Switching CRMs? It’s Not Just a Push of a Button

The decision to migrate to a new CRM system shouldn’t be taken lightly. Here’s what to expect if you’re planning to roll out a new platform. 

If someone tells you it’s “easy” to roll out new technology in your business, they’re lying! 

Like everything in life, CRM migration has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, the change promises streamlined workflows, improved efficiency, and deeper customer insights. On the other, it looms as a complex, time-consuming undertaking. 

To ensure a successful transition, it's crucial to approach the process with a strategic mindset. Go in with your eyes wide open and prepare yourself for some inevitable bumps along the way.

Let’s face it, change management is really hard

In my experience, many businesses underestimate the heavy lifting involved in CRM migration projects (or any new tech implementation to be fair). They try to move too quickly, focusing on the speed of deployment to the detriment of the overall performance of the new system as a whole. 

These projects usually end up looking a little like this 18 months down the line…

Why do so many CRM migration projects turn into the stuff nightmares are made of? There are many factors at play - but the most common reason CRM projects fail is ineffective change management.  

As much as your users may have disliked and complained about [insert legacy CRM name here], they will be filled with nostalgia for it the minute your new, shiny CRM takes its place. 

It’s a strange human phenomenon, but most of us really HATE change. 

With this in mind, it’s important to approach the roll-out of any new technology with a healthy dose of caution and lots of planning. 

How long does a CRM migration take? 

CRM migrations are complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, data complexities, system configurations, and user adoption challenges. Prepare for a 12-month journey (at least) when factoring in the preparation phase, implementation phase, testing phase and finally the end user onboarding, training and post-go-live optimisation. 

Move slowly to speed up results - it's the tortoise and the hare here. Rushing a CRM roll-out often ends up taking longer than it would have, had you followed a well-structured, well-considered project plan from the start.

Key phases of a CRM migration project

Typically, your CRM migration plan should include the following phases:

• Discovery & Planning - Initial sprints focused on understanding the current CRM, defining requirements, selecting the new CRM, and creating a migration plan.
  
  

• Data Migration - Sprints dedicated to data mapping, cleansing, and migration.
  
  

• System Configuration - Sprints focused on configuring the new CRM to reflect your business processes and requirements.
  
  

• User Acceptance Testing (UAT) - Sprints for testing and adjusting the system setup before the wider team of end-users is onboarded. 
  
  

• End-user Training & Adoption - Sprints for onboarding and training the end-users and change management prior to going live. 
  
  

• Go-Live - The cutover date from the old system into the new system. 
  
  

• Post-Implementation Optimisation - Sprints for post-implementation support (working through bugs and change requests). 

During these phases, you’ll need a dedicated internal project team who are responsible for:

• Regular communication - Keeping all stakeholders informed about project progress.
  
  
• Risk management - Identifying potential risks (e.g. the data preparation not being complete in time for UAT) and developing mitigation plans.
  
  
• Change management - Addressing resistance to change proactively and keeping the wider business focused on the positive aspects of the project.
  
  
• Continuous improvement - Holding project retrospectives at key milestones to learn and improve processes throughout the migration.

Planning your CRM migration strategy

Before you start your data migration and CRM system configuration, spend time setting clear goals and identifying success criteria for the project. Make sure you and your team are aligned on why the change to a new CRM is necessary, and how it will benefit both the business and the end users. 

Involve your team in the planning and testing of the new system. 

User involvement early on will make a huge difference when it comes to user adoption of the new system once it goes live.

Some questions to consider as a team are:

• What led to the decision to change CRMs? 
• What pain points/areas of friction existed in the old system?
• What opportunities exist for improvement in the new system? A small focus group of pilot users representing different departments and roles should help map the processes in the new CRM and identify areas for improvement. 
• What does an MVP (minimum viable product) look like for the initial launch? This should include all business-critical functionality that your team cannot do their jobs without.
• What non-business critical features can be added to a wishlist for future optimisation? These are features that would be nice to have and that you didn’t have in your old system, but not having them won’t prevent the team from getting on with their day-to-day activities (refer to the priority matrix below). 

Priority Matrix 

If we look at a priority matrix, your CRM migration is in itself a Major Project (that is a high-impact, high effort activity). Within your migration project, you’ll also have a break-down of sub-projects and tasks: 

• Priority Projects are high-value activities that require low effort and fewer resources to deliver. These are projects/tasks you can complete as a business within the next quarter. In terms of your CRM migration, your MVP features should be included as Priority Projects.
  
  
• Major Projects should be included in your long-term business strategy. If it will take more than a quarter to implement, the project is considered a Major Project. In terms of your CRM migration, your non-business critical wish list should form the roadmap for your major projects. 
  
  
• Fill-ins are tasks or projects that have a low impact on your bottom line but don’t require much effort to implement. These can be completed when your business has gaps between Priority and Major Projects.
  
  
• Thankless Tasks are time wasters. Whenever you are working on your business strategy, lots of ideas are thrown around - some of these ideas are great, others sound great but won’t add any value to your bottom line. They require high effort and resources to implement with a low return on investment. These should be ruled out of your strategic road map - they shouldn’t even make your wish list.

Data can make or break your CRM migration

Data drives your strategic decision-making as a business. Dirty and inaccurate data is equivalent to a faulty GPS. Not only is it not helpful, it can lead you completely off course leading to potentially costly mistakes.

There are three main reasons to properly prepare and map your organisation’s data before migrating to a new CRM system:

• Compatibility - Data formats often differ between CRMs. Preparing your data by transforming and normalising it to the format required by the new system ensures everything is imported correctly and avoids errors during the migration. 
  
  
• User Adoption - Migrating dirty data like duplicates or outdated information into your new CRM often hinders user adoption. While no one may have noticed the data quality in your old system, a CRM migration project comes with a level of uncertainty as users need to relearn how to do things. Data quality is (often over) emphasised during this transition and bad data leads to users losing confidence in the new system. This results in a lack of adoption.
  
  
• Efficiency - Deep cleaning your data beforehand ensures a smooth transfer and saves you time cleaning up later in the new system.

Bad data will quickly work against you, making already nervous users lose confidence in the new system. Be prepared to do a ruthless keep-or-kill exercise and only migrate clean data that clearly adds value/serves a purpose. 

Expect temporary disruption 

Inevitably you will experience a short-term dip in productivity while everyone adjusts to the new system. Patience is key!

Keep the following in mind when preparing to go live:

• Disruption to business as usual - Many critical customer-facing teams use the CRM (marketing, sales and customer service) so you’ll want to plan for the worst to avoid any major disruptions to operations. Consider keeping both systems active for a period of time to ensure business continuity.
  
  
• Pause anything important that can wait - Avoid planning any other major or priority projects (for example launching a marketing campaign) over the period of the cutover between systems. 
  
  
• Don’t cutover during the holidays - Avoid planning the cutover date during any known holiday seasons such as Easter or Christmas when many key stakeholders may be away on annual leave. 

There will be lots of tinkering and tweaking to get the new CRM to where you need it to be. As a team, remain focused on the reasons for changing your CRM system to begin with. It’s a tough project to undertake, however, the benefits for both the business and the users should far outweigh any discomfort of short-term disruptions. 

In Conclusion

A successful CRM migration is a transformative journey that requires careful planning, execution, and adaptation. 

By embracing a methodical approach, prioritising data quality, and fostering user adoption, you’ll unlock the full potential of your new CRM system. Remember, the ultimate goal is not just to switch platforms, but to drive business growth and enhance customer experience.

Need help with your HubSpot migration? Book some time with us to discuss the best approach to get your team up and running, and enjoy all of the benefits of your investment as soon as possible.