The first step in any hardware or software review is project management. This is an essential step when considering implementing a completely new customer relationship management (“CRM”) system. The reason is that “project management activities include planning work, assessing risks, estimating the resources needed to accomplish the work, organizing the work, acquiring human and material resources, assigning tasks, directing activities, controlling project execution, reporting progress and analyzing results” (Laudon, 2013). The first of the five important elements in project management is scope. “Scope implies what work is or is not intended to be included in the project. Project management must ensure that the scope of a project does not extend beyond what was initially planned” (Laundon, 2013). Again, when considering a CRM system, you will want to make sure that several elements are included in this new system, where other non-important information factors are not included in the system, but this is where the system project management takes the decision on these factors. When upgrading a CRM system, there are some very important elements that need to be included or not included in project management due to the type of system it will be. The first concerns customer information and data such as the frequency of purchases or more precisely the items they purchased. This is exactly the type of information vital to a retail business. The time element should be explicit because the word itself indicates the time and duration in which the project should take to complete. This time is vitally important to any business because even a moment of wasted time for a business is critical. This lost time can mean loss...... middle of paper...... control. Risks are also higher for systems where information requirements are not clear and simple or where the project team must master new technology” (Laudon, 2013). My recommendation for minimizing project risks when implementing this new CRM system would be to ensure that employees receive proper training on the new system and they are ready and as prepared as possible to take on the task of transitioning to the new system. Additionally, project management would ensure that all elements are available, ready and included in the new system so that our business is operational and ready to go as soon as the transition part of the project is completed. Works CitedLaudon, KC and Laudon, JP (2013). Part II: Information Technology Infrastructure. In Essentials of Management Information Systems (10th ed., pp. 389-391). Apprentice room.