CRM implementation: customer records move out of scattered spreadsheets
CRM implementation means bringing customer records, incoming enquiries and the sales pipeline into one system. ALTAI Digital builds it around how your team already works: you decide the required fields, duplicates merge without losing their history, and incomplete records stay visible rather than hidden. The system runs either on the platform you already use or on your own infrastructure, and the reason is written down. Weekly and monthly reports are produced in a set format.
In most small businesses customer information lives in three places: a spreadsheet, an inbox and a few phones. The same company appears twice under two spellings. Who called, who received a quote and which job is still open can only be found by asking. When someone leaves, what they knew leaves with them.
A CRM implementation ties that together. First we agree which information is required; the list comes from your own process rather than a template. Then the spreadsheets are migrated. During the migration duplicates are flagged, missing fields are listed and merge rules are written with you. Nothing is cleaned up without telling you.
The pipeline is built from the steps your team actually takes. Enquiries land in the same list whichever channel they arrive on, and each one is assigned to a person. A record that waits longer than the time you set moves to the top of the list, so remembering is not left to anyone's memory.
Where the system lives is a decision too. If you use a platform such as HubSpot, the implementation runs on top of it. If you want the records on your own infrastructure, it is installed there. Which fields go where is written down at setup. We work from Rotterdam and Istanbul, and personal data is handled under GDPR. Sector pages are listed below.
What goes wrong today
- 01
Customer information in three places
Details sit in a spreadsheet, an inbox and a few phones. Two people discussing the same customer know different things. Finding the last conversation before sending a quote becomes a task in itself.
- 02
The same company, two records
Duplicates multiply under different spellings. Two quotes go to the same company, or one person gets the same message twice. The customer count in the report is not the real one.
- 03
Nobody knows where a deal stands
Open work lives in people's heads. Who is waiting for which quote comes up in a meeting. Records that have not moved for weeks go cold without anyone noticing.
- 04
Enquiries stay in their channel
WhatsApp, form and email enquiries pile up separately. Because they do not land in one list, response time depends on the channel and some enquiries are never seen.
- 05
Reports are built by hand
At month end someone opens the spreadsheets and adds the numbers up. The report is late and the data behind it is argued over. The same work repeats the next month.
- 06
The record belongs to a person, not the business
History sits in staff phones and personal inboxes. When someone leaves it goes with them, and their replacement rebuilds the relationship from scratch.
Scope of the build
Required fields and visible gaps
You decide which fields are required. An incomplete record is flagged rather than hidden, so nobody argues about what the report is based on. Fewer fields means faster adoption, and we simplify the list with you in discovery.
Migration from spreadsheets
Existing spreadsheets are migrated. Duplicates are flagged, missing fields listed and merge rules written with you. Nothing is deleted without telling you, and record counts before and after are compared.
Merging duplicates
A matching rule is written, merges are proposed and the history of both records moves into one. The chance of two quotes going to the same company closes.
Pipeline and assignment
Stages come from the work your team already does. Enquiries land in one list whatever the channel and are assigned to a person. A record waiting longer than your threshold moves to the top and its owner is notified.
Channel connections
WhatsApp, email and the website form are connected to the record, so the conversation appears against the customer. Which channel fills which field is written at setup, so nothing is kept in two places.
Scoring with a reason
Scoring is available, but the score comes from criteria you write and appears with its reasoning. A score whose reason you cannot see does not help sales. When criteria change, scores are recalculated and the change is logged.
Reporting and pipeline health
Records per stage, average time to close and records with no movement sit on one screen. Weekly and monthly reports are produced in a set format and sent to the people you choose.
How the build runs
- 01
Discovery (1 week)
We map today's records, channels and sales steps, and write the required fields and pipeline stages with you.
- 02
Migration
Spreadsheets are migrated, duplicates flagged and merge rules applied. Record counts before and after are compared and any difference is explained in writing.
- 03
Build and connections
Pipeline, assignment rules, channel connections and reports are set up, and your team gets a short walkthrough.
- 04
Launch and measure
The system goes live. After the first month we report pipeline health and the share of incomplete fields. The first live flow opens in four to eight weeks.
A CRM page for your sector
Estate agent CRM: every enquiry recorded, matched and followed up
An estate agent CRM where portal, WhatsApp and Instagram enquiries land in one record, get assigned, and match against your listings. Archive migration included.
Clinic CRM: the enquiry is recorded, the clinical record stays put
A clinic CRM where phone, WhatsApp and form enquiries land in one list, get assigned and are followed up. Clinical records stay in your own clinical system.
For an estate agent we built a personal website and a customer record system. The hard part was moving an archive that had built up in the Keller Williams panel without losing it: 2,887 contacts moved in a single pass, with zero errors.
Read the caseProducts used in this build
CRM and customer management
The customer record gathers in one place: duplicates merge, required fields are defined, the report comes out on its own.
Integrations
Your existing systems get connected; data is not carried by hand and not kept in two places.
Request handling
Requests from five channels collect in one list, the draft reply arrives ready, and the decision to send stays with you.
Terms used on this page
- CRM
- A system that keeps customer records, conversations and open work in one place.
- Sales pipeline
- The ordered view of the stages an enquiry passes through from first contact to close.
- Required field
- Information a record must contain to count as complete; the business decides the list.
- Duplicate record
- A second record opened for the same person or company under a different spelling; a matching rule merges them.
- Pipeline health
- Records per stage, average time to close and inactive records shown on one screen.
CRM implementationFrequently asked questions
No. If you use HubSpot, the implementation runs on top of it. Moving is only discussed when you hit the platform's limits and you want to move.
They are migrated. Duplicates are flagged, missing fields listed and merge rules written with you. Nothing is cleaned up without telling you.
On your own infrastructure if we build it there, in which case they stay entirely with you. On HubSpot they live on the platform, and which fields go there is written down at setup. Records are not used to train models.
The setup follows how your team works today. Reducing the number of fields is the fastest way to shorten learning, and we simplify them together in discovery.
When your business line is connected, the conversation appears against the customer record. Whoever sends a quote can see what the customer asked on the same screen.
Yes, but the score comes from criteria you write and shows its reasoning. A score without a visible reason does not help the sales team.
Yes. Sales, operations and support use the same record through different views. Who can see and change which field is written at setup, so two versions of the truth do not appear.
The first live flow opens in four to eight weeks. It depends on the number of records, spreadsheets to migrate and channels to connect; your own timeline is written in the discovery report.
The process first, the proposal after
In a short discovery call we map the process together and tell you plainly whether it is worth automating. If it is not, we say that too.
30 minutes · no preparation needed
