Which solution to choose?

Implement CRM yourself, contact specialists night clubs and bars email list or develop your own system from scratch? Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages, but it is important to remember that setting up CRM is a deep study of business processes, their automation and training of the team.

Yulia Pyankova, head of the CRM and Integrations unit at Completo, told us what to pay attention to when implementing CRM independently or with the help of specialists.

DIY installation: the temptation to save money

Some companies decide to take the implementation process into their own hands. After all, detailed instructions, training videos are available, and in case of difficulties, you can contact technical support.

At first glance, this approach seems reasonable. However, in practice, difficulties may arise:

• Complexity of settings. You set up one part of the system, and another “breaks”. The logic of processes may be built incorrectly, important nuances are not taken into account.
• Documentation limitations: Official instructions are often written in technical language or lack detail, making it difficult to customize to your business.
• Contacting technical support. The response time may be 24 hours, and if the question is complex (for example, related to integrations with telephony, 1C, delivery services, etc.), then the solution may take even longer.

In addition, after installing strengthen your company by promoting these diversity types the CRM for free (conditionally) and setting up the system, it is necessary to train employees so that they can work with it effectively and do not experience difficulties.

An example of successful independent implementation

A company selling gearboxes and gear motors decided to implement a CRM on its own to test its capabilities before expanding its functionality.

A basic sales funnel was set up, and the reception and distribution of applications was automated. This allowed us to test the logic of the managers’ work, identify bottlenecks, and understand what improvements would be required in the future.

As a result, the company received a working CRM  clean email solution that can be expanded later without wasting extra resources on inappropriate functionality.

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Attracting specialists: an outside perspective

Turning to professionals can save time and effort, but not only that. CRM implementation specialists have been through this process dozens of times. Even companies with experienced teams sometimes resort to the help of third-party specialists.

Why?

Often, it is simply a need to look at the system from the outside: they want to check the settings, see hidden problems and refine the processes for new tasks.

• Time saving. Setup is faster, as specialists already know the nuances of the system.
• Analysis of your processes. Experts can identify weak points and offer an optimal solution that will immediately work for your business.
• Relieving the team of workload. You won’t have to distract employees with complex technical tasks.

What are the risks?

• This can be expensive.
• There may be delays in meeting deadlines for various reasons.

It helps build trust and customer retention by creating a unique connection with your brand. And a significant competitive advantage.

Example: CRM audit in a manufacturing company

A flooring company came in for a CRM audit. They already had a full-time business analyst, CRM marketer, and development team, but the CRM processes were only partially used.

It was necessary to improve integration with the site, set up application distribution and eliminate problems with data exchange in 1C.

During the audit, missing settings were identified, an optimization plan was developed, and new functions were implemented. It was necessary to improve integration with the site, configure the distribution of applications, and eliminate problems with data exchange in 1C.

As a result, the CRM began to operate at full capacity, resistance from employees decreased, and analytics became more accurate.

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In what cases is it justified to develop your own CRM?

Some companies are considering creating their own CRM system, fully tailored to their unique business processes.

This path has obvious advantages, but also carries significant risks and costs.

Pros of your own CRM

1. Full customization. Ready-made CRM systems have certain limitations in functionality. A custom CRM is created from scratch, taking into account all the specific business processes of the company. You can flexibly customize the system to your needs, without adapting to someone else’s logic.
2. Control over code and data. When using a third-party solution, the company depends on the CRM developers and their data policies. If the service closes or changes licensing terms, this may affect your work. A custom CRM allows you to fully control access and storage of information.
3. Flexibility of integrations. Ready-made CRM systems may be limited in integration capabilities or require additional costs for API access. When developing your CRM, you determine which services and in what format it will work with.
4. No unnecessary functions. Most popular CRMs have many additional functions that are not used, but for which you have to pay. In your own CRM, there will be only those modules that are really necessary for the business.

Disadvantages of this approach

1. High development costs. Creating your own CRM requires significant investment: a team of developers, architects, UX designers, testers, server equipment and infrastructure to support the system. Based on experience, developing your own CRM can cost 3-5 times more than implementing a ready-made solution.