CRM’s the largest software market in the world and has continued to grow exponentially since the Covid pandemic.
The global CRM market was worth $79.6 billion in 2025 and is expected to hit $161.3 billion by 2033. That’s more than doubling in less than a decade! With AI, automation and analytics driving the next wave of CRM innovation, it seems everyone wants a piece of the CRM pie. 🍰
But moving from one CRM to another isn’t a weekend project. It’s a huge investment of time, money, and internal goodwill, and it touches every team that relies on customer data, sales, marketing, service, and leadership reporting all sit on top of it.
Think About Your Company’s Roadmap
There’s absolutely no sense in short-term problem solving when it comes to software migration. Particularly for start-ups and small businesses – if you know you’re going to grow and need additional firepower, then plan ahead. Because we can’t stress this enough; data migration is a huge job. The last thing your company needs during a period of growth is a lengthy migration process that will massively impact the business.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to go all in and commit yourself to the most advanced package Salesforce has to offer on the assumption you’ll grow into a £1 billion business in a few years. But you will need to balance your current needs versus your future needs as you grow and find a platform that will grow with you.
Our advice is to start with the smallest package and upgrade as you move upwards. Plus, it’s easier to test features on an ad-hoc basis, than being locked into a long-term high-spec contract that you’re desperate to downgrade because you’re not using it.
Involve All Departments
As we said, data migration affects the entire business. You just might not realise how many departments it’ll impact until you start talking to them. So get everyone in a room together and involve as many people as possible in the initial planning stages.
One of the key teams at both these meetings needs to be the developers. Without them, you’ll have no idea what data you need and how quickly you can get it flowing once the new system is in place. They’ll also be able to give you an idea of the project scale and the timeframe on the migration process.
Once you’ve got an idea of the platform you want and what it needs to do, get everyone back in a room together again before signing any contract. Double Triple check this software is going to meet the entire company’s needs. Because once you’ve made the switch, you can’t go back.
The Software Isn’t What You Expect
Here’s a familiar scenario. A sales agent runs through the full functionality of a CRM system in a platform demo and you come out mesmerised by the possibilities for your company. It can do everything you need and more. It’s a no brainer. You sign the contract. Problem solved right?
But once the platform’s installed, you realise the system needs configuring and personalising to meet your requirements. And it turns out you don’t have the technical resource or knowledge internally to do this. That’s ok, though, the software company can provide you with all the help you need to get you going. Just at a very expensive hourly rate, of course.
Speak to a CRM Agency
We work with businesses at every stage of CRM migration – from initial platform selection through to data mapping, integration rebuilding, testing, and post-launch support. Our insourced model means we embed directly into your team rather than working at arm’s length. You get senior CRM expertise working alongside you in real time, inside your existing workflows – not a deliverable that arrives weeks later with limited context.
We’re certified across Salesforce, HubSpot, Dotdigital, Customer.io, Iterable, and other leading platforms. And because we’re not tied to reselling any single platform, our advice is always about what’s genuinely right for your business.
We’re a CRM agency, which means we live and breathe all things operational and technical in the CRM sphere for B2B and B2C businesses worldwide. Software migration is just one of the many CRM services we offer our partners, and we’ve successfully helped businesses choose and migrate to their new software provider.
Come say hello and find out how we can help your CRM migration today.
Frequently Asked Questions – CRM Migration
How much does a CRM migration typically cost?
CRM migration costs vary significantly depending on data volume, the number of integrations, platform complexity, and whether you need specialist support. A small business migration might be a contained project; an enterprise-level CRM platform migration is a more substantial investment. The more important question is the cost of getting it wrong – poor migrations lead to data loss, broken automations, and disrupted customer journeys that cost far more to fix.
Can we migrate our CRM without disrupting live campaigns?
Yes – with the right planning. A phased migration approach, combined with a parallel running period where both systems remain active, allows you to keep campaigns running while the new platform is validated. The key is detailed pre-migration testing and a clear cutover plan, so nothing falls through the gaps when you make the switch.
Do we need a CRM migration specialist, or can we handle it internally?
Many businesses try to manage CRM migrations internally, only to run into problems they could have avoided. If your team has deep CRM expertise, clean data and enough dedicated time, you can manage the migration in-house.
For most businesses, though, the complexity and risk make specialist CRM migration support a smart investment. When you factor in the potential disruption to sales, marketing and customer operations, getting expert support can save you far more than it costs.
