The quote says 'CRM development' — does that mean custom software or setting up an off-the-shelf tool?

Building a CRM from scratch is one of the most expensive operational mistakes you can make. The moment a developer leaves or you fall out with the agency, you're left with an undocumented black box. 90% of the time, the agency means customizing an existing platform—your very first question in the meeting should be, 'What platform are you building this on?'

Some agencies love reskinning an off-the-shelf tool, hooking up two forms, calling it 'development', and sending a massive invoice. If you're paying £14,500, that invoice better include a real API integration with your accounting software and logistics tracking system. If it's just drag-and-drop tweaks, that price is way too high.

We gathered quotes for a similar distribution setup last year. Off-the-shelf setups were quoted between £4,000 and £6,000. Once custom sync software with our warehouse database and a dedicated quoting module were included, the agency we picked invoiced £12,000. If custom integrations are being coded, your £14,500 figure is pretty reasonable for the UK market.

Before going into the meeting, shoot the agency a one-line email: 'Does the CRM development item in your proposal refer to bespoke software written from scratch, or API/module development on a third-party system?' You can shape your meeting strategy based on their answer and save yourself some time.

What systems does this CRM actually need to talk to? If it has to sync automatically with your existing ERP, PBX, or e-commerce platform, most of the cost is going towards writing those bridges. Didn't they attach an architecture diagram or a functional requirements doc to the quote?

we got a similar quote once they said they were building from scratch two years later the system crashed and we couldn't find anyone to fix it... anyway if they're building on an existing platform go for it but if it's scratch-built run for the hills.

Back in 2021, we hired a team that promised to 'code a bespoke CRM' for us. It dragged on for eight months, the budget doubled, and in the end, it took them three weeks just to add a basic Export to Excel button. We scrapped the whole thing, switched to an off-the-shelf platform, and just paid to build the necessary API connections. Most expensive lesson of our lives.

when custom work is built on top of an existing system, if we part ways with that agency down the line can another developer pick up the code and maintain it, or does everything get reset to zero?

Let me share my experience. If acceptance criteria aren't written, when the work is done is open to debate.

Good luck with that.

Exactly like that. If you don't write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

Access credentials should be opened in the company's name, not personal accounts. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

I have no experience with what does crm development mean, so I'm asking. If scope grows, either time or budget must grow. There is no third option.

Just leaving this note it might be useful.

The cheap-looking path usually ends up costing more later. The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. btw implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I felt relieved reading this answer, so it's not just me. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I feel the same way. Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down, it speeds them up.

Saved. Code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

we got stuck at the same point for a while... when makinng a decision first look at what data you have on hand.

when you try to change everythinng at once, nothing settles. btw proven by experience.