Case Study: The CRM Implementation That Never Launched

Project Overview

Company: Apex Insurance Group
Project: Implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
Budget: $850,000
Timeline: 9 months
Team: Internal IT department + external CRM vendor + sales and support reps
Goal: Replace the legacy system with a cloud-based CRM to improve customer tracking, data analytics, and cross-team communication.

What Happened?

Month 1-3:

• Kickoff went well. The external vendor hosted discovery sessions. The executive sponsor was involved early.

• Internal teams, especially Sales and Customer Support, were promised a system that “makes their jobs easier.”

Month 4-6:

• Requirements gathering turned chaotic. The sales team expected advanced reporting and mobile access. Customer support wanted better ticketing and a chatbot integration.

• The IT team pushed back, citing budget and integration limits.

• The vendor requested clearer specs. None were finalized.

• Leadership began stepping back as tension rose.