There are no bad systems.

There is no right or wrong way to arrange your CRM systems.

There are only ways that fit your needs and resources, and ways that don't.

You've got 17 different Excel spreadsheets? That is not inherently bad.

As long as it fits your needs, and is well supported by your available resources, then surely there's no real business case for changing that arrangement.

Here's an example:

Several weeks ago I had a coaching call with a client who was trying hard to get CiviCRM going, so he could track and report publicly on certain kinds of data. Publishing that data is a major pillar in his org’s mission.

But he was a one-person operation, with a lot of irons in the fire, and not a lot of funding to get started with.

He had come to me for help with CiviCRM. It seemed like the "right" thing to do was to help make that happen for him.

But hold on — why does that have to be the "right" thing? What is inherently wrong with something simple like putting that data into a spreadsheet and publishing a couple of easy-to-read PDFs along with the raw data?

After looking closely at his situation together, we both agreed that was the way to go.

It fit his needs, his budget, and his working style. It was right for him.

This past week, he called me again to let me know that it was working great!

Here's the thing:

It is so easy to get caught up in the notion that you need a "real" CRM in order to operate like a “real” organization.

You do not.

What you need are clear goals, a clear assessment of what's possible, and a commitment to getting the results that you want.

If that means using CiviCRM or some other tool, or making substantial improvements to your current setup, that's fine. But it's not a requirement in itself.

Don't buy the hype. Stay focused on the outcomes. That's where success happens.

All the best,
A.