We have all heard (or experienced) the challenges of CRM projects that fail to deliver the intended or promised ROI. And the truth is that when they fail, it becomes really expensive. So, how do we prepare for such an investment to minimize the risk?

Having worked with CRM solutions for more than 25 years, I have yet to see a project collapse solely because the wrong solution was chosen. Still, the technology is often blamed.

In reality, success starts with you and your organization. So, how should you think to mitigate risk? There are a few fundamental considerations that help you set the right direction from the start. Below are some of the most important ones.

Vision and strategy

First, start by defining your vision for this intended solution from a business perspective that aligns with your strategic business goals:

1. What are we trying to achieve here? Why are we even considering a CRM solution in the first place? And what are we expecting it to achieve or solve for us? Is it to increase revenue, save time, or lower costs? Increase CSAT? Data quality improvements? Remove silos? Where do we believe we will get the ROI?
   
   
2. After that, how will we measure this to ensure we are actually reaching those values? The main 5–7 KPIs. Do we have the data? Do we even have a baseline? And why do we do all this? So that you have a direction to follow and set a course towards ROI.
   
   Prioritizing work and ensuring the solution supports business goals and aligns with your strategic direction, which generates ROI, becomes much easier when you have a clear vision and strategy in place.
   
   In many of our Dynamics 365 projects, this alignment work often determines whether the implementation becomes a long-term strategic asset or “just another system.”
   
   

Customer Experience

3. Next, consider how your customers can benefit from the solution you aim to implement. How can they benefit? How would you ensure their lives are easier when connecting with your organization, and what channels do you want to use for communication?
   
   The Dynamics 365 platform provides strong multichannel capabilities out of the box, but they only create value if you first understand the customer journeys you want to support.

Organizational collaboration

4. Many businesses want to increase their collaboration and not work in Silos. But HOW do you do it? A brand-new CRM solution will not magically change that; you must have clear goals about what you want to achieve and how.
   
   Perhaps new ways of working need to be implemented as well? Numerous features facilitate better collaboration in all available tools. Need inspiration to get off the ground? Schedule a partner inspiration session on the topic.
   
   For example, Dynamics 365’s tight integration with Microsoft 365 and Teams can significantly strengthen collaboration, but only if the organization adopts common processes and governance around it.

Processes

5. A process-driven organization is key to a successful implementation. The first thing we system implementors will say is the word “process”. Our tools want to support your processes. But if there are none, that is a problem, right? Since it is sadly a very useful way of describing how you work, and system implementors will ask you a lot of questions about just that.
   
   The time it takes for us to figure out how you work in your organization will hugely drive implementation cost. Doing some preparatory work and mapping out your workflow using processes before considering a CRM solution is a really good investment. 
   
   Dynamics 365 is particularly process-driven, and the platform rewards organizations that have clarity in their workflows. Especially when automating sales, service, and marketing processes.

Technology

It’s important to see CRM as an investment that delivers results. Otherwise, the cost is hard to justify over time.

Instead of getting caught up in long lists of features or comparing every system on the market, it’s far more effective to focus on how well the platform supports your goals, processes, and future growth. Dynamics 365, for example, is particularly well-suited for organizations that require a scalable platform, tightly integrated with the broader Microsoft ecosystem, and that want to grow or adapt their processes without needing to replace the system.

A few key points to consider when evaluating a CRM include:

Scalability

Does the solution support our vision? Will we only use the sales functionality, or do we see any value in expanding into different areas as well, such as Marketing and customer service, to achieve all our set goals? Here, the work we did previously will come into play. We can match our vision against the system. Can we think big, but start small? 

Ensure you select a solution that aligns with both your future and present needs. I assume you do not want to go through this whole process every time you want to expand, right?

One of the reasons many organizations choose Dynamics 365 is its modular approach, which allows for the expansion into Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Field Service, or ERP (Business Central/Finance & Operations) without requiring the rebuilding of the entire platform.

Integrations

One of the most expensive aspects of implementing CRM solutions is integration and data management. Those are also the most common that implementors will not specify or put a price on up front, since it is always different among most companies.

So selecting a platform (and partner) that supports the investments you have already made or has pre-built integrations for your current landscape is a wise choice. It can save a lot of time and effort. 

Additionally, all integrations, especially custom-built ones, must be managed going forward, which will add to your maintenance costs.

Dynamics 365’s connection to the Microsoft ecosystem (Azure, Power Platform, Microsoft 365, Fabric, etc.) often reduces both integration complexity and long-term cost, but only if this is part of the selection criteria from the start.

Partner Ecosystem

What are the chances you’ll find the help you need when you need it? Choosing a solution with a limited partner landscape (or partners far from your region) can be a risk. Business continuity matters.

Also consider partner experience: Do you want someone who has only navigated calm waters with polished PPTs, or someone who has successfully guided clients through storms and complex challenges?

A strong partner can support all the preparatory work described above and significantly increase your odds of success.

Change and “What’s in it for me”

This cannot be emphasized enough: If your organization does not adopt the solution, you will never achieve the promised ROI. 

Define the value for each role that will work in the system. What will make them want to enter the information you need? How will they come to appreciate (and rely on) the tool? Is that message prepared and included as a core part of the implementation?

The people side of change is fundamental. Without it, the entire initiative is at risk. Reliable data comes from users. Without their buy-in, management dashboards will be empty. With proper change management, they will be full.

Avoid the Big Bang Approach

I have never seen a successful big-bang rollout. Instead of launching everything at once, aim for smaller, scoped releases that create early wins.

When users get their hands on the solution, new and valuable ideas emerge. These should be incorporated into later phases (not overwhelm the project before it starts).

Think big, start small. CRM solutions evolve, which brings us to the final point.

Governance

Once the solution is live, you need to manage it continuously.
With a staged approach, this means running application management while parts of the project are still ongoing.

Set up an organization that can handle incoming change requests, prioritize them according to your vision and processes, and plan releases. And no, this is not just an IT responsibility. CRM is a business solution, so business stakeholders must lead prioritization.

You can manage governance internally or work with an experienced partner.

Summary

To summarize these key recommendations for succeeding with CRM:

Do not start by selecting a tool based on flashy features or the most persuasive salesperson. Begin by understanding what you want to achieve and plan your implementation with the right foundations before choosing a product.

Only then should you evaluate which solution best supports your goals and working methods. This alone significantly increases your chances of success.

Also, choose an experienced implementation partner. One who understands all these aspects and is willing to challenge you to do the right things, not just what you ask for.

CRM projects will always encounter unexpected moments, but with the proper preparation, they will occur far less frequently.

If you want to ensure your CRM investment delivers real business value, reach out to us. Our team of Dynamics 365 experts can guide you through the planning, implementation, and adoption process. Contact us at contact@engagenow.com to learn more.