Eddine’s decision criteria. Examples are hypothetical and do not represent client results.
| Criterion | Standard or configured | Custom or integrated |
|---|---|---|
| Sales workflow | Available stages and automation fit the process. | Essential rules are missing from the options evaluated. |
| Integrations | Available connectors are sufficient and their limits tested. | Specific connections to business systems are needed. |
| Permissions | Existing roles match each person’s actual access needs. | Assignment rules require design and testing. |
| Data and exit | Check what the plan exports and in which format. | Agree exports, documentation and responsibilities. |
| Continuity | Review licences, support and plan limits. | Budget for maintenance, infrastructure and evolution. |
Map a complete workflow
Describe enquiry, ownership, stages, proposal and next action. Identify duplication and lost information. Do not automate a rule nobody can explain. Separate essential operational requirements from improvements that can wait.
Test representative situations
Use fictional data to work through an opportunity involving two people, reassignment and closure. Check what each role can see and how information is recovered. Hypothetical example: if sales and operations update the same record, test the complete handover before deciding another system is needed.
Compare lifecycle costs
Ask each proposal to separate setup or development, migration, integrations, licences, training and maintenance. Initial price alone does not describe the future commitment. Custom development needs support and reviews; standard software may need adaptation. Neither is universally cheaper.
Validate migration and exit
Request a sample export and check fields, attachments and relationships. CSV can support tabular exchange without preserving all CRM logic. Clarify who controls the accounts, how integrations are documented and what happens when changing suppliers.
Decide using evidence
Choose configuration when the workflow fits and limits are acceptable. Consider integration when the core system works but information is disconnected. Consider custom development when an essential requirement is demonstrated and there is capacity to maintain it. Eddine starts with diagnosis and a defined first scope.
Before you decide
- Document the process and owners.
- Test fictional records with different roles.
- Review export and migration.
- Identify recurring costs and support.
- Agree acceptance criteria.