CRM modernisation: from stalled requirements to a working prototype in 10 days
An aviation organisation was preparing to modernise its legacy CRM landscape using Microsoft Power Platform. Despite substantial investment in requirements gathering, the project had not produced a working prototype. I changed the delivery approach to collaborative, prototype-driven development and delivered a functional CRM prototype within 10 days, helping restore stakeholder confidence.
- Type
- Professional · client project (anonymised)
- Period
- Apr 2024 – Jul 2024
- Role
- Senior Power Platform Consultant
- Sector
- Aviation · Netherlands
Client names and financial figures are left out. Details are limited to what can be shared.
Context
The organisation relied on an on-premises CRM system that was more than ten years old, alongside operationally critical applications that had been in use for several decades. A modernisation initiative was exploring Microsoft Power Platform as the foundation for a future cloud-based CRM solution. The project was still in its concept and proof-of-concept phase.
Problem
The initial requirements phase had consumed significant time and investment without producing a working proof of concept. Requirements were captured primarily in spreadsheets, leaving stakeholders without a functioning system against which they could validate expectations. Confidence in the project's direction had deteriorated.
Constraints
The proposed solution had to be considered within a complex legacy application landscape supporting critical aviation operations. Stakeholders needed tangible progress and a way to validate requirements, while the project also had to overcome reduced confidence following the earlier phase.
My role
As Senior Power Platform Consultant, I took responsibility for developing the initial CRM prototype and changing the practical approach to requirements validation. Working directly alongside a key business user, I combined hands-on implementation with continuous feedback and requirements documentation.
Decisions
I replaced the predominantly document-driven requirements approach with collaborative, prototype-driven development. Instead of attempting to finalise requirements before implementation, I built the application incrementally together with the key user. Requirements were documented alongside the working software, allowing assumptions to be tested immediately and functionality to be adjusted through direct feedback.
Delivery
I developed a functional CRM prototype using Microsoft Power Platform within 10 days. The development approach combined direct business-user involvement, iterative implementation and application lifecycle management through Azure DevOps. The prototype provided a tangible basis for validating requirements and discussing subsequent refinements.
Outcome
Within 10 days, the project moved from spreadsheet-based requirements to a working CRM prototype. Stakeholders could evaluate actual functionality rather than abstract specifications. The result helped rebuild confidence in the initiative and provided a concrete foundation for further development and project refinement.
IT considerations
- Stakeholder alignment
- Direct collaboration with the key user enabled immediate feedback, reduced ambiguity and connected implementation decisions to actual business needs.
- Requirements validation
- Requirements were captured alongside working functionality, making assumptions testable and allowing gaps to surface earlier.
- Delivery approach
- A prototype-driven approach prioritised demonstrable progress and continuous validation over completing an extensive specification before development.
- Scope
- The 10-day deliverable was a functional prototype, not a completed production migration. Further refinement remained necessary.