What determines the budget?
A simple contact database differs from a platform with multiple pipelines, permissions, reporting and complex integrations. Map roles and must-have actions before asking for a quote.
Data migration can be substantial: inconsistent spreadsheets need cleaning, mapping and checks, not just importing.
- Number of workflows and user roles
- Existing data quality and migration
- Integrations, reporting and security
- Support, hosting and future changes
Compare build and buy fairly
Include subscription fees, configuration time, customisation constraints and administration when comparing off-the-shelf software with a build. A bespoke system introduces ownership and maintenance responsibilities, but can fit a distinctive process.
Ask for a phased proposal that separates discovery and a testable first release from optional features. That makes trade-offs visible without inventing a price in advance.
Prepare a useful brief
Show a real lead from first enquiry to completed work. List where that record is re-entered, who needs access and what must be reported. Bring examples of forms, spreadsheets and current tools.
- Identify one workflow to improve first
- List essential and optional integrations
- Agree who owns data and maintenance
Questions worth asking
Can KTD quote before a discovery call?
A useful estimate needs the process, integrations, users and migration scope. A short discovery discussion is the sensible starting point.
Is a custom CRM cheaper than a subscription?
Not necessarily. Compare total ownership costs across the expected lifetime, not only an upfront build against one month of subscription.
Advice here is general; the appropriate implementation depends on the people, systems and constraints involved.