Insights

What the research says about why CRM and automation projects succeed or fail, written for owners and operations leaders.

Ownership

Own your solution: what you should hold on day one

Before a CRM partner configures anything, six things should be in your company's name: tenant, admin accounts, source repository, keys, licenses and documentation.

Project risk

Why CRM projects fail, and why small projects usually don't

CRM projects rarely fail because of the software. People, data and project size matter more, and the evidence favors smaller, staged projects.

People

Change management is the project

A CRM changes how people work every day. Research shows projects with excellent change management are far more likely to meet their objectives.

AI

Your data decides whether AI works

Gartner predicts organizations will abandon 60% of AI projects unsupported by AI-ready data. For most SMBs, the first AI project should be a data project.

Integration

Integration first: the hidden cost of disconnected systems

A CRM is only as useful as the systems it talks to. How Microsoft Azure integration services connect CRM to accounting, ERP, phone and web.

Buying guide

12 questions to ask before hiring a CRM partner

Twelve questions about people, ownership, risk and fit that reveal more about a CRM partner than any proposal.