Changing CRM platforms is not a decision taken lightly. It’s usually the result of years of trying to make the incumbent system work with countless, patches, workarounds, and manual processes. The latter bypasses the CRM altogether.
Inevitably, the cost and time involved in forcing a CRM to work with the business becomes prohibitive, so an alternative is required.
On occasion, the business’ demands have outpaced the functionality making the CRM a hindrance to achieving business objectives.
Either way, the threat of a poorly performing or unsuitable CRM can be severe – even existential. Despite this many organisations shy away from deciding to change. Cost is undoubtedly a concern, as is the time it takes to implement a new CRM. Those perceived pains associated with changing CRM platforms can seem overwhelming. Familiarity with the incumbent system, concerns about disrupting workflows, and resistance from staff are also common barriers. However, holding on to an outdated or ineffective CRM often hinders growth, stifles customer engagement, and prevents businesses from realising the benefits of digital transformation.
Transitioning to a new CRM platform, like Dynamics 365, offers an opportunity to modernise operations, streamline processes, and deliver personalised customer experiences.
However, hesitancy is natural so it’s important to understand where problems and resistance may arise and what you can do to overcome them to ensure a successful transition that benefits your entire organisation.
Why Businesses Hesitate to Change Their CRM Platform
For many organisations, their CRM is deeply embedded in their technology stack, integrating with systems such as ERP, marketing tools, and analytics platforms. Extracting the old CRM and ensuring system compatibility with the new one can seem like a massive task, with fears of data loss, errors, or extended downtime.
Even when a CRM platform is outdated or inefficient, it often feels safe because employees know how to use it. Even if that means relying on workarounds for its shortcomings. Over time, these workarounds become habits, making the thought of change seem unnecessary or overly complicated.
The problem is compounded by team members training new starters with these unhealthy habits and workarounds. As information becomes second or third-hand, further workarounds and by-passes arise, gradually corrupting the CRM’s data over time.
The staff themselves can be one of the biggest causes for concern. Some employees may like the current CRM and be unduly negative about the alternative, spreading discontent throughout the team.
Others may fear the learning curve associated with a new system, worried it they won’t be able to adapt. Or they simply see a new system as disruptive to their productivity. Without clear communication and training, this fear can lead to reluctance or outright rejection of the new platform.
Reduced productivity is a legitimate concern, especially if the new CRM is drastically different from the old one or offers unfamiliar features.
It takes time to get up to speed with any new system, especially something as vast as a CRM like Dynamics 365. Businesses need to set expectations around output with the new CRM. Make it clear the business has planned for lower output and give the team both detailed training and a roadmap to getting up to speed.
Reframing CRM Migration as Part of Digital Transformation
Rather than viewing CRM migration as a disruptive change, it’s essential to frame it as a step toward broader digital transformation. A new CRM isn’t just a replacement system—it’s a tool that can revolutionise your business processes and customer engagement strategies. When approaching a new CRM whether it’s part of a wider digital transformation or not, planning is key.
Define What Success Looks Like
Before embarking on a CRM migration, businesses need a clear understanding of what they want to achieve. Whether it’s improving processes or streamlining customer engagement, there needs to be a clear output in terms of productivity, efficiency and what that could equate to in terms of money saved or revenue generated.
Providing CRM improves how your business operates and makes it more profitable; it isn’t a cost to the business. That is a true measure of success for a CRM system.
A good place to start with any CRM project is to understand what you need a CRM to do and objectively critique that against your current solution.
Some solutions, like Dynamics 365 are highly customisable so just because it doesn’t do what you need it to now, doesn’t mean it can’t. Similarly, sometimes a CRM is underperforming because it hasn’t been configured correctly. So, a new CRM platform isn’t required at all, but rather a specialist to support you through a CRM recovery project.
Once you’ve established the requirements and what success means for your business – be it enhanced reporting for streamlined workflows – you’re in a much stronger position to move forward.
Recognise the Strategic Value of your CRM Platform
By positioning the new CRM as a catalyst for growth, businesses can generate excitement and buy-in across the organisation. This is especially important for organisations that are new to CRM. An integrated system that records every communication or interaction about a customer or contact can seem like ‘Big Brother’ is watching. Although there is greater accountability with CRM, it’s far more about working transparently and making it easier for everyone to gain insight and learn. So, all the information doesn’t just sit with one person as that represents a huge risk to the business.
However, the right CRM, such as Dynamics 365, provides more than just consolidated data. CRM is meant to function as the nervous system for your entire business. It facilitates efficient movement of data, automates repetitive tasks, and can serve as a sophisticated means of communication to your customers.
A correctly deployed CRM will drive data-driven insights and allow your organisation to make better, more informed decisions, faster. This makes the business more agile, more competitive, and more profitable.
Engage Cross-Functional Teams
Depending on the size of your organisation, your CRM system could interact with every department. This means you should make every effort to include those departments when assessing what your CRM needs to do. A solution that makes IT, marketing, and sales happy but frustrates finance is not the right solution.
This can eliminate CRM platforms with compelling features, but half a solution is no solution at all. Especially when platforms like Dynamics allow you to create automation that forwards invoices and even authorises payments for recurring set amounts.
Including departments from across the business in early discussions may feel like you are moving slower than you’d like, it will prevent problems and additional development costs further down the road.
These departments will also bring with them procedural insight and understanding that sales, marketing, and IT are unlikely to have. This can result in a better brief and more robust CRM strategy.
Engaging these teams early in the process ensures the new system meets the organisation’s diverse needs while fostering a sense of shared ownership.
Plan for Scalability
A key part of a digital transformation strategy should be scalability. CRMs don’t just help your business grow but grow with your business. This can take the form of extra functionality that smaller businesses may not require at the outset but, the technology is there to set you up for success.
All CRMs should be built for scalability to meet future business needs. Dynamics 365, for example, offers flexibility and integrations that grow with your organisation, ensuring long-term value and reducing the risk of needing another migration down the line.
Many businesses opt for free or cheap CRMs, often to test the waters but it quickly becomes apparent the tool isn’t up to the task as demand grows. At least not without significant investment. Even then it’s a case of making the business fit around the CRM rather than making the CRM work with what you already have.
Microsoft Dynamics 365’s highly customisable nature means businesses can shape it to your specific needs, as well as integrate it with your existing systems.
Strategies to Overcome Resistance
Team resistance is common when changing the CRM platform. It’s understandable, especially when the incumbent system has been in place for a long time. And team members are comfortable with its workings – or the workarounds. Anxiety around job performance is also perfectly natural as well. Transitioning from one system to another might mean a brief drop in insights and reporting.
Whatever the concerns it’s important for the business not to trivialise them and bring everyone on the journey.
They need to see that the new CRM platform will be a help, not a hindrance.
Prioritise Training and Onboarding
One of the most effective ways to address resistance is to provide comprehensive training. Building confidence in the new solution is the most effective way to reduce anxiety.
Tailored training sessions help employees understand how the new CRM will make their jobs easier. Hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, and ongoing support ensure staff feel confident and capable.
Appoint Change Champions
Identify capable individuals within each team who can act as advocates for the new CRM. These champions can help address concerns, share best practices, and encourage adoption by demonstrating the system’s value in day-to-day operations.
Communicate the Benefits
Clear communication is vital. Highlight the tangible benefits of the new CRM platform, such as improved efficiency, better customer insights, and streamlined processes. Sharing success stories from similar businesses can also help build enthusiasm and alleviate concerns.
Leverage Incentives
Encouraging early adoption through incentives, such as recognition programs or small rewards, can motivate employees to engage with the new system. Gamification techniques, such as progress tracking or friendly competition, can also make learning the CRM more enjoyable.
A Collaborative Approach to CRM Adoption
One of the biggest obstructions to a successful CRM migration is a lack of engagement from company leadership. Either through indifference to the decision-making or a detachment from team members, it’s incredibly damaging.
Not least because the CRM platform should be something everyone uses to understand the business better. A lack of engagement from the top could mean the wrong solution gets selected. It could also mean that leadership won’t use it properly which creates the very problems you’re trying to stamp out.
Involve Leadership
If they are not involved in the process currently, they should be. Leadership buy-in is critical to the success of any CRM project. When leaders actively support the transition, it sends a strong message to employees about the importance of the change. It should also dispel some of the
Develop a Roadmap
A clear roadmap that outlines timelines, responsibilities, and milestones ensures everyone understands their role in the transition. This roadmap should include plans for data migration, integration testing, user training, and post-launch support.
Test and Iterate
Before rolling out the new CRM platform across the organisation, conduct a pilot phase with a small group of users. Use their feedback to address any issues and refine the implementation process. This iterative approach reduces the likelihood of major disruptions during the full rollout.
CRM Migration as Part of a Bigger Picture
Transitioning to a new CRM is rarely a standalone initiative. It’s part of a broader effort to modernise operations and improve customer engagement. Businesses that approach CRM migration with this mindset are more likely to see it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
Align with Business Goals
Ensure the new CRM supports broader business objectives, such as increasing customer retention, reducing operational costs, or expanding into new markets. This alignment ensures the system delivers measurable value.
Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement
CRM adoption isn’t a one-time event, it’s an ongoing journey. Regularly review how the system is used, gather feedback from teams, and adjust to ensure it continues to meet the organisation’s needs.
Migrating your CRM Platform to Dynamics 365
Changing CRM platforms is a complex process, but it can deliver transformative benefits when approached strategically. By addressing hesitations, engaging stakeholders, and framing the change as part of a larger digital transformation journey, businesses can ensure a smooth transition and long-term success.
With the right CRM strategy and tools like Dynamics 365, organisations can overcome the challenges of migration and unlock new opportunities for growth and efficiency.
To assess how well your CRM platform is working, why not take our free CRM Health Assessment and gain some valuable insights? Or, if you’d like to learn how we could help you transform your business with Dynamics 365, get in touch to speak to a member of the team.
Let’s Talk
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we help businesses like yours navigate Microsoft Dynamics 365 recovery and deployments.
