Example 2: CRM Integration
Transform assumptions into explicit requirements
Poor Specification
CRM Enhancement Project
We want to improve our customer management. Sales team needs better tools to track leads and opportunities.
Features Needed:
- Lead scoring system
- Email integration
- Better reporting
- Automate follow-ups
- Track customer interactions
- Pipeline management
- Team collaboration features
Important:
Should work with our existing tools and not disrupt current operations. Sales team should find it intuitive.
Expected Outcome:
Increase sales efficiency and close more deals.
Please provide a modern solution that scales with our growth.
We want to improve our customer management. Sales team needs better tools to track leads and opportunities.
Features Needed:
- Lead scoring system
- Email integration
- Better reporting
- Automate follow-ups
- Track customer interactions
- Pipeline management
- Team collaboration features
Important:
Should work with our existing tools and not disrupt current operations. Sales team should find it intuitive.
Expected Outcome:
Increase sales efficiency and close more deals.
Please provide a modern solution that scales with our growth.
❌ Problems:
- "Better" and "improve" without baselines
- No scoring criteria defined
- Vague automation requirements
- Unknown "existing tools"
- No measurable outcomes
Better Specification
CRM Lead Management Module
Current State:
Managing 500+ leads/month in spreadsheets. 40% leads go cold due to missed follow-ups. Average response time: 48 hours.
Requirements:
[MUST] Score leads: Industry (25%), Company Size (25%), Engagement (50%)
[MUST] Sync with Gmail/Outlook via IMAP
[MUST] Weekly pipeline report: Leads by stage, conversion rates, velocity
[MUST] Auto-email if no contact in 7 days
[MUST] Log emails, calls, meetings with timestamps
[SHOULD] Kanban view for pipeline stages
[SHOULD] Team activity feed with @mentions
Integration:
Odoo 18 Sales module, Google Workspace (OAuth 2.0)
Success Metrics:
- Response time < 4 hours (from current 48)
- Follow-up compliance > 95%
- Lead-to-opportunity conversion > 25%
Current State:
Managing 500+ leads/month in spreadsheets. 40% leads go cold due to missed follow-ups. Average response time: 48 hours.
Requirements:
[MUST] Score leads: Industry (25%), Company Size (25%), Engagement (50%)
[MUST] Sync with Gmail/Outlook via IMAP
[MUST] Weekly pipeline report: Leads by stage, conversion rates, velocity
[MUST] Auto-email if no contact in 7 days
[MUST] Log emails, calls, meetings with timestamps
[SHOULD] Kanban view for pipeline stages
[SHOULD] Team activity feed with @mentions
Integration:
Odoo 18 Sales module, Google Workspace (OAuth 2.0)
Success Metrics:
- Response time < 4 hours (from current 48)
- Follow-up compliance > 95%
- Lead-to-opportunity conversion > 25%
✓ Improvements:
- Baseline metrics provided
- Specific scoring formula
- Clear automation triggers
- Named integration points
- Measurable success criteria