121 CRM working template · Contact-import checklist

Contact-import checklist: structure the work before configuring it.

Prepare, sample and reconcile a controlled contact import. This template provides a compact working structure, prompts for the information that matters and shows how Northstar Joinery might complete it. It is guidance, not proof of legal, commercial or operational sufficiency.

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Customer Thread

Contact-import checklist at a glance

Illustrative example

Source and row count
State the fact or decision in plain English.
Field and consent checks
Add enough evidence for another person to understand the record.
Sample result
Add enough evidence for another person to understand the record.
Reconciliation and approval
Name who checks it and what happens next.
Human decision

Fictional completed example for Northstar Joinery, a six-person joinery business.

Fictional completed extract

See the contact-import 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

Import and export

Moves supported records through structured files, with mapping and validation needed before relying on the result.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Supports controlled migration and operational extracts when the data is prepared and reconciled.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review. Bulk migration requires mapping and reconciliation; do not treat a completed import as proof of accuracy or reversibility.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

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

Duplicate management

Uses account rules and review steps to reduce or resolve repeated contact records.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Keeps teams from following up with the same person through conflicting records.
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 04

Custom fields

Adds structured fields to supported record types so a business can capture information it actually needs.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Replaces important notes and spreadsheet columns with searchable, reusable data.
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.

How to use it

Complete the contact-import 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 contact-import 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 contact-import checklist

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

1. Source and row count

Describe source and row count 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. Field and consent checks

Describe field and consent checks 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. Sample result

Describe sample result 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. Reconciliation and approval

Describe reconciliation and approval 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 Northstar Joinery

Northstar Joinery 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.

Source and row count

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.

Field and consent checks

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

Sample result

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

Reconciliation and approval

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 contact-import 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 contact-import 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 contact-import 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 contact-import 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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