Advice · Professional services firm
A second opinion on a CRM project
A firm had been quoted a high six-figure sum for a custom CRM. We compared that proposal with what was already on the market, and they chose an off-the-shelf system at a fraction of the cost.
- Outcome
- 6 figuresnot spent on a custom build they didn’t need
- Duration
- 3 weeks
- Tools used
- Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Requirements analysis, Cost modelling
The problem
The firm had outgrown its ageing CRM and knew it needed replacing. They asked a well-known consultancy for a proposal, and got back a plan for a fully custom build.
The scope and the price made them uneasy. They asked us for an independent view: what could they buy off the shelf, what would a custom build really give them, and was the price justified?
What we did
- 1Ran discovery sessions to understand how the firm actually used its CRM, and where it was letting them down
- 2Tested the leading off-the-shelf platforms (mainly Salesforce and Zoho) against those requirements
- 3Costed each option in full: licences, setup, training and ongoing support
- 4Went through the consultancy’s proposal line by line, comparing its scope and price with what the firm really needed
- 5Wrote up a clear recommendation with a side-by-side comparison, so the firm could decide for itself
What changed
- The custom-build proposal turned out to be far bigger than the firm’s needs
- An off-the-shelf CRM was chosen at a fraction of the proposed cost
- A high six-figure spend on unnecessary development was avoided
- The firm made its decision with an independent, transparent analysis in front of them
- The new CRM was up and running in weeks, rather than the months quoted for the custom build
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