How to use the checklist
- Bring together business, CRM/marketing, IT/data and the people who use the system every day for 30–60 minutes.
- Answer each question with ‘no’, ‘partly’ or ‘yes’.
- For every ‘yes’, ask for a specific example: what could not be done, how much time was lost, and what result was not achieved.
- Do not try to arrive at one magic score. It is more important to understand two things separately: whether the platform really limits the business, and whether the company is ready for a change.
1. Is the platform really holding you back?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are there important business scenarios that the current system technically cannot support?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Do simple changes regularly take weeks because of platform limitations?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Does the team constantly have to export data and do manual work around the system?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is it impossible to use the data you need quickly or conveniently enough?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are integrations with key systems unstable or dependent on constant workarounds?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is the cost of developing the current system increasing with little change in results?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are the limitations backed by specific examples rather than just general dissatisfaction within the team?
2. What if the problem is not the platform?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Does the CRM team have clear goals and priorities?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is someone responsible for the overall CRM result?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is the data entering the system of sufficient quality?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Does the team know which scenarios it wants to launch?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are there enough people and enough time to use the platform’s existing capabilities?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are the main delays caused by internal approvals, IT or a lack of resources?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Have you first tried to fix processes, data or the way work is organised?
3. Are you ready for a change?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is there a project owner who can make decisions?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is it clear why the business needs a new system and what result it should deliver?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Do IT and the data team have time for integration?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are there people who will use the system after launch?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Are you ready to rethink old processes rather than simply move them to a new platform?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Does the budget cover not only the licence, but also implementation, integrations, migration, support and internal teams’ time?
- □ No □ Partly □ Yes Is it clear in advance how you will judge whether the implementation was successful?
How to interpret the results
Stop signals: when I would hold off on choosing a new platform
- Nobody can explain in plain language what exactly the new system should improve.
- The main argument is ‘we hate our current vendor’.
- There is no project owner on the company’s side.
- The assumption is that the vendor or integrator will do everything.
- Only the licence price is being compared.
- Success is to be measured by the number of features or campaigns, rather than changes in the business.
One-page summary
The three main limitations of the current system: ______________________________________________
Three problems outside the platform: _______________________________________
The result we want from the changes: __________________________________________
Our decision now: □ improve the current system □ prepare for selection □ begin selection
What we will check or do in the next 30 days: _________________________________________
