A CRM system serves as the foundation for today’s sales and marketing teams. It organises data, monitors interactions, and helps prevent leads and customers from being overlooked. However, even the most effective systems require consistent upkeep.
If your CRM seems disorganised, ineffective, or not fully utilised, it may be time for a health check. Conducting a CRM health check guarantees that your system aligns with your business objectives, is optimised for efficiency, and provides real value.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to carry one out.
Signs Your CRM May Need a Health Check
Not sure if your CRM needs a review? Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
❌ Low user adoption: If your team isn’t consistently using the CRM, it’s not serving its purpose.
❌ Messy data: Duplicate, outdated, or incomplete records can slow down processes and hinder decision-making.
❌ Disconnected systems: A lack of integration with essential tools results in manual tasks and inefficiencies.
❌ Unreliable reports: If your dashboards don’t show real-time data, they won’t aid in making informed decisions.
❌ Workflow bottlenecks: Automations and processes that no longer meet current needs can frustrate your team.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to take a close look at your CRM.
Steps to Conduct a CRM Health Check
Step 1: Audit Your Data Quality
Begin by tidying up your CRM’s data. Look for duplicate entries, outdated contacts, or incomplete information. Standardise formats for consistency, such as ensuring phone numbers and email addresses follow the same structure.
Having clean, reliable data allows your team to concentrate on selling rather than correcting mistakes.
Step 2: Review User Adoption
Examine how your team is engaging with the CRM. Are all users active? Are they effectively utilising key features? Conduct a survey to uncover any usability issues or training needs.
Low adoption rates often indicate a requirement for improved onboarding, clearer workflows, or a more user-friendly interface.
Step 3: Test Workflows and Automations
Automations can save time, but only if they function properly. Review existing workflows for their relevance and accuracy. Eliminate redundant automations or address those that aren’t working as they should.
Optimising these processes can free up valuable time and enhance team efficiency.
Step 4: Assess Integrations
An effective CRM should integrate smoothly with your other tools, from marketing platforms to communication applications. Verify that integrations are syncing data correctly. Repair or replace any broken connections to prevent manual data entry and missed opportunities.
Step 5: Evaluate Reporting and Dashboards
Dashboards should provide you with the essential information, such as pipeline health, lead conversion rates, or sales velocity. Check your reports for accuracy and relevance to current KPIs. Add new reports if needed to align with evolving business objectives.
Step 6: Align CRM Performance with Business Goals
Finally, assess your CRM’s capabilities against your team’s objectives. Are there features you’re not utilising that could be beneficial? Are your workflows in sync with current strategies? Identify any gaps and prioritise adjustments to ensure your CRM fosters growth.
Your CRM Health Check, Simplified
To make your CRM health check even easier, we’ve created a visual checklist you can use as a guide or cheat sheet. It breaks down each step into actionable items, so you can quickly identify areas that need attention and keep your system running smoothly.
| DATA QUALITY |
| ☐ Run a duplicate check and merge or delete redundant records. ☐ Archive contacts that are inactive or outdated (e.g., left a company). ☐ Standardise key data fields (e.g., phone numbers, email formats, titles). ☐ Complete missing information for critical fields like email, job title, or company name. ☐ Set up automated alerts to flag incomplete or duplicate entries in the future. |
| USER ADOPTION |
| ☐ Identify team members who aren’t actively using the CRM. ☐ Review CRM usage reports to see which features are underutilised. ☐ Conduct a quick team survey to gather feedback on usability challenges. ☐ Create simple guides or hold a short training session for feature rollouts. ☐ Ensure roles and permissions are up to date (e.g., restrict unnecessary access). |
| WORKFLOWS AND AUTOMATIONS |
| ☐ List all current automations and workflows in the CRM. ☐ Check for outdated workflows that no longer match your sales process. ☐ Test existing automations to ensure accuracy and functionality. ☐ Optimise workflows to save time (e.g., automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups). ☐ Remove or archive redundant workflows that clutter your system. |
| INTEGRATIONS |
| ☐ List all tools currently integrated with your CRM (e.g., email platforms, analytics tools). ☐ Test each integration to ensure data syncs correctly and on time. ☐ Check for broken or outdated connections and update API keys if needed. ☐ Verify that integration settings are aligned with your CRM’s workflows. ☐ Research new integrations that could add value (e.g., AI analytics or marketing platforms). |
| REPORTING AND DASHBOARDS |
| ☐ Review all dashboards to ensure they display relevant, actionable metrics. ☐ Test key reports (e.g., pipeline health, conversion rates) for accuracy. ☐ Adjust dashboards to reflect current KPIs or team objectives. ☐ Add any missing reports (e.g., activity tracking or win/loss analysis). ☐ Clean up old or irrelevant reports that clutter the dashboard view. |
| BUSINESS ALIGNMENT |
| ☐ Map out your team’s current objectives and compare them with CRM capabilities. ☐ Ensure workflows are tailored to support key sales and marketing strategies. ☐ Highlight unused CRM features that could improve team performance. ☐ Identify gaps in functionality that need addressing (e.g., advanced reporting). ☐ Schedule a quarterly review to align CRM settings with evolving business goals. |
Taking Action After the Health Check
A CRM health check is just the starting point. After pinpointing issues, the next step is to optimise your system for maximum value. Here’s how:
- Clean up your data: Eliminate duplicates, standardise formats, and complete any missing fields.
- Update workflows: Modify automations and processes to align with your team’s current needs and minimise friction.
- Train your team: Offer focused training to enhance adoption and ensure users are fully utilising the CRM.
- Schedule regular reviews: Conduct quarterly or annual health checks to identify inefficiencies early on.
Keep Your CRM in Peak Condition with BuddyCRM
Your CRM’s effectiveness hinges on the tools and processes you implement. With BuddyCRM, you can streamline data management, automate workflows, and easily track performance. Our user-friendly features make CRM optimisation simple, equipping your team with the resources they need to succeed.
Discover how BuddyCRM can identify blind spots, improve performance, and keep your system running smoothly. Book a demo today and get your CRM back in top shape.