Who is this person?
Check whether duplicate contacts, outdated roles, or unclear account links make it hard to identify the right stakeholder.
01 / AUDIT
Find the gaps before adding fields.
Review a few recent handoffs with the people who inherited them. Look for the questions they had to ask again, not just the fields that were empty.
What was agreed?
Look for decisions buried in notes without a date, source, or link to the relevant contact. A summary alone may not explain the commitment.
What happens next?
Find open follow-ups without an owner or due date. Decide where that information should live and who keeps it current.
02 / DATA MAP
Give each profile a clear job.
Use this proposed map to evaluate a CRM. Ask how records relate to one another, which fields can be configured, and how your team will find and maintain the information.
Record areaWhat to capture and evaluate
Person & account
Name, role, preferred contact details, and account association. Check how the CRM handles duplicates and people connected to more than one account.
Relationship context
Stakeholder responsibilities, relevant goals, and an internal relationship owner. Decide which fields need a controlled list and which need a short note.
Interactions
Dated conversations, decisions, and references to their source. Examine whether entries can be connected to both the person and the account.
Open commitments
Next action, responsible person, and target date. Evaluate how a new owner can distinguish an open item from a completed one.
Illustrative data model. Confirm the relationships, field types, permissions, and history options in any product you are considering.
03 / RECORDING STANDARD
Write a history someone else can use.
An interaction history is more than a log of activity. It should explain the context behind a decision and show what remains unresolved.
For each meaningful interaction
Capture the date, participants, channel, purpose, and a concise summary. Record decisions in plain language, then name the next action, owner, and target date when relevant.
For the person reading later
Reference the originating conversation or document when available. Separate the customer's stated needs from internal interpretation, and avoid copying sensitive detail that the team does not need.
Evaluation prompt: Can a new account owner filter or navigate the history by contact, find the latest decision, and understand which commitments are still open? Test the path with a realistic sample record.
04 / CHANGE SEQUENCE
Move the model before moving the data.
A new contact structure needs shared rules as well as a destination. Sequence the work so that the team can inspect the results before relying on them.
01
Assign ownership
Choose who defines each field, who updates it, and who resolves conflicting account or contact records.
02
Map and clean
Inventory source fields, define the destination for each, and agree on duplicate and stale-record rules before import.
03
Test a small set
Review a representative sample for missing associations, dates, and history. Check that permissions match the intended access before expanding the migration.
04
Maintain the standard
Agree on when profiles are reviewed and how handoffs are documented. Revisit fields that people consistently leave blank or interpret differently.
A practical next step
Take the blueprint into your next CRM review.
Bring a real handoff scenario and ask the team to trace it through a proposed contact record. The gaps will make useful evaluation questions.