a large Customer Service team and a BPO handling customer support and online channels.
What I Changed
I worked through the requirements, shaped what needed to change, documented the product requirements, and coordinated with the IT vendor and BPO through implementation.
The new approach introduced clearer tagging and escalation, better customer information, and a more structured way of understanding the types of issues customers were experiencing.
Training was also important because changing the system alone wouldn't change how people used it.
Influence
Part of the work involved showing leadership how the new flow would operate and why the changes would improve the way customer issues were managed.
Outcome
Resolution time reduced by 30%.
A core quality KPI improved by 25%.
The organisation gained better visibility into customer issues and a more useful system for tracking and escalating them.
Learning
Vendor agreements and existing system constraints can significantly affect how quickly a change can happen.
Understanding those constraints early makes it much easier to make realistic Product decisions.