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Aetenum - Systems Architecture
CRM Architecture

Design CRMs around SLAs, not vanity metrics

Your CRM structure should mirror the promises you make to customers. If it doesn't enforce the SLA, it's just decoration.

• 8 min read

The Problem

Most CRMs are configured around fields that seemed important at setup, not around the actual service-level agreements (SLAs) the business commits to. The result? Leads slip through cracks, follow-ups get missed, and your team reports on vanity metrics like "total contacts" instead of "percentage of leads contacted within our promised 2-hour window."

Common symptoms:

  • Sales reps manually tracking who needs follow-up in spreadsheets
  • Leadership asking "How many leads did we get?" instead of "How many did we respond to on time?"
  • Deals sitting in "Contacted" status for weeks with no next action defined
  • No automated alerts when SLAs are about to be violated

The SLA-First Approach

Instead of configuring your CRM around arbitrary fields, start with your actual business commitments. What did you promise customers? Build your CRM structure to enforce and measure those promises.

1

Define lifecycle states by SLA

Map your pipeline stages to actual service commitments. Each stage should represent a state that has clear ownership and time constraints.

Example SLA-based stages:

  • New Lead → Must be contacted within 2 hours
  • Initial Contact Made → Discovery call must be scheduled within 24 hours
  • Discovery Scheduled → Proposal must be sent within 3 business days of call
  • Proposal Sent → Follow-up required every 2 days until response
2

Enforce with automation and routing

Use workflows to automatically assign owners, set deadlines, and trigger alerts before SLAs are violated.

Implementation checklist:

  • Auto-assign leads to specific reps based on territory/product
  • Set task due dates automatically based on stage entry time
  • Send Slack/email alerts 1 hour before SLA deadline
  • Escalate to manager if SLA is missed
  • Require specific fields before advancing stages
3

Report on adherence, not volume

Build dashboards that show how well you're meeting commitments, not just activity counts.

❌ DON'T TRACK

  • • Total leads this month
  • • Number of calls made
  • • Emails sent

✅ DO TRACK

  • • % contacted within 2 hours
  • • Avg time to first response
  • • SLA violation rate by rep

Real-world example

A B2B SaaS company was drowning in leads but closing fewer deals than expected. The problem? Their CRM showed 2,000 "active opportunities" but no visibility into which ones were past due for follow-up.

What we implemented:

  • 🎯 Redefined pipeline stages around their actual 24-hour response SLA
  • ⚡ Automated task creation with hard deadlines for each stage
  • 📊 Built a dashboard showing real-time SLA compliance by rep and by pipeline stage
  • 🔔 Slack alerts 30 minutes before any SLA deadline

Result: 62% improvement in follow-up compliance within 30 days

Key Takeaway

Your CRM should be a system of record for your commitments, not a digital filing cabinet. Configure it around the promises you make, automate the enforcement, and measure adherence ruthlessly.

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