Spreadsheets everywhere, appointments on paper, invoices redone by hand, information lost between two employees: at some point, software becomes necessary. But which one? Here is how to find your way between CRM, ERP, custom apps and SaaS.
Signs it’s time
- The same information is entered two or three times.
- Customer requests get lost or go without follow-up.
- Nobody knows exactly what is in stock, sold or invoiced.
- Everything depends on one person who “knows where the file is”.
CRM: your customers and sales
A CRM (customer relationship management) centralizes requests, quotes, follow-ups and each customer’s history. It’s often the first useful tool when sales depend on follow-up: services, renovation, real estate, B2B. Connected to the website, it receives form requests directly.
ERP: the whole business
An ERP (enterprise resource planning) connects sales, inventory, purchasing, production, invoicing and accounting in one database. It makes sense when several teams work on the same data and transfer errors are costly.
Off-the-shelf or custom?
Existing subscription software is quick to set up and cheap to start; in exchange, your business adapts to it. Custom software fits the way you work and belongs to you, but requires a real project. The right answer is often mixed: well-chosen standard tools, connected together, and custom work where your trade is specific.
What about SaaS?
Building a SaaS means creating online software you will sell by subscription to other businesses. It’s a product in its own right: validate the need with real customers before building everything.
Automation and artificial intelligence
Sorting emails, preparing quotes, chasing invoices, summarizing calls: many repetitive tasks can be automated, sometimes with AI. The payoff is often quick, as long as a human validates what goes out to customers.
How to start small
- List the three tasks that cost you the most time each week.
- Describe the current flow: who does what, with which file, when.
- Build a first version that solves those three tasks, and only those.
- Connect it to what already exists: website, store, invoicing, email.
- Train the team, measure the time saved, then add the next module.
Your data, your property
Require full access to your data and the ability to export it. In Québec, Law 25 also requires protecting your customers’ personal information: limited access, backups, serious hosting.
BRAVUM Digital builds CRMs, ERPs, web and mobile apps and SaaS platforms, and connects them to your website and invoicing, as we do for our own tools.
Frequently asked questions
Custom software or an existing subscription?
If off-the-shelf software covers your need well, start with it. Custom work makes sense when your way of working is specific, when several tools must be connected, or when the subscription costs more than building.
How long for a first module?
It depends on the scope. By targeting the three most costly tasks first, a useful first version is delivered much faster than a complete system.
Does my data belong to me?
It should: check the contract for full access, export and what happens when the service ends.
Can the website be connected to the CRM?
Yes. Website forms can create a record in the CRM directly, with the request source, so no customer is forgotten.
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