CRM and ERP implementations have a brutal track record. Independent research consistently puts overrun rates above 50% and benefit-realisation below 40%. The mistakes are remarkably repeatable, which means they're also remarkably avoidable.
1. Choosing the platform before defining the operating model
Vendor selection should be the third decision, not the first. Define the capabilities you need, the data model that supports them, and the integration footprint — then pick the platform that fits.
2. Treating it as a migration, not a redesign
If you replicate your legacy process inside a new system, you have inherited every constraint of the old world at the price of the new one. Implementation is the rare window to redesign — use it.
3. Underestimating data quality work
Data cleansing always takes longer than planned. Budget 25–40% of the total programme effort for data, and start before the configuration sprint begins.
4. Letting customisation creep
Every customisation is a future upgrade tax. Configure first, customise only when the business case is explicit, and document every deviation from the standard model.
5. Skipping the integration architecture
A CRM that doesn't talk to the ERP, the marketing platform, and the support tool is a silo with a new logo. Design the integration map on day one, not after go-live.
6. No executive sponsor with skin in the game
Steering committees don't drive adoption. A single accountable executive — typically COO or CRO — who owns the outcome does.
7. Treating training as the change plan
Training is a small slice of change management. Incentives, KPIs, hiring profiles, and management routines all need to shift in parallel with the system.
"The platform is 20% of the outcome. The other 80% is architecture, data, and adoption."