Overview
A programme of work modernising the CRM platform that the business runs on — improving backend performance, then extending it into an integration and automation ecosystem covering messaging, lead handling and third-party services.
Challenge
The CRM had grown alongside the business, and the cost showed up in query performance and in the amount of manual work required to move a lead through its lifecycle. Response times degraded under load, and operational processes depended on people copying information between systems. Both problems needed addressing without interrupting a platform the business used every day.
Role
Engineering and secure delivery — backend development, database optimisation, integration architecture and automation design.
Architecture
- 01
Application Layer
CRM services extended and restructured to support new business processes without fragmenting the platform.
- 02
Data Layer
Query and schema optimisation targeting the access patterns responsible for the slowest operations.
- 03
Integration Layer
A webhook and API surface connecting messaging, Google services and third-party providers to CRM records.
- 04
Automation Layer
Event-driven routines handling lead routing, notification and follow-up so routine steps run without manual intervention.
Conceptual only. No real topology, configuration or internal architecture is described.
Solution
- CRM modernisation across backend services and business processes.
- Query and database optimisation improving backend response under load.
- WhatsApp messaging integration connected to lead workflows.
- Webhook-driven automation for lead capture, routing and follow-up.
- Google services and third-party integrations bound to CRM records.
Security
- Integration endpoints validate and authenticate incoming requests.
- Third-party credentials are held server-side and never exposed to clients.
- Access to business records follows role-based restrictions.
- CRM structure, business logic and integration detail remain confidential.
Outcome
- Improved backend performance across the platform’s heaviest operations.
- Manual steps in lead handling replaced by automated workflows.
- A consistent integration surface that later work — including Andrea — could build on.
Lessons
- Most CRM performance problems are query problems wearing a costume.
- Automation earns trust by being observable — a workflow nobody can inspect will be worked around.
- An integration layer built once, properly, pays for itself with every subsequent system.