The Executive CRM Inheritance Scorecard


Assessment: Is your CRM an asset or a liability?

Instructions: Rate your current confidence in each category from 1 (Non-existent) to 5 (Rock Solid).

1. Strategic Alignment (The "Revenue Engine" Test)

Does the system map to your current growth strategy, or a version of the company that no longer exists?

  • Stage-Gate Integrity: Do "Closed Won" definitions match the actual contract signature? Or is there a "verbal" stage inflating your forecast?

  • Lead-to-Revenue Velocity: Can you pull a report right now showing the average days from "First Touch" to "SQL"?

  • Segment Visibility: Can the CRM distinguish between your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and the "noise"?

Category Score: ___ / 15

2. Ownership & Accountability

CRMs don’t break; people break them. Who is responsible for the "Why" behind the data?

  • The Strategic Admin: Is your Salesforce lead a strategic partner who understands your P&L, or a "ticket-taker" who just adds fields on request?

  • The Tribal Knowledge Gap: If your lead RevOps person left tomorrow, would the reporting logic and "secret sauce" leave with them?

  • Change Control: Is there a formal process for governance? If everyone can add a field, no one can trust the data.

Category Score: ___ / 15

3. The "Shadow" Economy

The presence of spreadsheets is the #1 indicator of CRM failure.

  • The Spreadsheet Audit: Do your top AEs track "hot leads" in Excel or notebooks? If so, the CRM is seen as a tax, not a tool.

  • The "Duct Tape" Check: Are there more than 5 "zombie" workflows or old integrations that no one is quite sure what they do?

  • System of Engagement: Does your team work in Salesforce daily, or do they visit it once a week just to "update the boss"?

Category Score: ___ / 15

4. Architecture & Scale

Will this setup survive a 2x increase in lead volume or a 50% increase in headcount?

  • Tech Debt Assessment: Are there "Custom Objects" doing things that standard Salesforce functionality should handle?

  • Integration Latency: Is data from your marketing stack (HubSpot/Marketo) syncing in real-time, or is there a "sync error" graveyard?

  • The Executive Lens: Can you get a clear picture of territory health from a mobile device or a single dashboard without a manual "data cleanup" phase?

Category Score: ___ / 15

Your Results: Interpreting the Debt

Add up your scores from the four sections above to find your CRM Health Grade.

  • 50 - 60: Optimized Asset. Your system is a competitive advantage. You have high trust and should focus on incremental automation and AI-driven insights.

  • 35 - 49: Functional but Fragile. There are cracks in the foundation. You have enough data to move, but a high risk of "data drift" during your next push for growth.

  • Below 35: Critical Technical Debt. You haven't just inherited a CRM; you've inherited a liability. The system is likely obscuring the truth rather than revealing it. Immediate intervention is required before setting new KPIs.

The Walden Edge Perspective

If your score landed in the Fragile or Critical zones, don't rush to buy a new tool or hire more admins. You need clarity before you need capacity.

Before you make a move, we recommend a Reset & Restore Audit. We look past the fields and into the flow of your business to ensure your system actually fuels your 90-day plan.

Contact Walden Edge