We’ve outgrown spreadsheets. Do we need a CRM?

Follow one real enquiry.

Write down how an enquiry arrives, who responds, where the quote is recorded and what happens if the customer does not reply. Include the awkward cases: duplicate enquiries, changes of contact and jobs that are postponed.

If the process is unclear on paper, installing a CRM will not automatically make it clear. Start by agreeing a small set of stages and who is responsible for the next step.

Separate essentials from attractive extras.

Your first useful setup might only need shared contact records, a few stages, an owner and a reminder date. Permissions, exports and the ability to leave matter as much as a long feature list.

• Can the team see the latest information?
• Can each enquiry have someone responsible for it and a clear next step?
• Can you export your data in a usable form?
• What does the required plan cost for the actual number of users?
• Do the tools you already use connect on that plan?

Treat the import as a separate job.

Decide which spreadsheet holds the correct information, what each field means and how duplicates will be handled. Remove records you no longer need and check that you are entitled to move and use the data.

Test a small representative sample before the full import. Check dates, notes, who handles each customer and which records belong together, as well as the number of records. Keep the original export safely until the migration has been verified.

Try one everyday task first.

Ask the people who will use the system to run through real examples. Check that updating it is easier than keeping a separate spreadsheet on the side.

Only then add the useful automations. A reminder attached to a reliable status is worth more than a complex sequence built on records nobody trusts.