No one wants to belabor the downsides and costs of failure. That’s even more true for businesses when the problem is with their CRM software. A failed CRM implementation project or the many problems that arise from an absent or unequipped vendor relationship have huge impacts on your sales team, organization — and whoever you serve.

Wherever you are at today, Cobalt can help get you unstuck, back on track, and making the most of your CRM investment with our Dynamics 365 Project Rescues. With over 16 years of solid, successful CRM implementations and true expertise in every facet of the process, we have exactly what you need to get this moving again. And the first step is to take an honest look at what’s gone wrong and what it could be costing you.

Common Causes of Failed CRM Implementations

An Incomplete Picture

So many IT departments step into the complex work of designing and executing a CRM implementation with an incomplete picture of what it will take to pull it off. Truly gifted professionals with deep IT experience miscalculate this work all the time. And there’s no shame in that — we can’t know what we don’t know, right?

Incompetent Vendors or Soured Relationships

On the other hand, many CRM implementations get sideways because a company unwittingly chooses a vendor who doesn’t truly have the expertise to do the work. Many firms specialize in selling Dynamics 365 licenses and might make strong — but vague — promises about the implementation process.

But when it counts, and your whole team is counting on them, they can’t come through. When organizations wind up in that position and the vendor is absent, goes silent, or gets contentious, it is so easy for that to make a big mess even worse.

Gaps in Expertise

There’s a third scenario Cobalt has seen many times over the years. This is where staff turnover in your organization means the people who originally led your CRM implementation have moved on.

It’s not easy to attract and retain the top talent in this industry because qualified Microsoft Dynamics professionals are in such high demand. We know because retaining and cultivating Dynamics 365 experts is a bedrock part of Cobalt’s success strategy — and one of the reasons we’re such a standout in this field.

Without the team members who designed or did the implementation work around, there are inevitably gaps in expertise that could affect every facet of your CRM needs. Updates, new integrations, onboarding, training and support, and more will all be painful or impossible for your company.

The Costs of a Failed CRM Implementation

Whatever the cause, the costs are the same.

A stalled or broken CRM implementation project just puts your whole organization farther behind the competition in your industry.

It also exacerbates whatever frustrations your staff were already having with your old or current system.

A CRM implementation success, which can be a secure, straightforward project, creates so many stressors when they fail.

And that can impact everything from your staff’s productivity and retention, to losses in revenue, brand equity, and the market share you’ve worked so hard for in your industry.

Let’s Get Past the Bad News about Your CRM Struggles

You’re here because you know your team and CRM needs help. The frustrations and costs we’ve already outlined might be painfully clear to you by now. And the last thing you want or need at this point are more vague promises or soft ideas about how to fix the problems a failed CRM implementation or failing vendor relationship have caused.

Good.

Cobalt’s clear process to move your team forward quickly will move you from wherever you are today to enjoying all the value and potential that Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform have for your team and customers.

There are four stages in our Dynamics 365 Project Rescue process and one simple thing we need from you today to get started.

Cobalt’s Dynamics 365 Project Rescue Process Overview

Stage 1: The “Reverse Demo”
This is what our Dynamics 365 experts call our initial assessment with your team. Show us how you use Dynamics 365. We will document everything we learn as we get a basic understanding of your needs and the current problems. Our reverse demo assessment also includes a license assessment to ensure you aren’t paying too much and that everyone on your team has precisely the access and tools they need to do their best work.
Stage 2: Recommendations and Rescue
With our reverse demo and assessment documentation (both done at no cost to you), our team will draw up clear recommendations for how you can get from where you are now to a place where you’re offering a more ideal user experience.

In some cases, what looks hopelessly complicated or broken can actually turn around quickly. A few fixes in the right, strategic places could have your team unstuck and on track to get what you need from your CRM.

If a larger project will be required, at this point you will have a crystal clear plan from us that details the needs, responsibilities for our team and your team, a timeline, cost, and specific outcomes or deliverables.

With all of that agreed upon, we move forward and quickly get your team the system and configuration you need.
Stage 3: Training
The reality is that one of the primary reasons your team is struggling with your current CRM could be a lack of the right people having the right training. By this point in the process, our team will be able to make good recommendations and lead the way for your organization. Even a handful of solid training sessions make a profound difference in user confidence, experience, and satisfaction.
Stage 4: Managed Services
With your rescue project complete and any initial training your team needs delivered, our team is ready to help you transition to our Dynamics 365 support and managed services offering. For companies struggling to retain the right Dynamics 365 staff in-house, this is an invaluable way to keep the expertise on hand that you’ll invariably need in the future.

As your team grows, your business needs change, or you want to extend your CRM capabilities with things like the Power Platform, you’ll have Cobalt in the mix. Our monthly check-ins are great for keeping your licensing and other ongoing expenses optimized, and your team will love our responsive support, monitoring, and CRM maintenance.

The One Thing We Need From You Today

Reach out for an assessment. It’s free, thorough, and only requires a minimal amount of time from your team to get the clarity we would all need to get your team back on track.

To be clear: there is no obligation to your team after our reverse demo assessment is complete and we deliver our initial recommendations. We are confident that you will see, by that point, why Cobalt has been a trusted implementation partner for hundreds of organizations across many different industries.