It’s a bit like building a house: you can go full on DIY, hire a contractor, or choose a prefabricated model. Each choice comes with its own pros and cons, largely on some key factors that are unique to your situation.
The reality is, you can only pick the right path with a reasonable level of confidence by assessing the fit along these 8 factors.
Factors in deciding how to manage your CiviCRM implementation
- Control: How much control do you need over your CiviCRM instance? More control means maximum flexibility and customization but more responsibility. A basic rule is if you have more skills then more control is warranted.
- Curiosity & Patience: Are you eager to learn the ins and outs of CiviCRM, develop in-house know-how or are you only in search of an outcome? How much time do you have and what’s your opportunity costs? If you intrinsically enjoy the process of learning and already are a techie of sorts, then this is you. And it won’t be a path of instant gratification; it is a slow burn that requires patience and making mistakes along the way.
- Technical Skills: Do you or your team have the necessary technical skills to handle setup and troubleshooting? Can you get past blockers as they come up?
- One-Time Budget: One time costs (OTC) can vary if you go with DIY, seek expert help or use an off the shelf SaaS. How much value will you get out of leveraging CRM so you can budget accordingly?
- Annual Recurring Budget: What about the long-term, annual recurring costs(ARC)? It’s important to factor those in for sustainability. One of the larger selling points of CiviCRM is the ability to own and drive down ARC over time as you gain in house expertise. One time costs can vary greatly on if you DIY, seek expert help or use an off the shelf SaaS.
- Risk-Level: What’s your level of risk tolerance and complexity of the project? Is this a project with a time-sensitive deadline? How many unknowns might there be and how can you minimize potential risks during implementation? Can you visually chart a path or is it unclear how to best approach it?
- Speed of Project: How quickly do you need this system up and running? What’s the cost of it being delayed after your intended go-live date?
- Ongoing Support: What kind of support will you need after implementation? Are you wanting to continue to gain in house expertise or are you wanting an extra pair of hands to outsource some aspects of managing your CRM?
So, here’s some homework for you. Take each of these factors and plot them on a scale of 1 (very low) to 5 (very high) in relation to you and your organization self-assessment.
With that in hand, these can be weighted against 4 primary modes of getting started.
The 4 modes of a CiviCRM implementation
- DIY: You’re in charge! And responsible for all the things. This mode offers full control and the opportunity to learn but requires technical know-how and considerable time.
- CiviCRM Spark: An easy to start subscription-based service that allows you to test drive CiviCRM without any technical knowledge. Great starter option for organizations that require only minimal customization.
- Partner-Led: Collaborate with a partner who leads the implementation and has probably seen you’re use case before. This mode provides expertise and ensures a smooth process for the most flexible system to fit your needs closely. Minimize mistakes and avoid a poorly planned project.
- SaaS: A Software-as-a-Service solution handles hosting, maintenance on a subscription fee basis. The system will come with rigid assumptions built in for how things work. It’s generally quicker to get going.
Here’s the deal:
All of these options exist because they serve distinct customer bases. No one is absolutely right; it’s just about having the right fit.