Solutions
Custom CRM
Short answer
A custom CRM pays off when a spreadsheet runs beside the ready-made tool and the process would not work without it, when the process is what makes you different, or when more than three systems have to know about the same thing. A first version for a small or mid-sized company usually costs €2,000 to €10,000 and is deployed in pieces.
01When it makes sense and when it does not
It does not make sense when you run an ordinary process in an ordinary way. If a ready-made CRM fits you as it is, buy it — for five people a subscription is still cheaper than anything built.
It makes sense when the ready-made thing has to be bent so far that half the company works around it anyway. The most reliable sign is the spreadsheet running beside it.
02What we build in a custom CRM
Around the process, not a feature list.
- 01Your own stages and fields — a pipeline, a service job, a production job, a project.
- 02Roles and permissions — who sees what and who may change it. On a CRM a bigger share of the work than people expect.
- 03Integrations — accounting, e-mail, stock, existing systems over their API.
- 04Invoicing — from a won deal to a sent invoice, with no spreadsheet in between.
- 05A database that stays yours — on exit you get the code and the data.
03How it starts
With a fixed-price audit. A few days spent watching how the work runs today, ending in a document listing what can be automated and roughly what it costs. The document is yours even if you do not continue.
Then the first process, on its own, not a whole system. The mistake is cheap then, and after the first few weeks you can see whether it fits.
Frequently asked
- How much does a custom CRM cost?
- A first usable version for a small or mid-sized company is typically €2,000 to €10,000. Only genuinely complex systems with several roles, invoicing and integrations go above that.
- Is it more expensive than an off-the-shelf CRM?
- More expensive up front, often cheaper to run. Off-the-shelf is paid monthly per user forever; a custom system is paid for once and then costs hosting and changes.
- How long until it runs?
- The first part that genuinely runs is usually live within six weeks. A full system takes three to nine months depending on scope, deployed piece by piece.