Paying for features you don’t use? Moving data between tools? Working around a CRM that doesn’t fit? We build around your workflow. If your current subscription CRM creates friction, discovery can test whether a commissioned custom CRM is a better fit, with scope, ownership and ongoing responsibilities made clear.
Stack tax is editorial shorthand, not a literal tax or a promise that a build eliminates every cost. It describes the extra subscriptions, integrations, duplicate records and upkeep that can appear when pipeline, delivery, invoices, forms, chat and email are split across tools. Seat maths can affect growth, processes can mismatch the business, integrations need care, and renewal or exit decisions can require attention. These are possible trade-offs, not a claim that every vendor or setup fails.
A custom CRM gives each stage one deliberate operating model: enquiry, scoped work, proposal, approval, invoice and renewal. Staff login and client portal can sit on the same spine. Native capabilities and supported integrations may cover payments, accounting, email and webhooks, subject to scope, available APIs and the external services or vendor fees involved. Plugins or implementation support may also be appropriate where they fit the agreed design. One database does not remove every dependency, but it can make ownership and data flow much clearer.
The right fit can be a small team, a growing organisation or a large operation with a clearly bounded first release. Capacity is scoped, tested and agreed for the proposed build. We do not promise an untested user count. Discovery makes the decisions explicit: which stages matter, which data is authoritative, what must be auditable, what clients can see and where a person must approve an automated action.
AI automation can be useful inside that structure, but it is not the product promise. We look for bounded jobs such as classifying an enquiry, preparing a brief, summarising a client update or prompting a team member when a hand-off is overdue. We define the source data, permissions, approval point and failure behaviour first. A human remains responsible for decisions that carry commercial, legal or client risk.
Migration is treated as an operational change, not a spreadsheet import. We map fields, duplicates, statuses, relationships and historical records; agree what comes across; test an initial sample; and validate totals and ownership before a wider cutover. A rollback path is planned before migration begins, with a decision point for returning to the previous process if an agreed check fails. The exact method depends on the source systems, data quality, access and the downtime the business can accept.
Ownership of the commissioned codebase and configuration assigned to you is set out in the SOW, subject to the ownership schedule, third-party licences, open-source obligations, pre-existing components and provider terms. Hosting, data residency, backups, support and access controls are agreed for the chosen environment. Integrations are scoped with documented data flows, but external services and vendor fees can still apply.
We begin with paid CRM discovery. Bring the people who sell, deliver, bill and support clients, plus a screenshot of the current stack and the three workflows that break today. We will tell you what looks worth building, what should stay simple and what needs a separate decision. You receive a practical scope and commercial proposal before a full build starts.
| Commissioned custom CRM | Subscription CRM options | |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial model | Scoped build under an agreed SOW, with ongoing hosting and care agreed separately | Pricing and access vary by plan, configuration and contract |
| Connected work | Capabilities and integrations selected for your workflow, subject to scope and available APIs | Native capabilities, integrations and plugins vary by plan, configuration and contract |
| Getting started | Paid discovery, then an agreed build scope | Configuration or implementation support, depending on the plan and needs |
| Exit and ownership | Commissioned code ownership set out in the SOW | Data export, access and exit terms vary by platform and contract |
Indicative range $1,800-$3,600 ex GST. Map how you sell and deliver, decide what belongs in the CRM and lock scope before build.
A site + CRM build starts from under $10,000 ex GST, subject to scope. A full vertically integrated operations CRM receives a custom SOW after discovery.
CRM hosting, updates, ordinary fixes and support. CRM hosting and care is quoted above basic site care.
We map the current stack, broken workflows, stakeholders, data and outcomes, then decide what belongs in the CRM.
We turn discovery into a statement of work with scope, assumptions, acceptance criteria, ownership and commercial terms.
We build the agreed pipeline, delivery, billing, portal and automation capabilities in tested increments.
We map and validate the records that matter, rehearse the migration and agree the cutover and rollback decision.
We support the agreed launch window, resolve ordinary defects and help the team settle into the new operating flow.
We host and maintain the CRM under a monthly care scope, with future improvements agreed as separate work where needed.
It may warrant consideration when your workflow crosses sales, delivery, billing and client service in a way your current subscription CRM configuration does not support well, when teams rely on workarounds, or when changing your process carries a measurable cost. Discovery should test that case against your current plan, configuration, contract and operating needs rather than assume a custom build is automatically better.
Paid discovery starts from $1,800, with an indicative $1,800-$3,600 ex GST range. A site + CRM build starts from under $10,000 ex GST, subject to scope. A full vertically integrated operations CRM receives a custom SOW after discovery, and CRM hosting plus care is quoted monthly.
Often, subject to export access, data quality and the source system. We map records and relationships, test a sample, validate the result and agree a rollback decision before a wider cutover. We will call out records that need cleaning or cannot be migrated reliably.
The SOW sets out ownership of the commissioned code and configuration delivered for you, along with any exceptions. Third-party services, licences, open-source components and pre-existing IP remain subject to their own terms. We make that boundary explicit before build work begins.
We agree the hosting environment, data residency, backup approach, access model and operational responsibilities during discovery. The answer depends on your requirements and selected providers, so we do not promise a location or residency outcome before that decision is made.
We assess each native integration during discovery, including available APIs, authentication, data ownership, rate limits and failure handling. Supported integrations remain subject to scope, external services and vendor fees. We use scoped access and document the flow, but no integration can be described as absolutely secure without considering the connected provider and your operating controls.
There is no per-user TPR licence charge for the commissioned CRM under the agreed SOW. Capacity is designed, scoped and tested for how you work. Hosting, support, capacity, vendor and external service fees still apply where relevant.
The contract separates commissioned code you own from third-party licences, open-source obligations, pre-existing components and provider terms. External services can carry their own usage or hosting fees, which are identified during discovery.
No. Book CRM discovery if you are still testing the case. The purpose is to understand your workflow, compare practical options and give you a proposed scope. You can decide whether to proceed once the discovery and SOW are clear.