Centralising Sales and CRM to Drive Growth and Collaboration | Professional Services

Unlimited is a multidisciplinary marketing, communications, and technology group, now owned by Accenture Song. With seven distinct business units operating under a different P&L's, the company faced a significant challenge: the need to centralise its growth information and improve cross-agency collaboration. The company’s business units operated independently, relying on separate spreadsheets, platforms, and forums for tracking new business efforts. This disjointed approach made it difficult to assess performance at a group level, resulting in overlapping prospecting efforts and lost revenue.

Despite the growing need for collaboration and data centralisation, the company struggled to effectively integrate its operations and streamline its processes.

The Problem

The company was facing several operational inefficiencies, with key challenges including:

• Lack of Transparency and Coordination: With each business unit operating independently, it was nearly impossible to gain a unified view of performance. This made it difficult to track progress, measure success, and ensure alignment between teams.
• Overlapping Efforts and Lost Revenue: Different teams were prospecting the same leads and missing out on opportunities due to fragmented information. The use of disparate systems and manual processes made it hard to ensure the right efforts were being prioritised.
• Complex Data Management: The company struggled with managing data effectively, particularly regarding customer and lead information. Data was often inconsistent or incomplete, leading to missed opportunities and inefficient workflows.

All these issues pointed to the need for a centralised solution that could streamline operations, improve collaboration, and provide a clear, consolidated view of business performance.

The Solution

Unlimited turned to us for help, recognising our expertise in transforming business operations and aligning them with advanced CRM systems. As specialists in implementing CRM solutions and optimising revenue operations, we were well-positioned to guide Unlimited through the process of centralising its data, aligning its teams, and improving performance.

We began by conducting a comprehensive audit of the existing CRM setup, business processes, and data management strategies. The goal was to understand the current state and identify key opportunities for improvement. Based on our findings, we outlined a tailored plan to centralise business efforts, streamline workflows, and integrate systems for better visibility and collaboration.

1. Centralising the CRM System:
   The first step was to centralise the marketing and sales operations under a single CRM system—HubSpot. We designed a unified lead management and pipeline framework that would allow for simplified reporting and streamlined collaboration across business units. The centralisation of data would ensure transparency and better visibility of the group’s performance.
2. Designing Unified Processes and Workflows:
   We worked closely with stakeholders across each business unit to understand their unique processes and needs. After conducting interviews, we developed a unified framework that allowed each business unit to operate independently while still adhering to a group-wide structure. We mapped out custom workflows and processes, including a new business pipeline, tailored to each business unit but under a shared rule base to ensure consistent data logging and reporting across the organisation.
3. Configuration and Customisation of HubSpot:
   We configured HubSpot to meet the unique needs of each business unit while ensuring no cross-contamination of pipeline data. Each business unit was allocated a gated instance of the CRM, with strict access controls to protect customer data and maintain compliance. We implemented automated lead assignment rules and workflow triggers to streamline processes and ensure that leads moved through the sales pipeline efficiently.
4. Training and Adoption Strategy:
   With over 250 employees across the organisation, getting everyone on board was a challenge. To ensure adoption, we introduced a multi-tiered training programme that was tailored to the different user roles. This included training for:
   • Owners: Individuals accountable for platform management and data integrity.
   • Users: Those using the platform daily for sales and marketing activities.
   • Managers: Team members responsible for administering the platform and ensuring data quality.
   In addition to in-person training, we provided playbooks, how-to guides, and video resources to ensure a smooth transition and empower teams to use HubSpot effectively.

To ensure the project’s success, it was critical that the business acted quickly and embraced the new CRM system. We urged leadership to support the adoption process by providing clear communication, encouraging engagement, and offering ongoing support to employees. By committing to the plan and ensuring consistent training, the company could unlock its CRM’s full potential and transform its internal operations.

OUTCOMES

The results of this transformation were immediate and impactful:

• Increased Transparency and Collaboration: The new CRM setup allowed for a centralised view of performance across all business units. Stakeholders at the group level could now easily monitor progress, track leads, and measure success in real-time, leading to better cross-agency collaboration and decision-making.
• 50% Increase in Pipeline Accuracy: With the new lead management framework, sales teams were able to track leads more effectively, resulting in a 50% increase in pipeline accuracy. This led to more effective prospecting and higher conversion rates.
• 80% Adoption Rate: The implementation strategy ensured that over 80% of employees adopted the new CRM system from day one. The training programme and clear communication played a pivotal role in getting teams on board, leading to swift integration of the new processes.
• Operational Efficiency: Automated workflows and better data management practices reduced manual tasks, freeing up teams to focus on more strategic activities. The sales pipeline was restructured to better align with business goals, improving overall efficiency and effectiveness.
• Scalable Framework for Future Growth: The company now had a scalable CRM solution that could grow with the business. The team had clear guidelines, a solid CRM foundation, and a roadmap for future enhancements that would continue to drive operational improvements and customer success.

This case study demonstrates how centralising operations under a single CRM system, with clear workflows and robust training, can improve business performance, enhance cross-team collaboration, and deliver measurable results. By transforming their processes and optimising HubSpot, Unlimited was able to set themselves up for future success.