How to configure mandatory CRM fields to enhance marketing, sales, and business processes (especially in manufacturing)
Have you ever received a quote addressed to the wrong person, or worse, with the company name in ALL CAPS, or missing a phone number?
In 2024, over 40% of B2B companies report poor data quality in their CRM systems (source: Forrester).
One major culprit? The lack of well‑structured mandatory fields.
An unregulated CRM is like an assembly line without standards: chaotic, slow, and ineffective.
What are mandatory fields (and why do they matter?)
Mandatory CRM fields are essential pieces of information required when creating or updating a lead, contact, or company record.
They serve as a quality checkpoint, ensuring consistency across departments.
For manufacturing companies, a CRM with strategically designed mandatory fields means:
- More precise sales briefs;
- Faster generation of automated quotes;
- Improved production forecasting;
- Streamlined commercial and technical workflow automation.
Example use case: mandatory CRM fields in a B2B manufacturing firm
Imagine a company that manufactures industrial components. Sales representatives enter leads from trade fairs and online inquiries; but often, key data are missing:
- Industry sector
- Operational location
- Product interest
As a result: poor marketing segmentation, incorrect first contacts, delayed quotes, and ultimately, lost customers.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all list, here are the core fields any B2B business should consider making mandatory:
Company Fields:
- Company legal name;
- Industry sector;
- Company size (e.g., number of employees);
- Headquarters location.
Contact Fields:
- First and last name;
- Job title/role (e.g., Purchasing Manager, Production Manager);
- Company email address;
- Direct phone number;
- Preferred communication language.
Opportunity Fields:
- Requested product or interest category;
- Estimated budget;
- Decision-making deadline;
- Sales stage (e.g., evaluation, offer, negotiation) .
Practical tip: start with a minimal set of strategic fields. Forcing users to fill in too many fields can slow down CRM adoption.
Key metrics:
- Customizing required fields in CRM systems improves marketing campaign effectiveness by 29%.
- Quality data accelerates the sales cycle by 37%.
- Data quality influences up to 70% of the success in digital transformation efforts. (McKinsey).
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