Fundamentals (Must Read)

The fundamentals of a CRM, you must read this before getting started

Introduction

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It's a strategy or system used by businesses to manage and improve their interactions with customers and potential customers.

In simple terms, imagine if you had a personal assistant who could remember every detail about all your friends - their birthdays, their likes and dislikes, the last time you talked and what you talked about, and so on. Now, imagine that instead of friends, these are all the people who buy your products or use your services. That's what a CRM does.

A CRM system keeps track of all interactions between a business and its customers, like phone calls, emails, meetings, purchases, and customer service queries. This helps the business understand its customers better, provide better service, sell more effectively, and build stronger customer relationships.

The Magic of Conversational and Modular CRM

Since 2018, we have been assisting businesses worldwide to automate their operations using our array of tools. In 2023, we brought the power of data and conversation together through our unique modular CRM approach, heralding a new era of possibilities for business automation.

Picky Assist CRM is envisioned to minimize data entry tasks for users and offers maximum automation capabilities. This allows your team to focus on the core work that matters most while we handle the repetitive tasks. Our conversational chatbots, connectors, and workflows are seamlessly integrated into the modular CRM, promising an unparalleled connected experience.

We are confident that our CRM stands apart in the global market due to its flexibility, automation, and advanced integrations. We are just at the beginning of our journey, with our innovation lab continually crafting new features and possibilities. We are excited about what the future holds and are committed to bringing you the best in CRM technology. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking solutions from Picky Assist.

Modular vs Non-Modular CRM's

There are two types of CRMs in the market, and most of them are non-modular, built specifically for certain industries like customer service, customer support, hospitality, billing systems, etc.

Picky Assist, however, is a 100% modular CRM where you can build any industry-specific use case or customize the existing pre-built modules according to your business requirements.

Below is a quick comparison showing the main differences between modular and non-modular CRMs.

	Modular CRM	Non-Modular CRM
Flexibility and Customization	High flexibility with the ability to choose and integrate only the features you need. Ideal for businesses with unique or changing needs.	Comes with a set suite of features. Some customization is possible, but it's usually not as extensive.
Cost	Generally, you pay for what you need, potentially saving money if your CRM needs are minimal. Costs increase as more modules are added.	Comes with a fixed price for the entire package. This might mean paying for some features you don't use.
Implementation and Integration	Flexibility to build a CRM that closely matches your requirements.	You have to work with the inbuild integrations and modules
Scalability	Highly scalable. You can add more modules as your business grows, making it suitable for businesses anticipating growth or changes in their CRM needs.	Scalability is often less flexible. If your business outgrows the features provided, you might need to switch to a different CRM system.

Modules

Modules are the main part of a modular CRM system. Think of them like online storage boxes where companies can keep and arrange information. You can make as many modules as you need, and you can put data into these modules from different sources.

Fields: Each module will contain several fields, such as name, email, phone number, country, etc. You can create any number of fields based on your needs and what your CRM plan supports.

Field Types: Fields can have different types to enhance productivity and filtering. When creating a field, you can choose the type that best suits your requirements. For instance, text fields for names, numerical fields for age or phone numbers, date fields for specific timelines, and so on.

Module Builder: The module builder is a feature that allows you to create a module by combining various fields as per your needs. Typically, it offers a drag-and-drop interface for ease of use.

Field Validations: Fields can be validated based on their type. For example, you might validate a text field to ensure it contains a certain minimum number of characters, or a number field to validate ages above 18.

Required Fields: Some fields can be marked as mandatory. This means the system won't allow data entry to proceed without filling in these fields. For example, you might make a phone number or email address mandatory.

Unique Fields: If a field is marked as unique, the system won't allow duplicate values in that field within the respective module. This helps maintain data integrity, for example, by preventing two contacts from having the same email address.

Read-Only Fields: Once data is entered into a read-only field, it cannot be edited by ordinary users. Only administrators or users with special privileges can alter this data. This feature helps avoid unauthorized alteration of data.

Hidden Fields: Hidden fields aren't visible to users but can still hold values. This can be useful for maintaining internal data that isn't necessary for the user to see or interact with.

System Fields: These are fields that are automatically included and managed by the CRM system itself, like the data owner, creation date, last updated date. You typically can't delete these fields, though you may be able to rename them.

Field Order: The order of fields in the module can be adjusted as needed. You can simply drag and drop fields to reorder them in a way that makes the most sense for your workflow.

Sections: If you have a large amount of data to collect, you can use sections to manage them more effectively. A section works like a group where you can map a group of related fields, helping to make the module more organized and easier to navigate. For instance, you might have a section for personal information, another for professional details, and so forth.

Pre-built & System Modules

To help businesses get started quickly, we offer pre-built templates for specific industries and use cases, such as sales, support, and meetings. Businesses can customize these pre-built modules or create new modules based on their unique requirements.

System Modules & Fields

Besides the pre-built modules, there are also system modules and fields. These can't be deleted, but you can change the field name or module name to localize it to your preferred language. Some examples of system modules are "Tags," "Notes," "Activities," etc., while system fields might include "Created Date" and "Modified Date," among others.

Records in the Modules

Records are stored in modules against their respective data fields. You can think of data fields like columns in an Excel sheet, with each module having multiple data fields. When combined, these multiple data fields create a new row in the module.

Users

Users, also known as agents, are your organization's internal employees responsible for managing the CRM. These might include executives and managers.

Record Owner

Each record in a module has an owner, typically the user who created that specific record.

Roles & Permissions

To access the module, users need permissions that must be assigned to them. Here are the different types of permissions:

• Write: Full permission, able to read and write data into the CRM modules.

• Read: Able to only read the data, without the ability to make any changes.

• Delete: Able to delete the records.

• Public Write: Able to view and edit the records owned by other users.

• Public Read: Able to view records owned by other users but not able to edit them.

• Export: Able to export details from the CRM in CSV format.

• Import: Able to bulk import data into the CRM from other sources.

• Edit Read Only: Ability to edit fields marked as read-only.

Relationship between Modules

This is a core part of a CRM. Each module can be linked to others as per your business requirements. Pre-built modules are usually linked to a 'Contact' module, allowing you to easily track associated data from another module. For example, if you have 'Meetings,' 'Notes,' 'Leads,' 'Deals,' and 'Companies' as modules, you can link the 'Contact' module with all these modules for easy tracking.

To create a relationship between modules, you need to add a 'Lookup' field while creating your module. This helps you select a record from any module when creating a new record in another module.

Record Management and Traceability Features

Each record in a module has a unique record ID. There are various tools to help manage and understand these records:

• Tags: You can add one or many tags to each record. This helps in easily finding, sorting, and segregating records.

• Notes: You can add comments against each record, which helps in maintaining and understanding the context or status of a record.

• Timeline: The timeline displays a historical view of the record, showing what changes were made and who made them. This helps in understanding the evolution and changes of a record over time.

Data View

Data stored in each module can be visually organized and displayed in two formats: Table View and Kanban View. These views can be customized using filters for a clearer visibility of data.

• Table View: This is the default view where records are displayed in a tabular format similar to an Excel sheet. You can quickly edit the records in this view. It's possible to create different data views with custom filters like "Today's Leads", "This Month's Leads", or "Leads closing this month".

• Kanban View: This view helps you to visualize and organize data according to the statuses of each data field in the records. For instance, you can create a Kanban view that shows the order status like "New Order", "Preparing for Shipping", "Shipped", and "Delivered". You can create any number of custom views.

Filters: Besides different saved data views, it's possible to apply a temporary filter over the existing data view to quickly filter something. This filter will reset back to the default data view when you refresh the page.

Multi-Tasking with Resizable Window

When you select a record, you can view the detailed information within the same screen via a side pop-up. This allows you to quickly access information without having to navigate back and forth, saving you time. Additionally, you can resize the window by dragging it horizontally or vertically to fit different screen sizes and orientations. This way, you can customize the layout to suit your work style and preferences.

Full-Text Searching

You can search the entire module by inputting any possible value in the text record. This full-text search feature allows you to quickly find specific information.

Mass Actions

Mass actions allow you to update records in bulk. For instance, if you want to filter leads that have been inactive for the last 6 months and assign them to a team member for follow-ups, you can do so by selecting the records and then simply updating them using the mass action feature. Please note, if you select more than 2000 records for mass action, the system will queue this process, which may take some time to complete.

Workflow

This is a powerful feature in the Picky Assist modular CRM that allows you to automate different processes whenever a specific event happens in the records. Workflow can be triggered based on the following conditions:

• On Create: Triggered whenever a new record is created.

• On Create / Update: Triggered whenever a record is created or edited.

• On Update: Triggered whenever a record is updated or changed.

• On Delete: Triggered whenever a record is deleted.

Here are a few practical examples:

1. If a lead status changes to "Proposal Sent", the system can automatically send the proposal via email and WhatsApp.

2. When a new record is added, the user can be added to a drip campaign or even added to a custom audience list on Facebook or Google for retargeting.

3. If a new record is added but certain fields are missing, the user can be routed to a chatbot that automatically collects the missing information and updates it back to the CRM.

4. When the booking status changes from "New Order" to "Delivered", the system can wait for 2 days, then ask for feedback via a WhatsApp chatbot and save the feedback to the respective order details. This allows you to view the feedback right against each order.

Few use case wise examples

1. Inactive Leads Follow-up: If a lead has been inactive for a specific period, say, 30 days, an automated workflow can trigger a reminder for the sales team to follow up with the lead.

2. New Customer Onboarding: When a new customer record is created, an automated workflow can send a welcome email and useful onboarding resources to help the customer get started.

3. Renewal Reminders: If your business involves subscriptions or renewals, you can set a workflow to automatically send out renewal reminders a month (or any other timeframe) before the renewal date.

4. Upselling Opportunities: If a customer has purchased a specific product or service, an automated workflow could trigger an upselling email offering related products or premium versions.

5. Customer Service Satisfaction: After a customer service interaction is marked as resolved in the CRM, an automated workflow could send a satisfaction survey to the customer to rate their experience.

6. Data Cleaning: If duplicate records are created or if certain important fields in a record are empty, an automated workflow can notify the responsible team to review and clean the data.

Recycle Bin & Data Restoration

Whenever you delete a record or an entire module, we move it to the Recycle Bin. You then have the option to restore it within 30 days.

Please be aware that there is also an option to permanently delete data. If this option is checked during deletion, the data will not be moved to the Recycle Bin.

Powerful No Code Integrations

When it comes to integrations, Picky Assist shines brightly with its inbuilt Connector. This visual, no-code feature enables data to be seamlessly pulled and pushed from any third-party software, making integrations simpler and more effective. Developers can save significant time by utilizing our Connector instead of building something from scratch.

Our Connector supports a variety of operations, enabling users to add, search, update, and delete records with ease. You can even schedule periodic data syncs using our existing Scheduler feature, keeping your CRM data up-to-date and accurate.

API vs Connector:

We believe that building an integration should be as straightforward as possible. That's why we created our no-code Connector, a powerful tool that allows you to create a webhook link and trigger HTTP requests. With our Connector, you can utilize features like Filters, Smart Delay, Formatter, Iterator, Scheduler, and more, all without writing a single line of code or needing to host the application on your server.

This innovation gives developers more power to build stunning solutions on top of Picky Assist products at a record-breaking turnaround time for your customers. We're not just offering a product; we're providing an efficient and flexible platform for you to build upon and create tailored solutions for your business needs. With Picky Assist, the possibilities are endless.

Advantages of using Picky Assist's Connector over traditional API and webhook setup:

1. Ease of Use: With its no-code platform, the Connector allows you to integrate third-party services without writing a single line of code. This lowers the barrier to entry, allowing non-technical users to take advantage of powerful integrations.

2. Time-Saving: Setting up a traditional API or webhook involves a significant amount of development time. With the Connector, this process is greatly reduced, allowing you to implement and test integrations quickly.

3. Versatility: The Connector supports a variety of operations including adding, searching, updating, and deleting records. This versatility is not always available or easy to implement with traditional APIs or webhooks.

4. Advanced Features: The Connector offers advanced features such as Filters, Smart Delay, Formatter, Iterator, and Scheduler. These features can streamline the data management process, something not always possible with traditional API or webhook setups.

5. No Server Hosting: Unlike traditional API and webhook setups, the Connector eliminates the need for server hosting. This can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of your integrations.

6. Automatic Sync: The Connector, in combination with the Scheduler, enables automatic syncing of data at regular intervals. Traditional setups often require manual syncing or complex code to achieve this.

7. Reduced Errors: Manual code has a higher risk of errors. Since the Connector is a no-code platform, the risk of coding errors is greatly reduced.

8. Faster Turnaround: With the simplicity and power of the Connector, you can achieve faster turnaround times in creating and deploying integration solutions, improving efficiency and productivity.

Revolutionizing Automation with the Mini App Builder

Picky Assist's Mini App Builder is an innovative tool designed to empower both developers and non-technical users alike. It allows you to create powerful, one-click automation systems that significantly streamline complex tasks, saving you time and effort.

The magic of the Mini App Builder lies in its ability to consolidate numerous backend operations into one simple action. Imagine you're running a business, and you need to create a new customer profile, register a company, and generate an invoice, all at once. With conventional CRM systems, this would entail opening multiple modules and filling out numerous forms - a time-consuming process.

With the Mini App Builder, however, you can build a single form that collects all the necessary information, and then, using the power of Picky Assist's Connector, distribute this data to the appropriate modules. In just one click, you've accomplished three tasks.

But it doesn't stop there. The Mini App Builder also integrates with Picky Assist's Workflow and Chatbot systems, enabling you to initiate multiple automated processes based on the information inputted into your form. For instance, once a new customer profile is created, an automated workflow could trigger a personalized welcome email or a chatbot could start an engagement conversation, all without any manual intervention.

Picky Assist's Mini App Builder revolutionizes the way businesses operate by minimizing manual data entry and maximizing automation. It allows businesses to focus on what they do best while Picky Assist takes care of the rest. And this is just the tip of the iceberg; with continual innovations being crafted in our lab, there's no limit to what you can achieve with Picky Assist.