CRM requirements template

What you get

• A persona inventory so every role that touches the CRM is interviewed, including finance and CS
• A process-step requirements table with MoSCoW priority, rationale, and source
• A traceability column that maps each requirement to its RFP requirement ID
• Interview prompts that get people to describe work, not wish for features
• A sign-off checklist so the requirements are frozen before vendor contact

Who it's for

• •RevOps leads preparing a CRM selection or replacement
• •Sales, CS, and marketing ops owners asked to state what they need
• •IT and procurement partners who need a requirements baseline before an RFP

What's inside

1. 1

   Persona inventory

   6 columns, 5 worked example rows

2. 2

   Requirements by process step

   8 columns, 6 worked example rows

3. 3

   Interview prompts

   8-point checklist

4. 4

   Scope and constraints

   6 fields to complete

5. 5

   Change log

   6 columns, 1 worked example rows

6. 6

   Sign-off before vendor contact

   8-point checklist

7. 7

   Why requirements written after demos fail

   Guidance notes

The preview shows part of section 1. The full template has all 7 sections (6 not previewed here), with blank rows ready to fill in. Download the full template

How to use it

1. 1

   Interview by persona before you open a vendor website

   List every role that creates, reads, or reports on CRM data and interview at least two people per role. Ask them to walk through last week's work on screen. What they actually do is a better source of requirements than what they say they want.

2. 2

   Write each requirement against a process step

   Every requirement sits under a step such as 'inbound lead routed' or 'renewal opportunity created'. A requirement with no process step is usually a feature someone saw in a demo. Park it until someone can name the step it serves.

3. 3

   Ration the Musts

   A Must is something whose absence ends the evaluation. If more than about a fifth of the list is Must, go back through it with the executive sponsor and demote until the Must column means something. Won't items stay on the list so nobody reopens them later.

4. 4

   Assign RFP IDs before the RFP is drafted

   Give each Must and Should an ID (LM-01, FC-02) and copy it into the RFP requirements table unchanged. When a vendor answers FC-02, you can trace the answer back to the persona and process that asked for it.

5. 5

   Freeze the list, then contact vendors

   Get sign-off from each persona owner and the sponsor. Changes after vendor contact go through a change log with a reason, so the list does not drift toward whichever vendor demoed last.

Frequently asked questions