CRM

Also called Customer relationship management

The system holding who your customers are and what has been said to them. Its value is entirely in whether people use it.

What it means

A CRM records contacts, companies, opportunities and the history of interactions with each. Most also handle tasks, email integration and reporting.

The term is used for both the software and the practice.

Why it matters

Without one, customer knowledge lives in individual inboxes and heads, and leaves when they do. That is a real business risk and it becomes obvious at the worst moment — when someone resigns, or during due diligence.

It is also the only way to answer questions like "how long does a deal take?" or "which source produces the best customers?"

What it looks like in practice

Choose on adoption, not features. The best CRM is the one your team actually updates.

Start with the minimum: contacts, opportunities, next action, and one report. Add fields only when somebody needs an answer they cannot get.

Personal data in a CRM is subject to GDPR: you need a lawful basis, a retention policy, and the ability to find and delete a person's records on request.

What to watch out for

Implementation projects that stall because everything had to be migrated first. Start with live deals and let history stay where it is.

Data quality decay. A CRM nobody trusts becomes a CRM nobody updates, and the two reinforce each other.

Where to get proper advice

Talk to two or three businesses of your size in your sector about what they use and what they regret. Vendor demos are all excellent and all similar.