Clients continue to ask for specific tech. They see a gap in their digital ecosphere and want to fill it without considering their business's needs. Often, they already have an incumbent application that is not performing optimally, and fixing this would give them a greater ROI, but they consider the box ticked as its place.

At Stack, we start with business needs, not technology. We are unafraid to call a spade a spade and are frank in our assessments. As the first part of our engagement, we conduct a 'digital current state assessment' and then work with the client to learn their desired target state, understanding where they want their business to go. Only then do we recommend a roadmap of change, whether that is applications, infrastructure, or organisational shifts to achieve this.

1. Define Clear Objectives:

Start by clearly understanding and detailing the business challenges you aim to solve with the CRM—they are the baseline against which you will measure your implementation.

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2. Prioritise Data Quality:

Invest time cleaning and organising your data before migrating it to the CRM. Update and maintain data quality regularly; this is generally managed with product ownership. A system doesn't solve all of the problems, so ensure you marry software with business processes.

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3. Simplify the System:

Start with a simple setup focused on essential features. You can add more functionality as the team becomes comfortable with the system.

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4. Focus on User Adoption:

Involve key stakeholders in the selection process and provide comprehensive training and support to ensure the team is comfortable using the CRM.

5. Plan for Integration:

Ensure the CRM integrates smoothly with other systems to maintain workflow continuity and data accuracy.

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6. Don't just walk away! Iterate and improve

Review CRM usage and effectiveness regularly, and be prepared to adjust it based on feedback and evolving business needs.

1. Lack of clear objectives:

Implementing a CRM without a clear understanding of what business problems it should solve leads to poor adoption.

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2. Poor data quality:

Starting with messy or incomplete data can lead to unreliable insights and decisions. This is a major pitfall that can undermine the effectiveness of a CRM.

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3. Resistance to change and over-complicating the system:

A CRM with too many features can overwhelm users, leading to low adoption and missed opportunities for efficiency.

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4. Integration challenges:

Failing to integrate the CRM with other existing tools properly will lead to data silos and inefficient processes.

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Stack can help you with these steps to ensure your chosen CRM addresses the core business problems and delivers tangible value.

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