Options for getting a CRM or CMS

Once you understand the functionality you need, you can explore the different ways to get a CRM or CMS. The right option will depend on your budget, your technical environment, your organisational context and what platforms you already use. You can:

• buy a CRM or CMS
• build one (from scratch or using low‑code tools)
• use someone else’s CRM
• extend the CRM‑like functionality in an existing system

Whatever option you choose, avoid bespoke builds onto existing products. These can be expensive to maintain and difficult to upgrade.

Buying a CRM or CMS

Buying means purchasing an off‑the‑shelf product from a supplier.

Benefits:

• existing functionality is already built and tested
• quicker to install than building your own
• access to suppliers with expertise in their product

Risks:

• ongoing licensing and subscription costs can exceed initial development costs
• some functionality might not meet your exact needs
• temptation to customise the system, which creates long‑term maintenance issues
• data storage may be in locations or cloud environments that do not meet your security or compliance requirements

Constraints:

• limited to the supplier's existing functionality and release schedule
• risk of supplier lock‑in due to licensing, proprietary technology or specialist skills
• you must renew contracts and re‑procure at set intervals

Building a CRM or CMS

You can build a system from scratch or by using low code platforms such as Power Apps. If data security is a concern, in house development may be the preferred approach. However, there could be potential for increased risk of security incidents if in-house teams lack specialist capability and monitoring software.

You will still need a supplier or internal team to design, build, test and maintain the system.

Benefits:

• tailored to your exact needs and processes
• full control of the software and your data
• can evolve as your service changes
• potentially lower long‑term maintenance costs

Risks:

• lack of in‑house technical skills or capacity to build or maintain the system
• requires a full multidisciplinary team (technical design, architecture, developers, testers, security, product management)
• longer lead time to design, build and test
• repeated learning curve if teams change

Constraints:

• your technical environment (for example, AWS or Azure) and the tools your organisation supports
• headcount for both build and ongoing maintenance
• data storage and cyber‑security responsibilities

Using someone else’s system

This means sharing or extending a CRM or CMS already used elsewhere in your organisation or by a partner. You may do this by buying an extra licence, creating a second instance, or adding extra modules.

Benefits:

• lower upfront and maintenance costs
• can link into other services already on the same system
• existing support, training and expertise are already in place
• may help you understand what functionality you really need before procuring or building something new

Risks:

• may need to compromise on functionality
• system may not be the right fit for your service
• risk of outgrowing the system quickly
• different teams may have different needs, leading to divergence in how the system is used and configured
• the system needs to be configured to control data access so that teams only get access to the data they need

Constraints:

• limited to the system owner’s priorities for upgrades or change requests
• availability of existing support teams
• competing business priorities across teams sharing the system

Using CRM or CMS‑like functionality in an existing system

Some existing systems in your organisation may already offer CRM or CMS‑like features. These could include:

• spreadsheets
• service‑desk tools (such as Jira Service Desk)
• document or records‑management systems (such as eRDM)

This can be a temporary or interim approach while you understand your needs.

Benefits:

• reduced cost
• quick to implement
• helps you understand what features you need in a future CRM or CMS
• you may be under‑using functionality already available

Risks:

• limited scalability or capacity
• higher risk of mistakes, potential loss of data, and data breaches if the tool is not designed for CRM type activity
• poor fit for structured casework or complex workflows

Constraints:

• the system may be owned by another part of the organisation
• cyber‑security requirements may limit how you can use it
• functionality may be too limited for long‑term needs

Always come back to your service needs

Choosing how to get a CRM or CMS should be driven by:

• the functionality you need now
• the functionality you’ll need in future
• your organisational context and technical landscape
• whether other teams already use similar tools for similar purposes
• the type of contact and casework you need to manage

A clear understanding of your needs will help you avoid unnecessary complexity, overspend or solutions that do not support your service.