From separate systems to one overview: a practical step-by-step plan

Your systems are not the problem

Most SMB owners we speak to think they have a software problem. They consider replacing their accounting package, buying a new CRM or purchasing an all-in-one platform. But in almost every case the problem is not the software. The problem is that the systems are not connected.

Moneybird works fine. HubSpot works fine. AFAS works fine. It is the gaps between them where time and information disappear. And you do not solve those gaps by throwing everything away and starting over. You solve them by building a connection.

Step 1: inventory your system landscape

The first step is knowing what you have. Make a simple list of every application your business uses, who has access to it and which data sits in it. Most companies end up with 5 to 8 systems. Put them together and you have a map of your digital landscape.

Be honest: count the spreadsheets too, the shared Google Docs and the information that only lives in someone's head. Those are systems as well, just without software around them.

Step 2: map the data flows

For each system, look at which data goes in and which data has to come out for other processes. Client data starts in the CRM, has to go to accounting for invoicing and to the project tool for assignment. Time tracking has to go to accounting for invoicing and to management for capacity planning.

Draw out the flows. You will see lines running that are currently maintained by hand by people who copy, re-key or verbally pass on data. Every manual line is a potential error and a source of wasted time.

Step 3: identify the pain points

Not every missing connection is equally important. Prioritize based on two criteria: how much time it costs to maintain this data flow by hand, and what the risk is if the information is wrong.

Usually there are two to three connections that cause the lion's share of the problem. At many SMBs that is the connection between CRM and accounting, the connection between time tracking and project planning, and the absence of a combined overview of client value.

Step 4: start with one connection

The temptation is to want to tackle everything at once. That almost never works. Start with the connection that delivers the most in terms of time saved or risk reduced. Get it working, learn from it, and then expand.

For most companies the first step is synchronizing client data between CRM and accounting, or automating the overview that is currently kept by hand in a spreadsheet.

Step 5: add intelligence

Once the basic connections are in place, it gets interesting. An AI layer on top of your connected data can answer questions you currently have to dig out by hand: which client delivers the most, where is there still capacity, which invoices deserve attention. This is the step from connecting to understanding.

Or have it done professionally

You can work through this plan yourself. But if you want to do it quickly and thoroughly, that is exactly what our AI audit offers: a professional run through these steps, with a concrete report and prioritized recommendations.