Hello, this is Matsubara, CRM Evangelist.

"I'm not completely satisfied with the CRM I'm currently using. But switching would be a hassle, and it's not causing any critical problems at the moment."
—This kind of situation, where things are "just being used without a clear reason," is something we often see in CRM operations.

The things you need to consider when implementing a CRM from scratch are significantly different from those when switching from an existing CRM.
This time, we'll break down the points that tend to be obstacles when switching trains and explain how to deal with each of them.

Hurdle ①: Concerns about data migration

My biggest concern is definitely the data migration.
"Our current CRM has years' worth of customer data stored in it. If we were to move this to a new system, we would have to reorganize the correspondence between the fields from scratch," is a concern.

In reality, the names and structures of the fields differ from one CRM to another, so a simple copy-and-paste approach won't suffice.
However, many CRMs support data export in CSV or Excel format.
EMOROCO CRM Lite also has an Excel import function, so you can import exported data and then organize the item mappings without writing any code.
Rather than trying to migrate all items perfectly at once, it's more realistic to start with the main items (such as customer names, contact information, and contract status) and then gradually add more detailed items as you go along.

Hurdle ②: Confusion during parallel operation period

During the migration process, there is often a period where the old CRM and the new CRM are operated in parallel.
This period is prone to confusion, such as "it becomes unclear which system has the correct information" and "the extra work of entering data twice."

To avoid this, it is important to clearly define the duration of parallel operation and the division of roles in advance.
For example, if you decide from the start to "enter all new customer information into the new CRM and use the old CRM only for referencing past data," you'll eliminate any confusion about which is correct.

Hurdle ③: On-the-job retraining costs

The field staff are already familiar with operating the existing CRM system.
Changing trains means resetting this familiarity and having to start learning everything again from scratch.
It's understandable to be concerned about having to incur further training costs after finally establishing a new system.

What becomes important here is the learning curve for the new CRM itself.
If the interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to use without coding, the burden of retraining can be minimized.
In addition, Separate forms by roleBy narrowing down the scope of information each person in charge needs to memorize, one way to reduce the burden of retraining.

Hurdle ④: Fear of losing existing customizations and integrations.

CRM systems that have been used for a long time often have a lot of customization and integrations with other systems (such as RPA and accounting system integrations) built up over time.
The fear that "if I switch, all the systems I've built up so far will become unusable" is a major factor that makes people hesitate to switch.

In this regard, the solution is to check whether the CRM system you are switching to has equivalent or superior scalability.
External connector functionIt supports API and Webhook integration.You can freely design entities and fields without writing any code.If it's a foundation, there's a high probability that many existing integrations can be reproduced in a modified form.

Hurdle 5: The status quo bias of "I'm not having any problems right now."

This is more of a psychological hurdle than a technical one.
If you don't have any major complaints about your current CRM, it's natural to wonder if it's worth switching.

But,CRM systems that are operated with data structures that are dependent on individual users and are simply a collection of subsystems.It's possible that costs are quietly accumulating, even if they haven't surfaced.
Instead of thinking, "We're not having any problems right now, so it's okay," I recommend taking stock of your current CRM system from the perspective of "how well can it support future business growth and the development of relationship assets?"

Hurdle 6: Timing of contract termination and double costs

One practical issue with switching systems is that the timing of terminating the old CRM contract and the timing of starting the new CRM contract may overlap, resulting in double costs.

In this regard, you can minimize the actual double costs by making good use of the free trial period.
EMOROCO CRM Lite offers a 30-day free trial, making it easier to plan the data migration and testing during this period, and to switch over in line with the renewal of your old CRM contract.

Transfers should be done "in stages," not "all at once."

The common thread in all the hurdles we've discussed so far is "don't try to transition everything perfectly all at once."
We will start with key data and essential operations, and then gradually expand the scope of the migration department by department and function by function.
—This approach significantly reduces the risks and confusion associated with transfers.

EMOROCO CRM Lite is designed to support this gradual migration process by offering ease of data migration through Excel import, flexible field design with no-code functionality, and the ability to reproduce existing integrations through external connectors.

EMOROCO CRM Lite costs ¥1,500 per user per month (minimum 3 users) and has no initial setup fee, with a 30-day free trial.https://www.emoroco.com/You can start from there.
IT implementation subsidy eligible tool number: DL07-0022934.

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Additionally, we publish useful articles about CRM 4.0 on note ( https://note.com/arcuss_crm ), so please check them out as well.

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