Start with the enquiry lifecycle
Map the stages an enquiry can pass through, from new request to contacted, suitable, booked, closed or declined. Define the meaning of each stage and who can move a record. Keep the list short enough that staff can use it consistently.
For a multi-location business, specify how requests are assigned and how a person can be transferred without losing ownership. Ask how the system handles an existing contact using a new email address, a carer making an enquiry, or a person who asks not to receive further marketing.
Use a demonstration script
- Create an enquiry with fictional details and assign a named owner.
- Transfer it to another location and inspect the history.
- Restrict a user's access and verify what they can still search or export.
- Record communication preferences and test a follow-up suppression.
- Export a defined set of records and inspect the field names and relationships.
- Produce a report that distinguishes enquiries, qualified enquiries and confirmed bookings.
Keep data collection proportionate
Write a field dictionary before importing records. For each field, identify its purpose, source, permitted users and retention decision owner. Remove fields that are collected simply because the CRM offers them. Specialist information-governance review should resolve your particular data protection requirements.
Plan connections with your website and practice systems around the minimum information needed for the task. Ask vendors to explain where integrations run and how failures are reported. A connector being listed in a marketplace does not establish that it supports your exact workflow.
Pilot with the people who will use it
Run a time-limited pilot with reception and business staff. Review unassigned requests, duplicate records, overdue tasks and whether reports reconcile with the source systems. Measure the work required to keep the CRM accurate.
Agree ownership of configuration, administration accounts and exports before rollout. Document how staff leave the system and how permissions are removed. Kay & Co. can help scope the workflow, connect the tools and build an operational dashboard without assuming that a replacement platform is always necessary.
Further reading
These primary sources provide additional context for the project decisions above.
Related decisions
Turn the brief into a working service
Kay & Co. can help you scope the work, design the experience and deliver the right solution for your organisation.