121 CRM working template · Communication-consent checklist

Communication-consent checklist: structure the work before configuring it.

Check permission and channel before customer contact. This template provides a compact working structure, prompts for the information that matters and shows how Harbour Learning might complete it. It is guidance, not proof of legal, commercial or operational sufficiency.

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Customer Thread

Communication-consent checklist at a glance

Illustrative example

Purpose and audience
State the fact or decision in plain English.
Channel and evidence
Add enough evidence for another person to understand the record.
Opt-out handling
Add enough evidence for another person to understand the record.
Owner and review
Name who checks it and what happens next.
Human decision

Fictional completed example for Harbour Learning, an independent training provider.

Fictional completed extract

See the communication-consent checklist in use

The interface illustrates a working decision record, with ownership and review visible.

121 CRM · Control responsibilities

Control questionOwnerNext check

Who can export customer data?CustomerConfirm

Who changes workflow permissions?Agreed scopeRecord

What happens at account closure?SharedDefine

Which suppliers process data?SharedCheck

Illustrative exampleIllustrative governance pattern. It does not assert that a specific technical control or certification is in place.

Inside the working system

See what each part contributes.

The CRM is easier to plan when contacts, conversations, work, access and automation are treated as separate capabilities with clear responsibilities.

Capability 01

Messaging and calling compliance

Requires number verification, applicable registrations, consent, sender identity and opt-out handling for each channel and region.

How it works: Handles an eligible customer interaction through a configured inbox, number or connected channel.
Why use it: Makes channel setup a governed operational task rather than just a technical connection.
Plan for: Delivery, message types, geographic coverage, approval and charges vary by channel and provider.
Your team owns: A person must own sensitive conversations, failed delivery and any situation outside the approved script.

Capability 02

Contacts

Stores a person or lead with contact details, activity, ownership and related records.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Gives a team one place to understand who a customer is and what has happened.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

Capability 03

Conditions and branches

Routes a record through different configured steps when relevant data or events differ.

How it works: Runs an ordered sequence only after its configured trigger and conditions are met.
Why use it: Lets one process handle common variations without pretending every customer is the same.
Plan for: Automation follows its configuration; it cannot repair poor data, unclear rules or an unavailable external service.
Your team owns: A process owner must approve, test, monitor and pause or correct faulty automation.

Capability 04

Conversations inbox

Brings supported connected message threads into a shared operational inbox.

How it works: Handles an eligible customer interaction through a configured inbox, number or connected channel.
Why use it: Helps a team see the customer history and coordinate replies from one working view.
Plan for: Delivery, message types, geographic coverage, approval and charges vary by channel and provider.
Your team owns: A person must own sensitive conversations, failed delivery and any situation outside the approved script.

How to use it

Complete the communication-consent checklist in a short working session

Bring the people who understand the source work and the people who will own the result. Complete the first version with evidence to hand, then test it rather than polishing it in isolation.

Set a narrow scope

Name the process, team, data population and decision covered by this communication-consent checklist. Create another record when the owner, purpose or risk is materially different.

Use observable wording

Write facts, rules and expected results that another person can inspect. Replace words such as “quick”, “complete” or “automatic” with a time, population, event or named responsibility.

Human review point

Record uncertainty

Mark missing evidence and unresolved decisions openly. Do not turn an unknown entitlement, data condition or approval into a positive answer simply to complete the sheet.

Fields to complete

The four parts of this communication-consent checklist

The prompts are deliberately small. Add a field only when it changes configuration, testing, ownership or a later decision.

1. Purpose and audience

Describe purpose and audience for the exact scope being reviewed. Include the source of the information, the person responsible for keeping it current and the evidence that would show the entry is wrong or incomplete.

2. Channel and evidence

Describe channel and evidence for the exact scope being reviewed. Include the source of the information, the person responsible for keeping it current and the evidence that would show the entry is wrong or incomplete.

3. Opt-out handling

Describe opt-out handling for the exact scope being reviewed. Include the source of the information, the person responsible for keeping it current and the evidence that would show the entry is wrong or incomplete.

4. Owner and review

Describe owner and review for the exact scope being reviewed. Include the source of the information, the person responsible for keeping it current and the evidence that would show the entry is wrong or incomplete.

From record to action

Check the handover before approval

A second view shows how the recorded decision should connect to testing, exceptions and accountable human review.

121 CRM · Connected operations

Book discovery

October · illustrative availability

MTWTFSS1234567891011121314

11:3014:00

Appointment sequence

Booked

Calendar entry created

1 day before

Reminder scheduled

Exception

Owner reviews a reply

Journey summary

New

Illustrative

Owned

Illustrative

Due

Illustrative

Website

Referral

Direct

Illustrative exampleAll dates, counts and workflow states are fictional. Availability and behaviour depend on the agreed setup.

Fictional example

A completed extract for Harbour Learning

Harbour Learning uses the template for one bounded CRM change. The example is intentionally modest: it shows the quality of a useful entry without suggesting a universal answer.

Purpose and audience

The team wants one agreed record and owner for website enquiries received during working hours. Success means each valid enquiry has a source, owner and dated next action.

Channel and evidence

Amina owns the working definition; Sam covers absence. The office team can edit the record, while managers can review exceptions and results.

Opt-out handling

The team tests five ordinary examples plus a duplicate, an opt-out, missing information and an unassigned record. Every mismatch is logged for correction.

Owner and review

A person reviews the result after two weeks. Activation or wider use proceeds only if the sample reconciles and staff can handle exceptions without a private workaround.

Review before use

Treat the template as a decision record, not a certificate

A completed worksheet helps people inspect their reasoning. It does not itself establish compliance, product availability or a successful implementation.

Check the evidence

Ask whether every important statement has an identifiable source and whether that source covers the current scope. Recheck vendor capability and account configuration separately.

Test the handover

Give the record to someone who did not write it. If they cannot explain the owner, rule, exception and next action, revise the wording before relying on it.

Set a review trigger

Review after a failed test, material process change, supplier change, new channel, altered responsibility or evidence that staff are bypassing the agreed method.

Questions about this page

Useful answers, without the sales fog.

1. Can we use this communication-consent checklist without changing it?

Use the structure as a starting point, but adapt the scope, fields, evidence and approvals to the real process. Delete prompts that do not affect a decision and add only those you can maintain.

2. Is the communication-consent checklist a legal or compliance template?

No. It is an operational planning aid. Obtain appropriate professional advice where the work involves legal, regulatory, contractual, clinical or other specialist obligations.

3. Does completing the communication-consent checklist confirm a 121 CRM entitlement?

No. Product features and account availability must be checked against the live configuration and agreed commercial scope before implementation.

4. Who should approve the completed communication-consent checklist?

The person accountable for the affected process should review it with the people responsible for data, configuration, customer communication and exception handling.

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