CRM Integration Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

Wiring your CRM into the complex web of applications used to run your business on a daily business may seem like a daunting task. While you should approach it with the gravity it deserves, you can also keep the long-term goal clear in the front of your mind: a seamless, holistic picture of every customer easily accessible in your CRM, with fresh (and safe!) data clearly arranged to tell a story.

Hurray! You have a CRM! Now what?

How can you integrate this customer relationship management (CRM) tool with the other tools your business is already using to connect with customers, fulfill orders, collect payment, develop new products and keep everything running smoothly?

Your CRM will need to talk to your existing systems so your sales team can make the most of this latest organizational technology. Every integration situation is different, but here are some common obstacles you may face with CRM integrations… and steps you can take toward solving them.

Single Process Focus

Each of your software applications is likely focused on a single business process. You have an ERP system to track orders and product inventory. A billing system for managing invoices. A CRM to track leads, opportunities, and open accounts. 

What you may lack is a single integrated source of truth through all of these systems for each individual customer. When you analyze these systems from the outside in (your customers’ point of view), instead of inside out (your internal departments), you gain an entirely new perspective on the information that could (or should) flow between them.

By taking the data from siloed single-process systems and zooming out to see the full picture, you can better understand your customers and how sales staff need to leverage information to drive new business. Inovus recommends capturing this view in a visual way, and we are here to assist you.

Cross-System Data Mapping

When you say Opportunity Close Date, do you mean Expected Close Date or Actual Close Date? Do both need to be tracked and reported on? What is the impact of a new opportunity splitting into two, one for each half of the year?

There is nuance here that cannot be ignored. Oversimplifying how you track your data can lead to blindly taking on greater risks than your organization can bear. While solid reasoning may justify tracking data differently across systems, it complicates cross-system data mapping and should be avoided if possible.

An expert can assist you with this mapping, taking time to vet the data map with subject matter experts. Getting the data mapping right will build confidence in the team members using your CRM and will drive user adoption.

Data Cleanliness

Risk increases with the replication of data across multiple systems. For example, to prepare a complete potential revenue picture, you might push Order and Invoice data into the CRM to view alongside Opportunity data. This means Order and Invoice data are available in both the CRM and the ERP systems. But if these systems get out of sync, it’s important to know which is the “source of truth” and should be used to update the others. If duplicates are introduced in your CRM-or any system, for that matter- they should be promptly reviewed and cleaned.

Clear documentation can empower your team, providing clarity and reducing data interruptions. Risk can be reduced by the creation of documentation that illustrates the flow of data, along with frequency of updates, and any data manipulation (e.g. calculations). These documents can be references when doing an ad-hoc data update, as well as regularly scheduled automated data refresh activity or troubleshooting.

A thorough testing process will further reduce data cleanliness risk. A test plan written in advance, with business input, will also ensure that data mapping is accurate, updates are timely, and the net result provides useful insights for your sales team.

Frequency of Data Exchange

Many SaaS platforms now offer REST API integrations, making it easier than ever to transmit data across your tech stack. However, just because the means to move data instantly are available, doesn’t mean that all data should be moved instantly.  Consider why your sales team is viewing data in CRM, and how often customers are purchasing from you.  Perhaps syncing Order and Invoice data once a day or once a week is often enough.  Save the high-speed processing until it’s absolutely necessary.

Data Security

Security risk multiplies as you expand the number of applications in a corporate ecosystem. When it comes to protecting sensitive information in your CRM, all the typical digital security rules apply: use the strongest password requirements, set parameters for staff to update their passwords periodically, and encourage team members to use two-factor authentication. Single-sign-on also contributes to safer data, because access can be revoked quickly in case of a team member’s departure. Your data is only as safe as the practices your team members follow.

Wiring your CRM into the complex web of applications used to run your business on a daily business may seem like a daunting task. While you should approach it with the gravity it deserves, you can also keep the long-term goal clear in the front of your mind: a seamless, holistic picture of every customer easily accessible in your CRM, with fresh (and safe!) data clearly arranged to tell a story.