Choosing a CRM · ASRR Tech
What signals indicate a CRM no longer fits?
Look for recurring workarounds: shadow spreadsheets, duplicate entry and unclear ownership. Check whether configuration or working agreements solve the problem before replacing the system.
A practical example
A team keeps quotation follow-up outside the CRM because current stages are unclear.
This is an illustrative situation for assessing your own process.
Checklist for your team
- Collect workarounds.
- Investigate causes.
- Test a bounded improvement.
What does success look like?
You can distinguish a process issue from a product limitation.
Test this with a recognisable record and have a colleague review the outcome. Note missing information or decisions. Use that finding to improve a working agreement before applying the process more broadly.
Choosing a CRM: the wider process
Choose a CRM around the work your team performs each day. Take a real enquiry and follow it through to the next appointment or quotation. Record missing information, handovers and exceptions. Use that journey as the same demonstration script for different vendors. Ask each vendor to show the configuration, integrations and support it requires. Assess the complete workflow, including manual work that remains. A feature becomes useful when an employee can use it to carry out the process you have agreed.