Signs that you need a CRM
Many SMEs start with an Excel list, the address book in their email program and what individual employees know. That works as long as one person keeps track of everything. It gets difficult when several employees look after customers, or when someone is on holiday or leaves the company and takes important knowledge with them.
Watch out for these signs: customer data is kept in several places and is contradictory. Nobody knows exactly when a customer was last contacted. Quotes are not followed up because there is no reminder. Addresses and line items are typed in again for every quote, order and invoice. If two or more of these apply, it is worth taking a closer look.
What a CRM for SMEs should include
At its core, a CRM is a shared database of companies, contacts and every interaction with them. The key elements are a contact history with calls, emails and notes, tasks with due dates and owners, and an overview of open quotes and sales opportunities.
Access rights are just as important, because not everyone needs to see or change all the data. Good search, filters and simple reports, such as revenue per customer or open quotes per month, make the system useful day to day.
From CRM to ERP: orders, inventory and invoices
A CRM manages the relationship with the customer, and an ERP handles the processes behind it: orders, stock levels, delivery notes and invoices. For SMEs, the link between the two is crucial. When a customer accepts a quote, it should become an order and later an invoice in a few clicks, without anyone entering data again.
In Switzerland, this includes the QR-bill. On 30 September 2022, it replaced the old red and orange payment slips. The Swiss QR Code contains all the payment information, and your customers scan it with their bank's app. A system that creates QR-bills directly from order data saves typing and prevents errors in the amount and reference.
Off-the-shelf software or a custom solution
For many SMEs, off-the-shelf software is the right place to start. Swiss solutions such as Bexio cover contacts, quotes and invoices. International CRM tools are strong in sales but often less suited to Swiss specifics. You usually pay a monthly fee per user and adapt your processes to the software.
A custom solution is worth it if your processes differ greatly from the standard, if several programs need to be connected or if licence costs rise noticeably with every additional user. It takes more work at the start, but the system maps your processes exactly. In a call, Glavento works out with you which route fits and then prepares a written quote.
Data protection under the revFADP
The revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) has applied in Switzerland since 1 September 2023. A CRM contains personal data, so you should know where the data is stored, who has access to it and whether any data is transferred abroad.
In practice, this means assigning access rights by role, recording only the data you really need, setting deletion periods and agreeing the data processing with the software provider in a contract. Your privacy policy should describe which customer data you process and why.
Introducing a CRM, step by step
Start by taking stock: where is customer data kept today, and who works with it? Then decide which fields you need and which processes the system should map, for example from the first enquiry to the paid invoice.
Clean up the existing data and remove duplicates before you import anything. Start with a small group of employees, gather feedback and then train the whole team. A CRM only works if everyone uses it, so set a cut-off date from which it is the only source of customer data.
Frequently asked questions
Does a business with three employees need a CRM?
Not necessarily. If one person looks after all the customers and a well-kept list is enough, a CRM is not yet a must. But as soon as several people look after the same customers or follow-ups get lost, a shared customer database is worth it, even for small teams.
What is the difference between CRM and ERP?
A CRM manages customer relationships: contacts, conversations, quotes and sales opportunities. An ERP runs operational processes such as orders, inventory and invoicing. Many solutions for SMEs combine both, so that data only has to be entered once.
Can a CRM create QR-bills?
That depends on the software. Swiss solutions and custom systems can generate QR-bills directly from order data. International CRM tools often need an extension or a link to accounting software to do this.