CRM & Client Experience Transformation for a National Advice Firm
Sector: Financial Advice
Role: Strategic Advisor & Implementation Lead
Service Areas: Systems Implementation · Client Experience · Data & MI · Change Management
The Challenge
A national directly authorised financial advice firm was struggling to get full value from its existing systems. Client data was fragmented, CRM usage was inconsistent across teams, and leadership lacked clear visibility over client relationships and engagement.
The firm also wanted to improve client experience, particularly around transparency, communication, and ongoing relationships. However, attempts to introduce change had previously stalled due to competing priorities, inconsistent adoption, and the complexity of coordinating internal teams alongside external suppliers.
What was needed was not just a new system, but a clear, structured approach to implementation that aligned technology, process, and people.
Our Approach
Bonner-Murray Consulting was engaged to support the firm through a multi-stage CRM and client portal implementation, working alongside internal stakeholders and specialist external providers.
The engagement began by stepping back from tools and focusing on outcomes.
This included:
Clarifying what leadership needed to see and understand about clients, relationships, and delivery
Reviewing the existing advice process and how it was supported by current systems
Identifying where data quality and inconsistency were undermining confidence and decision-making
Aligning stakeholders around a shared view of what “good” needed to look like
This phase ensured the project was driven by business needs rather than technology for its own sake.
With requirements clear, focus shifted to implementation and alignment.
This involved:
Supporting the configuration and rollout of a new CRM and client portal
Coordinating input from internal teams, external consultants, and specialist providers
Leading a data cleanse to improve accuracy, usability, and confidence in client records
Redesigning elements of the advice process to ensure systems genuinely supported client relationships
A key part of this phase was ensuring changes were practical and adopted consistently across the business.
With the system in place, attention turned to embedding value and insight.
This included:
Implementing changes to support a consistent client experience across the firm
Introducing universal cashflow planning as part of the advice journey
Improving management information to give leadership clearer insight into client engagement and activity
Supporting teams through the change to ensure confidence and consistency of use
The focus throughout was on making the system an enabler of better relationships, not an administrative burden.
The Outcome
The firm achieved a step change in both operational clarity and client experience.
The outcome included:
Clean, reliable client data with improved confidence across the business
More consistent use of CRM and client portal tools
Improved visibility for leadership through clearer management information
A more joined-up and transparent client experience
Stronger alignment between systems, advice process, and client relationships
A scalable platform to support future growth and automation
“The work brought clarity and structure to a complex systems change. Having someone who could bridge strategy, implementation, and day-to-day reality made a real difference to how successfully the changes were embedded.”
Senior leader (anonymous)
