+ 73%
in marketing-attributed pipeline
+113%
growth in inbound enquiries
adoption
across the
entire business
When growth outpaces the systems supporting it
For one global consulting firm, years of expansion had left its commercial operations increasingly fragmented.
CRM was a legacy tool owned by an overstretched Finance function, used primarily for back-office tracking rather than supporting commercial growth. Marketing and Sales operated independently, leadership lacked reliable pipeline visibility, and inbound enquiries were managed through a collection of spreadsheets.
The business lacked a reliable, joined-up view of its commercial activity. And when people don’t trust a system, they tend to stop using it.
Business first, software second
Rather than just implementing a CRM, we started by looking at how the business actually worked.
Where were enquiries getting stuck? What information did relationship managers need? Where was administration getting in the way? And what did leadership need to understand about the pipeline?
CRM needed to become a tool for the people responsible for growth, not simply a place to record what had already happened.
That meant rethinking ownership, processes and the information flowing between teams.
Connecting the commercial operation
We focused on three areas:
1. Putting CRM where it belonged
We moved ownership into the commercial function, bringing it closer to the people responsible for developing relationships and generating revenue.
Integrating CRM with billing and project management systems also helped connect activity across the client lifecycle, reducing duplication and improving visibility beyond the initial sale.
2. Making enquiries easier to manage
We replaced fragmented spreadsheets with a structured, automated process for managing inbound enquiries.
Instead of relying on manual handovers, teams could see where enquiries came from, understand previous interactions and identify who needed to respond.
This gave the business a more consistent approach to managing opportunities and helped reduce the risk of promising enquiries falling between the cracks.
3. Making the system worth using
We challenged what information really needed to be captured, simplified processes and focused on making the system useful to the people expected to maintain it.
Because a CRM is only as valuable as the information people are willing to put into it.
From fragmented data to commercial confidence
The result was a significant change in how the business managed its commercial activity and understood its performance.
CRM became a trusted source of commercial information, used by teams and leadership alike. Pipeline reviews and marketing performance reporting moved into live system views, giving the business a more consistent view of opportunities, activity and performance.
And alongside these changes, the firm saw significant improvements in commercial performance:
- 73% growth in marketing-attributed pipeline, reaching £4–5 million.
- 113% year-on-year growth in inbound enquiries.
- Widespread adoption, with CRM embedded in commercial reporting and day-to-day activity across the business.
The technology mattered, but the bigger achievement was creating a system that people trusted enough to use.