When It’s Time to Fire Your CRM

I thought this story was going to start with porridge.

Which, to be fair, is not the worst opening.

Before I had even opened the office on Monday morning, I had already undertaken a tasting review with my boys of three different types of expedition porridge.

Random? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.

DofE is looming again, and in a bid to lighten the load and give my son the best possible start to the walking, we were trying to find “the one”. The porridge that might bring a smile to his face, despite the lashing rain we’re currently anticipating this weekend.

Because sometimes, the small practical things really matter.

The thing that looks simple from the outside still has to work properly when you actually need it.

As it turns out, that became something of a theme for the week.

Because by Wednesday, I had fired my CRM.

There was no P45. No cardboard box. No security escort from the building.

But still. It felt emotional.

The warning signs had been there

It wasn’t on the plan for the week. I did not wake up on Monday thinking, “This is the week I replace a core business system.” In fact, I had been avoiding that conclusion for quite some time.

There had been a rumbling issue for a while, but I had taken the approach of perseverance. The onboarding had not been the easiest, but I shrugged that off. It was probably me. I probably had not given it enough time. It probably just needed to get properly embedded.

So I gave it more time. I persevered.

And for a while, it kept promising to deliver. There was more functionality coming. The roadmap looked great. There were new features, big plans, and plenty of promise.

It was very much giving: “I can turn this around.”

So I kept going.

The role started shrinking

Over time, though, I had to start removing responsibilities.

First, the specialist learning and development functionality had to go. To be fair, that was always a niche requirement. I could use a separate LMS for that, so I did.

Then, when performance was still lacking, I tried adding more functionality to see if that would help it give more back.

But when I actually tried to apply the tech to real processes, there were some fundamental design issues in the way it worked.

So, after a proper sit-down and a review of exactly how it was performing, I put it on a performance improvement plan and reduced its duties again.

Fewer responsibilities. Clearer expectations. A generous opportunity to improve.

And still, I clung to the thought that it must be me.

I have configured plenty of systems over the years. Sometimes they are not easy at first. Sometimes you have to wrestle with them a bit before they finally settle into the business. So I kept going.

I outsourced the marketing side to another system. I simplified processes. I worked around the edges. Because the thought of moving to something else was, honestly, anxiety-inducing.

When a system becomes glued into the business

The problem with business systems is that they rarely sit politely in one corner.

They spread.

They connect to your processes, documents, workflows, client admin, emails, payment steps and other tools. Before you know it, a system is not just a system. It is part of how the business moves.

Replacing it felt like a huge job that I still could not quite justify.

I had bought it. I had invested time into it. I needed to see a return. And, deep down, I was still telling myself it was probably me. Probably my lack of skill. Probably if I just tried harder, configured better and gave it more time, it would all start working.

So we hobbled along.

Gradually, the system was used less and less. Which, in hindsight, should have told me something.

Crunch time

Then came the moment it was properly needed. This was its opportunity to shine. It needed to manage the processes it had been brought in to manage. And after a day of exasperation and tears, it was not managing it. I was not managing it. I felt broken.

That might sound dramatic, but if you run a small business, you may know that feeling. The point where a piece of technology stops feeling like a tool and starts feeling like a personal failing.

It is not, of course. But it can feel that way when you are tired, under pressure, and trying to keep client work moving.

The unexpected replacement

So I reassessed.

I looked at alternatives, could not quite find what I needed, reflected, and decided to simplify again. I had almost reached the point of accepting that the existing option was not ideal, but workable.

Not great. But doable.

Then, the next day, an unexpected recommendation for another system landed. I had a look. I had a play. Three hours later, I was sold.

Three very late nights of set-up and transition followed, alongside facilitating some fairly intense workshops. It was not ideal timing, but I had a deadline. I needed processes operating and client documents ready to go.

So I got on with it and last night, we went live. I am tired, but relieved.

We are still very much in newbie mode, doing everything for the first time. But if I am honest, the new system is already doing more than the old one managed to do.

Why I’m not naming names

I am deliberately not naming the CRM I moved from, or the one I have moved to, because that is not really the point. This is not about one system being good and another being bad. What fits one business beautifully might be completely wrong for another. That is why there is so much choice. And sometimes the system that fitted your business at one stage simply does not fit where the business is now. That is not necessarily failure. Sometimes it is just growth, with more login details.

The real lesson

I do feel sad about it. No regrets. But sad.

The old system had been one of the longest-serving parts of the business, and I really did give it my best shot. But sometimes, even when you have invested time, money, effort and hope into something, you have to admit it is no longer the right fit. That applies to software, processes, offers, ways of working and, occasionally, expedition porridge.

The small practical things matter.

They need to work when you actually need them.

And if they do not, it may be time to stop wrestling, stop blaming yourself, and make a better choice for where your business is now.

Here’s to the systems, tools, people, and porridge, that perform under pressure.