CRM Implementation Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for a crm implementation project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of deploying a customer relationship management system to improve sales and service.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On a crm implementation project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a CRM Implementation project
CRM Implementation projects live or die on deploying a customer relationship management system to improve sales and service. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how crm implementation projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
CRM Implementation-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail crm implementation projects:
- Poor data quality on migration
- Low user adoption
- Integration with existing tools
Example
On a real crm implementation project, the decision log would be shaped by deploying a customer relationship management system to improve sales and service. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — poor data quality on migration, low user adoption, integration with existing tools — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.