Entrepreneurs who decide to automate their business are faced with a dilemma: whether to use a ready-made system for this or create their own custom one. The truth is that 90% of those who decide to invest in the development of a custom solution, after spending time and budget, return to the finished one. In the article we understand why. Learn more about salesforce custom development at our official website.
What CRM systems exist: ready-made and custom
Each company is dozens of unique processes that are closely intertwined. Often, managers think that these processes are so unique that they need to create the same unique CRM system for them.
Theoretically, an individual CRM system will include the necessary functions, fully adapted to a particular company – from the terminology used within the system to the way workflows are built.
Unlike a custom CRM system, ready-made solutions are more flexible. Usually they take into account the most simple model of business processes within the company in order to suit different clients, which confuses managers. But the decision to develop your own program for small and medium businesses is not an option at all, and here’s why.
Cost and timing of CRM development – the main enemy of small businesses
Let’s face it. Rarely are small business needs and processes so unique that they justify the expense of developing their own accounting system. This is exactly the moment when you need to understand that the time and money spent on development can exceed the company’s turnover:
Development cost
To develop a working CRM system, you will need a whole team of developers, whose salaries start at least $2,000 per month. Why can’t one person do this? Because CRM is not an ordinary project for two weeks, but a whole ecosystem with various functions and capabilities. For those who want to keep it simple, it makes sense to continue keeping records in tables.
Development timeline
Not only do you need to assemble a team, you also need to manage it so that the development of one system does not drag on for years. The reality is that not all managers have the skills of project management and effective terms of reference. It often happens that the initial order of the client is modified in the process, needs constant improvements and changes, regardless of what technologies the team will use in their work. To build the architecture of a future CRM system, desire is not enough, you need to have professional skills and knowledge.
And this is just development. And then there’s the aftercare…
Ready-made CRM-system or custom-made CRM: pros and cons
Work on your own CRM-system does not end after its development. Many post-maintenance tasks fall on the shoulders of the manager: testing, identifying and correcting errors, training employees, updating and implementing new functions, repairing system malfunctions, and much more:
Technical support
Another important point when choosing a CRM system is the availability of a real-time support service. Most CRM companies provide this feature to their users to help maintain the system and resolve issues that arise during the work.
When developing your own system, you will not have this opportunity. You will not only be responsible for the security of data protection, but the proper functioning of this data. Maintaining the system will cost a lot, given that you will need to find a developer who will solve your problems on a regular basis. Spoiler: doing this is also not so easy due to the peculiarities of hiring employees and the turnover in the IT field.
Updates
The modern market is changing at the speed of light. Every day, new opportunities open up for small businesses that can make changes to the company’s existing business processes. Often, new integration with payment or analytics services, marketplaces or messengers, as well as other business tools, the presence of which will allow the business to remain competitive, is often needed.
These changes cannot be predicted or quickly made to a homemade system when the need arises. And if you want the system to also run smoothly, you will even have to update it regularly to fix bugs or improve the usability of certain functions.
When a customer receives a program, the terms of reference for which he prepared several years ago, most likely it will not be relevant. Ready-made CRM systems take into account the current requirements of the business for which they are intended, and also have the ability to release the necessary updates in a timely manner (and in the case of cloud-based CRM systems, it is also imperceptible to the users themselves).
Education
Most ready-made CRM systems provide users with educational materials – videos, instructions and articles. With a quality approach, frequently asked questions and solutions to common problems are displayed on the site or in the knowledge base. In addition, some companies even offer user training so that the team can quickly get up and running on the system.
When developing a custom system, the training option will not be available to you. After the developers create the solution, they will most likely not compile a maintenance manual for you and your employees. You will either have to do it yourself or pay extra money to solve additional problems. And they, one way or another, will arise.
Which companies are implementing unique CRM?
Developing your own CRM system is an opportunity that not only exists, but is also relatively popular in today’s market. But most often this opportunity is used by large businesses and corporations, for which it is especially important how the system works, what it will do, and why it is needed in principle. Large companies with high turnover have no problems with the budget for development and staffing of developers, and there is also a great need for internal data security. For example, insurance companies, banks, large industrial concerns operate in self-written systems. But if the business does not differ in scale, there is not much point in spending money and nerves.
Which is better: a ready-made CRM-system or a custom-made CRM?
Success is guaranteed only when a person is engaged in what he is strong in. That is why, instead of looking for additional problems for themselves and taking care of the correct operation of the system, managers should focus on developing their business. So use a ready-made solution that will automate the company’s business processes and increase its profits in order to save thousands of dollars and nerve cells on developing a custom solution. They will come in handy for more important things.
