CRM low code: the solution for creating your own customized project

1) How do you create a customized CRM?

Creating a fully customizable CRM is not just a technical task, it's a project that needs to be carried out methodically. 

Forget the long months of traditional software development. 

Thanks to our agile approach, we can design business applications that perfectly meet your challenges. 

First, it all starts with listening carefully to your needs.

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A) The key step: in-depth analysis of your business processes.

Even before designing an interface, you need to understand how your teams work.

That's why an initial audit is essential to map your workflows and identify friction points.

a) Define your objectives: what do you really want your future CRM system to achieve?

Is your goal to reduce the time it takes to process customer requests? 

Improve prospect follow-up by the sales team? 

Or to centralize data currently scattered across several files? 

In fact, each business objective translates into specific functionalities. 

Defining these objectives upstream enables customized development.

b) Map existing workflows to optimize customer relationship management.

We then analyze a contact's journey from prospect to loyal customer.

• What information is collected?
• Who intervenes and when?
• Which documents are generated?

This mapping highlights the repetitive manual tasks that can be automated, and the bottlenecks that slow down your teams.

B) Design a user experience (UX) for your teams.

A powerful tool that nobody uses is a wasted investment. 

Consequently, employee adoption is the key to success. 

To achieve this, theuser experience must be at the heart of the design.

a) Create prototypes and visual interfaces before the first line of code.

Using tools like Figma, we create interactive mock-ups of your future CRM software. 

Your teams can navigate the application, test the ergonomics and give feedback before development even begins. 

This step creates theintuitive anduser-friendlyinterface.

b) Validate dashboards to ensure real-time monitoring of sales performance.

A good CRM must offer a clear vision of the business. 

That's why we work with you to design customized dashboards that present the key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your business. 

The aim is to give you access to the right information, at the right time, to make the best decisions.

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C) Rapid development: from idea to business application.

Once the design has been validated, the construction phase begins. 

This is where the magic of low code comes into play, speeding up implementation considerably.

a) Feature implementation: from drag-and-drop to advanced customization.

Low-code platforms allow us to build a large part of the application via a visual interface and pre-built components. 

However, when the requirement calls for more complex logic or advanced customization, we can add custom code. 

This hybrid approach offers both speed and flexibility.

b) Ensure seamless integration with your other software (ERP, marketing, billing).

Your CRM system doesn't live in a vacuum. It needs to communicate with the rest of your IT ecosystem. 

Thanks to APIs, we ensure seamless integration with your other tools. 

In this way, data flows automatically, avoiding double entries and guaranteeing consistency of information.

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D) Deployment and maintenance: a project that needs to evolve with you.

Finally, the launch of the application is not an end in itself.

It's the start of a new way of working that will require support.

a) The test phase and user training for rapid, successful adoption.

Before general deployment, a thorough test phase is carried out to guarantee the quality and robustness of the solution.

At the same time, we train your teams so that they are fully autonomous and comfortable with their new tool from day one.

b) Anticipate the maintenance and evolution of your CRM solution, so that it remains high-performance.

As your business evolves, so must your CRM.

Low code makes it easy to maintain and add new features.

At Kairos, for example, we always include initial support and tailored maintenance plans to ensure that your investment lasts.

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2) Which low-code tools should you use?

The market for low-code platforms is vast, and to avoid getting lost in it, it's important to understand that each tool has its own specialty.

A bit like building a house, you need solid foundations (the database), walls and structure (the interface), and functional plumbing (the automation).

Here's a selection of the best applications for building a robust solution.

A) Platforms specializing in databases and complex logic.

The database is the heart of your CRM.

It needs to be robust, secure and scalable to handle the growth of your data.

a) Xano or Airtable: to build a robust database and guarantee information security.

Xano is an ideal platform for creating powerful backends and complex APIs, offering total control over business logic.

Airtable, on the other hand, is more accessible and visual, perfect for structuring data and getting projects up and running quickly.

The choice will depend on the complexity of your project.

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B) Interface editors for a polished user experience.

The interface is what your users see and handle every day.

It must therefore be beyond reproach.

a) WeWeb or Bubble: for creating web applications with a high level of visual customization.

WeWeb excels in creating fully customizable interfaces with clean code, which is an advantage for SEO and performance. 

Bubble is a powerful no-code platform that lets you create complex web applications without writing a single line of code.

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C) Automation tools to connect all your applications.

Process automation is one of the greatest benefits of modern CRM.

It connects applications that don't talk to each other natively.

a) Make or Zapier: effortlessly automate workflows between your CRM and hundreds of other services.

These two tools are leaders in workflow automation.

Do you want a new contact in your CRM to be automatically added to your Mailchimp mailing list and a task to be created in your project management tool?

Make and Zapier do it in just a few clicks, with no technical skills required.

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3) What are the advantages of low code for companies?

More than just a fad, low code no code brings measurable benefits.

For decision-makers, this means better control over the three pillars of any project:

1. time,
2. the cost
3. and quality.

Let's decipher the strategic advantages of this approach.

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A) A speed of development unmatched by the traditional approach.

The first advantage is unquestionably speed. Thanks to visual components and pre-built models, rapid development becomes the norm.

a) Reduce implementation times from several months to a few weeks.

Where a traditional development project can take six months or more, a low-code custom solution can often be deployed in a matter of weeks.

As our project for the Belfor Group illustrates, selecting the right tools has enabled us to bring to fruition projects that had been abandoned due to excessively long development times.

b) Launch new services faster and optimize time-to-market.

This speed makes your company more agile.

This means you can test a new offer, launch a customer portal or optimize an internal process much faster than your competitors, which is a big advantage.

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B) Total budget control and accelerated return on investment.

The second advantage is financial.

Low code significantly reduces the investment needed to obtain customized software.

a) How a customizable CRM optimizes costs in the face of "per user, per month" licenses.

Major CRM software packages such as Salesforce or Zoho CRM often charge for licenses per user per month. 

These costs add up quickly. 

On the other hand, creating a low-code CRM represents an initial investment, but gives you full ownership of your tool without recurring license fees, which optimizes the cost over the long term.

b) Invest in a long-term solution rather than costly developments.

Low code reduces dependence on rare and expensive teams of developers.

As a result, you invest in a solution that you can upgrade more easily, without having to start from scratch with each new request.

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C) Flexibility: a solution that finally adapts to your business.

Finally, the biggest advantage is flexibility.

Your company is no longer a prisoner of technology.

a) The advantage of never hearing again: "sorry, the software doesn't allow you to do that".

With a customizable CRM, it's the tool that bends to your rules. 

If a sales process changes, or new information needs to be tracked, modifications are quick and easy.

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4) What's the difference between low code and no code?

The terms are often used interchangeably, yet they describe two very different approaches.

Understanding this distinction helps you choose the right technology for your needs.

Now, let's simply take stock.

A) No code: the power of drag-and-drop for simple applications.

No code development is all about simplicity and accessibility.

It lets you create applications by assembling logical blocks via a visual interface, without ever touching a single line of code.

a) Who is it for? Ideal for business teams (marketing, operations) wishing to create processes without depending on IT.

No code is perfect for building websites, simple internal applications , or automating workflows.

It democratizes the creation of digital tools.

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B) Low code: when advanced customization requires a little code.

Low code is an evolution of no code.

It offers the same visual simplicity, but allows developers to add their own code to go beyond the limits of the platform.

a) For whom? Essential for projects with specific security, integration or performance requirements.

When you need seamless integration with a complex IT system, algorithms or an extreme level of customization, low code is the answer. 

It combines the best of both worlds: the speed of no code and the power of code.

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C) The hybrid approach: the best of both worlds for your digital transformation.

At Kairos, we firmly believe in thehybrid approach. 

We use no code for everything that can be standardized, and add a layer of code only where necessary. 

It's this combination that enables us to deliver robust, rapid and controlled customized solutions.

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5) How do I choose a low-code platform?

Choosing the right low-code platform is a decision that will impact your project in the long term. 

To avoid unpleasant surprises, you need to ask yourself the right questions before taking the plunge, and evaluate the options according to precise selection criteria.

A) Assess technical complexity and available in-house skills.

First, take stock of your resources.

Do you have an in-house technical team capable of handling a tool like Microsoft Power Apps, or are you starting from scratch?

a) Does your team already have a developer or are you starting from scratch?

Some platforms are more developer-oriented, while others, closer to no-code, are more accessible.

Your choice should therefore be consistent with the skills you have or are ready to acquire.

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B) Analyze the scalability and performance offered by the solution.

As your business grows, so must your tool. Scalability is a non-negotiable point.

a) Can the platform handle the growth of your database and users?

Make sure that the platform you choose is capable of handling an increase in data volume and user numbers without compromising performance.

This is a key factor in guaranteeing the longevity of your investment.

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C) Check integration possibilities and data security.

Secondly, a good tool needs to get along well with others.

Integration and security are two pillars of the success of yourdigital transformation project.

a) Does the tool integrate easily with your current information system?

Check that the platform has native connectors or a robust API to ensure seamless integration with your existing software ecosystem.

Otherwise, you run the risk of creating a new data silo, which is the exact opposite of the objective.

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D) Compare licensing models: open source, subscription, cost per user...

Last but not least, the platform's business model is an important criterion.

a) How to understand the real cost of the platform to avoid hidden charges.

Some open source platforms may seem free at first, but require high maintenance costs.

Others operate on a subscription basis, or charge per user per month.

Analyze the total cost of ownership (TCO) to choose the most cost-effective solution for you.

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6) Which projects can benefit from low code?

If custom CRM is a perfect use case, limiting low code to customer relationship management would be a mistake. 

Its potential is far greater, enabling us to reinvent any business process. 

Here are a few examples to inspire you, based on projects we've carried out.

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A) Beyond CRM: fully customizable business applications.

Low code allows you to build all kinds of internal and external tools that fit perfectly with your operations.

a) Example: a customer portal for real-time file tracking and customer satisfaction.

As our collaboration with DJS Avocats illustrates, a tailor-made customer portal can transform customer satisfaction.

Their customers now have direct access to their files, making communication more fluid and transparent.

b) Example: an internal project management application to optimize your teams' workflows.

You can also create applications for internal use. 

For example, a project management tool that integrates your own methodologies, or a human resources management application to simplify leave requests and training follow-up.

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B) Automating processes to boost productivity.

What's more, one of the most powerful uses of low code is process automation.

It's all about eliminating the manual, repetitive tasks that hold your teams back.

a) Example: an automated quotation and invoice generation system, integrated with your CRM.

Just imagine: a salesperson validates an offer in the CRM, and the quote is instantly generated with the right information, then sent to the customer.

Once signed, the invoice is created automatically.

This saves considerable time and reduces the risk of error.

b) Example: integrating artificial intelligence for document management.

It's also possible to integrateartificial intelligence into your low-code applications.

For example, to automatically read and interpret invoices (OCR), or to analyze incoming e-mails and direct them to the right person.

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C) The creation of functional prototypes (MVP) to quickly test an idea.

Finally, low code is a formidable ally for innovation. It enables you to go from idea to product in record time.

a) Validate a new service or application with reduced investment and risk.

Do you have an idea for a new mobile application or online service?

Thanks to rapid development, you can build a working prototype (MVP - Minimum Viable Product) in just a few weeks.

This allows you to present it to real users, gather their feedback, and validate your concept before investing a larger budget.

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Finally...

As you can see, the era of rigid, one-size-fits-all software is coming to an end. 

By choosing to create your own CRM, you're not just investing in software, but in a solution that will grow with you, adapting to your new challenges and freeing your teams from technical constraints. 

It's the promise of a controlled digital transformation, focused on your processes and your users.

At Kairos, we don't sell ready-made tools. 

We work with you to build the solution that's right for you. 

If you're ready to imagine a tool that finally works for you, and not the other way around, then let's talk.