What a CRM should do
A CRM is a shared system for storing customer details, recording interactions, tracking opportunities and making the next action visible.
A practical small business example
Start with five fields: contact name, source, status, owner and next action date. Add more only when someone will use them.
Questions to ask before changing software
- Who owns this step when an automation fails?
- What data or permission is needed before a message is sent?
- How will we measure whether the process improved?
- What will this workflow cost to operate and maintain?