The Ultimate Pre-Launch Checklist for CRM Systems

As a Housing Leader, you know the feeling: weeks of hard work planning your new system are nearly done. But the transition—that moment of Go-Live—can feel like stepping onto thin ice.

You are trying to escape rigid, expensive, and outdated legacy systems. These systems are actively preventing your colleagues from providing excellent service. You need the launch to be smooth. In our sector, system downtime doesn’t just mean lost revenue. It means vulnerable tenants can’t report repairs. ASB cases might stall. Rent payments could be missed.

That’s where Phase 4: Pre-Launch and Go-Live comes in.

I draw on over 20 years of experience in social housing. With this experience I have developed a 5 Phase Blueprint. It takes you from a blank piece of paper to a successful Microsoft Power Platform system. My expertise lies in translating complex user requirements into precise, actionable plans. Phase 4 ensures that all that meticulous planning results in a system your teams actually use it and love.

Here is how we ensure preparation and support are key to maintaining service stability and user adoption.

1. The Power of Preparation: Conducting a “Premortem”

Weeks before the big launch, we gather key stakeholders. These are the people who will be most impacted, such as Housing Managers and Team Leaders. With key people in the same room we conduct an exercise called a Premortem.

Instead of waiting for things to go wrong (a post-mortem), we ask: “Imagine it is launch day and the system has failed. What went wrong?”

This sensible, relaxed conversation allows us to identify specific housing nightmares before they happen.

• “Did the emergency repair jobs fail to sync to the scheduler?”
• “Did we accidentally migrate closed ASB cases as ‘active’, confusing the officers?”

This methodology helps us put measures in place to reduce risk. Identifying these fears early helps us amend the training plan and adjust the go-live cut-over plan. It shifts the focus from anxiety to action.

2. Training for Transformation: Making the System Stick

No matter how brilliant your new system is, if your Housing Officers aren’t comfortable using it, adoption stalls. Training needs to be comprehensive and carefully structured.

We focus on two key areas:

Real-World “Day in the Life” Scenarios

We don’t just teach features; we teach processes. We deliver standardised lesson plans tailored to specific teams (e.g., Income Team vs. Lettings). We use real-world scenarios: “How to log a damp and mould case from a site visit” or “How to process a Notice to Quit.” This ensures colleagues understand how the new process impacts them personally.

The Culture Shift: Moving Away from “The White Space”

Training isn’t just about clicking buttons; it’s about changing ingrained habits. In legacy housing systems, colleagues often rely on typing copious notes into a big “white space” text box on a tenant record. They then copy-paste that info to email 15 different people. This creates data silos and compliance risks.

Our training helps teams grasp the structured approach of the Power Platform. They learn that by categorising a contact correctly (e.g., tagging a “Vulnerability”), the system automatically triggers the necessary workflows. This benefits them individually by reducing manual admin and ensures the organisation remains compliant.

Note: We deliver training tailored to all learning styles (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinaesthetic) to ensure no staff member is left behind.

3. Executing a Seamless Go-Live

Preparation culminates in the launch day. We manage this meticulously to ensure service stability for your customers.

• The Go-Live Checklist (Cut over plan): We create a comprehensive flight plan that documents every single action, assigns responsibility, and sets clear timeframes.

• Visible Support Team: We assemble a support team to ensure prompt assistance. It is vital that the project team maintains high visibility (virtual or physical) in the first few days.

• The “Virtual Floor-Walk”: I often recommend holding an open meeting, such as a Microsoft Teams chat, where anyone can drop in and get instant help. This is especially helpful for hybrid working teams or those working remotely in the community.

A Strategic Rollout

We advise avoiding Mondays for the Go-Live day. Monday mornings are historically the busiest time for housing associations (dealing with weekend repair issues). Launching mid-week minimises disruption to regular business operations.

We also establish a dashboard to track the number of records created, providing real-time evidence that the system is being adopted and working as intended.

You don’t have to be trapped by complex, outdated systems that lead to Service Degradation (unhappy customers) and Mission Diversion (wasting funds on IT fixes rather than homes).

My methodology ensures that when we reach Phase 4, the foundation is solid. Delivering two core, measurable outcomes:

• Empowerment: Teams are empowered to provide excellent service with intuitive Microsoft tools, reducing the “cognitive load” of navigating clunky screens.

• Fund Liberation: Efficiencies mean funds are freed up and can be reinvested into building new homes and supporting communities.

If you are ready to move past the fear of Go-Live and start building a more agile future focused on service excellence, let’s discuss how my methodology can help you deliver great customer service while remaining compliant.

What’s the main challenge you’re facing?

We need a quick proof of concept to help back our business case: Struggling to secure funding for your #Dynamics or #Powerapps implementation? Need to show what they can do? then this is for you

Our business case has been approved but we need help to get going: We know that it can be overwhelming. Where do you start, how do you bring your business case to life? Our #D365ForHousing package can help you get going

We’ve started our Dynamics/Power Apps project but struggling to find the time to gather some serious momentum: This is a tough one, the will is there and everyone is up for it but you just struggle to find the time to get things moving while you do the ‘day job’. Our project support service can help lighten the load

We just need a bit of training or access to some handy templates: Then this Business Analysis 101: A Simple and Effective Course for Non-BAs course may be of use or perhaps visit our store to access some handy templates

Hi, I’m Chris Roberts, Director at E&F Solutions. 

I’m a Dynamics consultant helping UK housing associations escape rigid legacy CRM systems and overpriced suppliers. 

With over 20 years in housing operations, I specialise in translating complex user needs into precise plans. This ensures we deliver a system your teams genuinely love, freeing up funds to be reinvested into building new homes & communities. 

Original Post https://deliveringcrm.net/2025/12/08/the-ultimate-pre-launch-checklist-for-crm-systems/