NOBODY—and I mean NOBODY—wants to double-enter stuff in the computer. It’s a nightmare.
And your Sales Reps definitely don’t have time for it. They should be in front of customers, not keyboards. But here’s what happens in most Stone Fab shops: A lead comes in. Someone enters their contact information. They talk to the customer. Someone enters notes. They create a quote in Moraware, Stone App, Stone Profits, ActionFlow, etc. Then someone says:
“Oh yeah… make sure you update the CRM too.”
WHY?!
You already entered the customer’s name.
You already entered their phone number.
You already wrote the notes.
Your ERP already knows you created the quote.
And when the customer buys, your ERP already knows you WON THE JOB.
Why in the hell should your Sales Rep have to tell another piece of software everything that already happened? They shouldn’t.
Your ERP and CRM Should Talk
This is the missing link. Your ERP is GREAT at managing quotes, jobs, templates, installs, inventory, production, etc. Your CRM should be GREAT at managing the sales process—phone calls, text messages, emails, follow-up, appointments, and the entire customer conversation.
Connect the two and suddenly you get something pretty magical:
One Sales Process. Without Double Entry.
Quote created? → CRM knows.
Quote updated? → CRM knows.
Customer ordered? → CRM knows.
Contact information changed? → Both systems know.
Your Sales Rep shouldn’t have to babysit software. This stuff should be automatic. Period.
Otherwise, you’re not solving a problem with technology. You’re creating another one.
Now, I Need to Warn You…
Every ERP is going to tell you:
“But we have a CRM!”
No. You don’t. 🤣
I know I’m going to piss some people off with this, but we’ve tested them. We’ve watched fabricators try to use them. And we’ve watched Sales Reps abandon them.
They’re great ERPs. They are NOT great CRMs.
Most are clunky, disconnected from the actual customer conversation, and missing the sales tools a modern Sales Rep needs. And that’s okay!
I don’t want my CRM running your CNC either.
Let your ERP do what it does best. Let your CRM do what it does best. Then CONNECT THEM.
That’s the ticket.
Not-So-Subtle Plug Incoming
If you want to connect Moraware, Stone App, Stone Profits or ActionFlow to a real CRM without creating a double-entry nightmare…
We’ve spent the last three years figuring out exactly how to do it.
We’re happy to help.
