CRM services · Implementation & consulting
CRM rollouts fail when the system is configured around an ideal process. We configure around the real one, connect it to the systems that hold the rest of the data, and agree what “done” means before go-live: each phase ends at a gate you sign off.
A CRM implementation turns a sales and service process into a configured system people use every day. It starts with discovery (how work really flows and what the business needs to measure), moves through the data model, configuration and integrations, imports existing data, and ends with training and a go-live against criteria agreed in advance. CRM consulting is the decision-making part of that work, not a separate deliverable.
What a CRM consultant does in an implementation, and what you get from each decision.
Workshops with the people who sell, quote, onboard and support. We record the steps, the handoffs and the exceptions, including the ones that happen in chat and spreadsheets.
DeliverableCurrent-state process map with pain points marked
Each requirement is written as a testable statement: “A rep can see all open tickets for an account on the account page.” Vague wishes become checkable criteria.
DeliverablePrioritized requirements list with acceptance tests
If you haven’t chosen a CRM, or suspect the current one is wrong, we compare candidates against your requirements, user count, integration needs and admin capacity.
DeliverablePlatform comparison with a recommendation and its reasons
For each data domain (customers, products, prices, orders, invoices), we decide which system is the source of truth and which only keeps a copy.
DeliverableData ownership map
What should be true 30 and 90 days after go-live: response time to new enquiries, share of deals with a next step, forecast prepared from the CRM rather than a spreadsheet.
DeliverableMeasures with a baseline where one exists
Ten steps. On a small project several happen in one week; on a large one each has its own workstream.
Process mapping, requirements, platform fit and success measures, as described above.
DeliverableSigned requirements and measures
Gate G1 · requirements signed off
Objects, fields, relationships and record types. Picklist values agreed with the people who will choose them every day.
DeliverableData model document
Pipelines and stages with entry criteria, page layouts per role, roles and permissions, list views and queues.
DeliverableConfigured sandbox
Gate G2 · data model and contracts approved
Email and calendar sync, web forms, and connections to ERP, billing or support where the scope includes them. See CRM integration for how those are built.
DeliverableInterface contracts and working connections in sandbox
Existing contacts, accounts and open deals are cleaned, deduplicated and imported in trial runs. A large move between platforms is handled as a CRM migration.
DeliverableTrial import with reconciliation counts
Gate G3 · trial import reconciled
Assignment, follow-up tasks, notifications and approvals, each specified as a rule before it is built.
DeliverableRule specifications and tested automations
User acceptance testing against the requirement tests, run by the people who will use the system.
DeliverableUAT log with resolved issues
Gate G4 · UAT passed
Role-based sessions for reps, managers and admins, plus short recorded walkthroughs for new hires.
DeliverableTraining materials and admin guide
Final import, switch-over of forms and integrations, and a support rota for the first week.
DeliverableGo-live checklist, completed
Weekly check-ins, adoption data, and small adjustments while habits form.
DeliverableAdoption review against success measures
Gate G5 · 30-day adoption check
CRM setup services are a bounded version of the same work. Choose by the number of teams and systems involved.
Bounded scope
For one team adopting its first CRM, or restarting one with clean, modest data.
Typically includes
Fits whenOne team, one process, data in spreadsheets, no system integrations yet.
Full scope
For several teams, existing systems to connect, and data that needs cleaning or moving.
Typically includes
Fits whenSeveral teams, a previous CRM or legacy data, and at least one other system the CRM must exchange data with.
We are vendor-neutral. These are the criteria we compare platforms on, with the questions behind each.
| Criterion | Question we answer | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Process fit | How many requirements are met with standard configuration? | Every requirement met with code is upkeep you pay for later. |
| Data model limits | Custom objects, relationships, field limits per object and edition | Some editions cap custom objects or relationships that your model needs. |
| APIs and automation | Which events can trigger integrations, and what are the API limits per day? | Integrations run against these limits every day. |
| Licensing model | Cost per user at today’s headcount and in two years; what is gated behind higher tiers | A feature you need may only exist two tiers up. |
| Admin skills | Who will maintain the system, and how hard is the configuration to learn? | A platform your team can’t administer drifts out of shape. |
| Ecosystem | Marketplace apps, connectors and available specialists for your other systems | Affects cost and speed of future changes. |
Platforms we commonly compare include Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho CRM and Pipedrive. Where no platform fits without heavy code, we say so and discuss custom CRM development.
The first rules to build are the ones that make the CRM faster than the inbox.
New web enquiry: assign and follow up
Adoption follows usefulness. If a rep gets a new lead, already matched to the right account, with a task and a deadline, the CRM is quicker than forwarding emails. That is worth more than any training session.
The rule also produces data managers can use: response times per rep and per territory, and a list of breaches to review weekly.
The same causes appear in most stalled CRM projects.
Stages and fields follow a sales methodology slide rather than what reps do on Tuesday afternoon.
CountermeasureProcess mapping with the people doing the work, and stages with observable entry criteria.
Every stakeholder adds “just one field”. Reps start typing dots to get past validation.
CountermeasureEach required field must feed a report or rule someone uses. Others stay optional.
Duplicates and stale contacts are imported as they are, and trust in the system is gone in a week.
CountermeasureCleanup and deduplication before import, with a reconciliation check.
Orders, invoices and tickets stay in other systems, so people still switch screens and re-type.
CountermeasureThe integrations that matter most are in the first release, not “phase two”.
The project team disbands and change requests pile up.
CountermeasureA named admin, an admin guide and a change process agreed before go-live.
If your starting point is different, one of these pages fits better.
A CRM implementation is the project that takes a business from “we bought a CRM” to “the team runs its work in it”. It covers requirements discovery, the data model, configuration of pipelines and permissions, integrations with other systems, importing existing data, automation, testing, training and go-live, followed by a period of adjustment.
A CRM consultant helps you make the decisions before and during configuration: mapping how sales and service really work, turning that into requirements, choosing a platform, deciding which system owns which data, and defining what success looks like. At Comtau, consulting is the discovery phase of an implementation, delivered by the same people who then build it.
It depends on the number of teams, the volume and state of existing data, and the integrations required. A bounded setup for one sales team with clean data can be done in a few weeks. Multi-team rollouts with integrations and a migration take a few months. We give a dated plan after discovery, not before.
Costs come from three places: platform licences (paid to the vendor), implementation work (discovery, configuration, integrations, data import, training), and ongoing administration. Implementation effort is driven mostly by integrations, data cleanup and the number of distinct processes to configure. We quote it after a short discovery so the estimate rests on your data and systems.
The one that models your process with the least customization, fits your budget at the user count you expect in two years, has the APIs your integrations need, and can be administered by the people you have. We compare platforms against those criteria. We don’t resell licences, so the recommendation isn’t tied to a commission.
Yes. Training is role-based: sales reps learn their daily screens and tasks, managers learn pipeline review and reports, admins learn how the configuration works and how to change it safely. Short recorded walkthroughs and a written guide stay with the team after go-live.
Often, yes. If the system was configured without discovery, adjusting it field by field won’t fix adoption. We start from the real process and decide what to keep. If the existing setup is mostly sound, CRM customization may be enough.
Next step
Tell us how enquiries and deals move through the business today. We’ll reply with questions, and a proposal for discovery sized to your teams and systems.
Scope a CRM implementationUseful to have ready
Not everything is needed. A rough answer is enough to start.
