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CRM Assessment Case Study

CRM Assessment Guided a Dealer-Wide SaaS Move

BridgeView evaluated a long-running custom CRM against dealer needs, usability, and cost so an international company could choose its next platform with evidence.

CRM Assessment Dealer Experience SaaS Selection

Reported Results at a Glance

After the assessment, the company chose a SaaS platform and moved dealers to the new system. It reported the following early results.

Development Cost$120K

Annual savings in software development costs.

Sales+8.4%

Increase reported in the first six months.

Inventory Cost11%

Savings reported in the first six months.

Dealer Network1,000

US dealers supported by the CRM decision.

A Familiar CRM Was Becoming Harder to Sustain

The company had built and maintained its own CRM for more than a decade. Before another upgrade, it needed to know whether the system still served dealers and the business well.

Dealer Fit

  • Dealers used the CRM for sales, inventory, projects, and customer accounts
  • Some newer functions did not fit day-to-day work
  • Future business shifts required a closer look at missing capabilities

Usability and Support

  • 27% of dealers said they needed more training
  • 46% were frustrated by slow responses to change requests
  • Legacy design knowledge was leaving the company

Maintenance Cost

  • Maintenance costs had risen 15% annually over the prior five years
  • Upgrades were taking longer as experienced staff departed
  • Leaders needed to compare the custom system with commercial alternatives

A Dealer-Centered Review of the CRM Options

BridgeView met dealers onsite across the country and assessed the custom CRM from both dealer and corporate perspectives before the company selected a path forward.

Listen

Met with dealers to understand how the CRM supported real sales and service work.

Inspect

Reviewed which features were useful, difficult, missing, or unused.

Measure

Captured dealer feedback on training needs and slow enhancement response.

Cost

Evaluated the rising expense of maintaining and upgrading the custom application.

Compare

Compared commercial products on effectiveness, ease of use, and cost.

Frame

Identified options for retaining, externally managing, or replacing the custom CRM.

From Assessment Findings to a Platform Decision

The findings made the tradeoffs visible: dealer adoption and support, corporate maintenance effort, and the potential fit of a commercial CRM.

Map UsageBridgeView examined end-to-end functionality and how dealers used the application in daily work.
Hear DealersThe assessment found 12% of recently added features unused, 27% of dealers requesting more training, and 46% frustrated by slow enhancements.
Review CostThe team identified a five-year pattern of 15% annual maintenance cost increases.
Compare PathsLeadership considered improving the custom system, changing its management, or moving to an outside product.
Choose SaaSThe company selected a major SaaS platform and moved all dealers to it at the same time.

A New CRM With Measurable Early Results

Following the dealer-wide move to SaaS, the company reported lower development and inventory costs, higher sales, and better dealer and customer experiences.

Cost and Commercial Outcomes

  • $120,000 in annual software development cost savings
  • 8.4% sales increase in the first six months
  • 11% inventory cost savings in the first six months

Dealer and Customer Outcomes

  • Improved dealer experience
  • Improved customer satisfaction
  • A single SaaS system adopted across the dealer network
  • A platform decision grounded in dealer feedback and corporate costs

Why the Model Worked

Dealer Evidence Changed the Decision

The assessment did not start with a product preference. BridgeView looked at how dealers actually worked, what they struggled to use, and what the custom system cost to maintain. That evidence gave leadership a clearer basis for deciding whether another upgrade was worth making.

Choose With Evidence

Is Your Custom CRM Still Helping Your Teams Work?

Tell us what users need and where maintenance is getting harder. BridgeView can help assess the current system and compare practical paths forward.

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