Hello, this is Matsubara, CRM Evangelist.

The criteria for selecting a CRM system vary greatly depending on the size of the company.
Applying the same selection criteria used by large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can lead to mistakes such as choosing over-specced products or, conversely, products lacking necessary features.

This time, we'll focus specifically on how to choose a CRM system from the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises.

table of contents

1. Common mistakes small and medium-sized businesses make when choosing a CRM system.
2. Understand the constraints unique to small and medium-sized enterprises.
3. Selection Criterion ①: Simplicity of Pricing Structure
4. Selection Criterion ②: No-Code Scalability
5. Selection Criteria ③: Ease of Implementation and Learning Cost
6. Selection Criteria ④: Security and Vendor Risk
7. Selection Criterion 5: Avoiding Lock-in
8. Selection Criterion ⑥: Flexibility in Industry Specialization
9. Selection Criterion ⑦: Support System
10. Selection pitfalls that small and medium-sized enterprises often fall into
11. Common Failure Patterns and Their Subsequent Developments
12. Differences in judgment based on scale
13. How to proceed with the selection process
14. Why EMOROCO CRM Lite is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises
15. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
16. Summary

1. Common mistakes small and medium-sized businesses make when choosing a CRM system.

When small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) select a CRM system, the following mistakes tend to occur repeatedly:

- Choosing high-performance products designed for large corporations, and continuing to pay exorbitant fees without being able to fully utilize many of their features.
- Choosing solely based on price and later realizing it lacks necessary features or expandability.
- Choosing a product that requires complex configuration without having a dedicated IT staff member.
- Making decisions based solely on information from comparison websites and signing contracts without verifying whether they truly fit the company's workflow.

Many of these failures stem from a lack of perspective that "small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have their own unique ways of choosing services."

2. Understand the constraints unique to small and medium-sized enterprises.

When small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) choose a CRM system, they need to consider the following constraints:

- There is little room in the budget, and the total monthly fee directly impacts the business.
• Often, there is no dedicated IT staff, and the complexity of operations directly becomes a barrier to implementation.
We want to make decisions quickly and shorten the consideration period before implementation.
• Industry-specific business practices may exist, and standard functions may not be sufficient to cover them.

Understanding these constraints and formulating selection criteria based on them is the first step to avoiding failure.

3. Selection Criterion ①: Simplicity of Pricing Structure

For small and medium-sized enterprises, clarity of pricing structure is a very important selection criterion.

Is it clear what features are included in the monthly fee?
Can we know in advance what additional costs will be incurred if the number of users increases?
・PreviouslyCRM "Hidden Costs" ChecklistAre the additional costs for initial setup, continued use, and cancellation, as explained above, clearly stated?

Complex pricing plans increase the risk of straining your budget after implementation.
A simple and easy-to-understand pricing structure is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

4. Selection Criterion ②: No-Code Scalability

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack a dedicated IT staff, the ability to customize a solution to their specific business needs using a no-code approach is a crucial selection criterion.

Can entities and fields be added without specialized knowledge?
Can we flexibly add industry-specific management items (inspection schedule, membership rank, etc.)?
- Can I easily hide the standard features I don't use?

Products that offer high functionality but require outsourcing to external development companies for customization tend to have high operating costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

5. Selection Criteria ③: Ease of Implementation and Learning Cost

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have limited time available for implementation and training.

Can I start using it immediately with the standard features?
- Is the briefing session for all employees simple enough to be completed in about a day?
Are there opportunities to actually try it out, such as a free trial?

Products that take months to implement often don't fit the fast-paced needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

6. Selection Criteria ④: Security and Vendor Risk

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tend to have insufficient investment in security measures, which is why it's crucial to carefully consider this point when choosing a CRM system.

- Is the operating platform a reliable cloud infrastructure (such as one with SOC2 certification)?
・PreviouslyCustomer information of Japanese companies is being targeted from all over the world.As explained earlier, given the reality that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are also targets of cyberattacks, it is important to consider whether they have mechanisms in place for access control and data governance.
- Does the provider have provisions for business continuity (risk of bankruptcy/risk of service termination), such as self-hosting options?

7. Selection Criterion 5: Avoiding Lock-in

To protect your future options, you should also be aware of the risks of vendor lock-in.

Is it possible to export all data for free and in an easy-to-use format?
Is the API provided as a standard feature?
For more information,How to identify a CRM that avoids vendor lock-inPlease also refer to the checklist explained earlier.

8. Selection Criterion ⑥: Flexibility in Industry Specialization

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often have unique business practices specific to their industry, and standard CRM functions may not be sufficient to address these needs.

Are there any publicly available case studies that are similar to our company's industry?
Can industry-specific management items be flexibly added without coding?

As with the industry-specific implementation guides I previously shared , products that show usage examples in a variety of industries make it easier to envision how they can be applied within your own company.

9. Selection Criterion ⑦: Support System

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack a dedicated person in charge, having a support system they can consult when they encounter problems directly translates to a sense of security.

Is chat/email support included in the basic fee?
Is the scope of support clearly stated before signing the contract?

10. Selection pitfalls that small and medium-sized enterprises often fall into

Based on the selection criteria used so far, let's review the pitfalls that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly prone to falling into.

・Choosing solely because it's famous.High brand recognition does not necessarily correlate with a company's suitability for its needs.
・They only believe what the salesperson says and don't check the details of the contract.It is especially important to always check in writing about hidden costs and cancellation terms.
・Making decisions solely with management without listening to the opinions of those on the ground.The people who will actually be using it are the field staff, and if they find it difficult to use, it won't be adopted no matter how excellent its features are.
・They sign a contract without clearly defining the purpose, saying, "Let's just try implementing it for now."If the objective remains unclear, it will become impossible to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation afterward.

These pitfalls are explained in detail in our previous checklist for avoiding mistakes when choosing a CRM system .

11. Common Failure Patterns and Their Subsequent Developments

Here are a few examples of common mistakes.

Pattern 1: A high-performance product was introduced, but it was not used effectively.
This is a case where a large company implements a high-functional CRM system designed for large corporations, but most of its features go unused, leaving them with a heavy burden of monthly fees.
In this case, many companies will consider switching to products that are more suited to their needs.

Pattern 2: Choosing solely based on low price, resulting in insufficient expandability.
This is a case where a system was initially inexpensive to implement, but as the business grew, it became impossible to add necessary functions, ultimately leading to the use of another system in parallel.

Pattern 3: Strong resistance from the field after implementation.
This is a case where the decision to implement a system is made solely by management, and insufficient explanation is given to the field staff. As a result, complaints about its usability spread, and the system becomes a mere formality without ever gaining traction.

Many of these patterns can be prevented by carefully reviewing the selection criteria beforehand and following a thorough review process that includes on-site personnel.

12. Differences in decision-making based on scale

Even within the category of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the points that should be emphasized vary depending on the size of the organization.

・Approx. 5 personsPrioritizing ease of implementation and simplicity above all else.
・Approx. 20 persons: The risk of over-reliance on specific individuals due to dual roles increases, so flexibility in authority design is also important.
・Approx. 50 personsConsidering the possibility of an increase in departments and locations, we will also include scalability and multi-tenancy support as factors in our considerations.

We recommend adjusting the priority of your decision-making criteria based on your company's current size and projected future growth.

13. How to proceed with the selection process

When small and medium-sized businesses select a CRM system, we recommend the following process:

- Clearly articulate your company's challenges (e.g., missed responses, reliance on specific individuals, cumbersome reporting processes).
- Compare multiple products using a checklist based on selection criteria such as pricing structure, scalability, and security.
• Try out any product you're interested in using a free trial with your actual business data.
- Gather feedback on ease of use, including from on-site personnel.

The checklist for avoiding pitfalls in choosing a CRM system, which we used previously , can also be utilized in this process.

14. Why EMOROCO CRM Lite is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises

Based on the selection criteria we've discussed so far, let's summarize the features of EMOROCO CRM Lite.

・Simplicity of pricing structureA straightforward pricing structure: 1,500 yen per user per month (minimum 3 users), with no initial setup fee.
・Scalability without coding: Even without specialized knowledge, you can freely design entity fields.
・Ease of implementation: You can try it out with actual business data with a 30-day free trial.
・Security: Operation on the Azure platform, support for self-hosting
・Lock-in countermeasures: Export of all data, provision of standard REST API
・Industry-specific flexibilityNumerous industry-specific usage guides have been released.
・support systemChat and email support are included in the basic fee.

These are designed to address the constraints faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, such as budget, personnel, and the need for speed.

15. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Is a free CRM sufficient for small and medium-sized businesses?
Free plans often have severe feature limitations, and it may be necessary to switch to a paid plan relatively early on if you intend to use it for actual business purposes.
We recommend making your decision based on the total cost of ownership.

Q. Should I choose an industry-specific CRM or a general-purpose CRM?
While industry-specific solutions offer a high initial fit, general-purpose solutions can be adapted to your company's needs if they offer no-code scalability.

Q. How long should the selection process take?
For small and medium-sized enterprises, prioritizing speed in decision-making and conducting evaluations, including free trials, within one to two months is a realistic approach.

Q. Is it okay to compare and evaluate multiple products at the same time?
Yes.
We recommend trying multiple free trials simultaneously to compare their actual usability.

Q. Which of the selection criteria should be given the highest priority?
Depending on the company's situation, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without a dedicated IT staff, the scalability and ease of implementation of no-code solutions are often particularly important.

16. Summary

For small and medium-sized businesses choosing a CRM system, there are seven selection criteria: simplicity of pricing structure, no-code scalability, ease of implementation, security and vendor risk management, avoidance of vendor lock-in, industry-specific flexibility, and support system.
The key to avoiding mistakes is to avoid simply applying selection criteria designed for large corporations, and instead make judgments based on criteria that take into account the unique constraints of small and medium-sized enterprises.

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.

We also offer a monthly newsletter, "ARCUS NEWS," which provides updates on EMOROCO CRM Lite and other useful information for CRM operations.
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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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・How to Choose a Customer Relationship Management System — A Comprehensive Comparison Across 4 Categories
・Checklist of pitfalls to avoid when choosing a CRM system
・CRM "Hidden Costs" Checklist
・How to identify a CRM that avoids vendor lock-in