How accountancy firm Aston Shaw supported its growth with CRM

As an accountancy practice, there is a lot of client data to manage. However, business processes and systems had not evolved in line with headcount growth. In many instances, core client data remained primarily in the heads of account managers! 

This challenge was made worse by a lack of integration across the different IT systems in use. As a result, client data had to be manually copied between systems, which was inefficient and led to data inaccuracy.  

An example of this inefficiency was a simple task such as a client’s change of address. This would have to be manually entered into three different systems. 

With data being either unavailable or unreliable, it was of limited use to marketing and sales. 

Aston Shaw wanted to solve these issues and to identify further opportunities that accurate, centralized client data could bring.  

To enable this, they selected the leading UK CRM platform for mid-sized businesses, Workbooks, with the implementation carried out by the consultancy firm CRM Insights. 

The decision to use Workbooks CRM was driven, in part, by its out-of-the-box integration capabilities with the new practice management system, CCH from Wolters Kluwer. This ensured changes made in one system are automatically reflected in the other. 

An optimally configured, integrated and adopted CRM means that all client interactions can be centrally recorded. This makes it easier to manage client relationships throughout the entire life cycle. 

Driving further business opportunities is one area where Aston Shaw has seen improvement.  

The CRM has enabled those with sales responsibilities to be held to account.  

Not from the pressure of accountability, but from having client and opportunity data readily available to act upon. As a result, conversion rates have increased. 

Aston Shaw has seen benefits across a broad range of business areas. For example, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) processes were previously burdensome on both staff and clients. Now, through expert configuration and bespoke script development, Workbooks CRM is seamlessly integrated with Trust ID to automate much of the AML process.  

The resultant process is much slicker, and the client experience improved.