Custom CRM for an auto parts distributor
A distributor ran on Excel and WhatsApp: orders got lost, stock disagreed with 1C, managers stepped on each other. In 3 weeks we built a custom CRM around their process — without the compromises of a packaged box.
The task
Managers gathered orders in Excel spreadsheets and WhatsApp chats. Every morning — a manual stock reconciliation against 1C. Once a week duplicate orders surfaced, along with sales of items that were no longer in stock. The owner could not see the sales pipeline — only once an invoice had already been issued.
A packaged CRM did not fit: the specifics were tiered discounts per dealer, plus reservations with three priorities (own warehouse / in transit / on order). In a packaged product this turned into a dozen workarounds and a constant "no, you can't do that".
The starting point
Stack before the project:
- Excel with macros for order tracking (5+ files open at once)
- WhatsApp as the main channel for client communication
- 1C Trade Management for shipments — manual synchronization via Excel export
- No unified client directory: name in one table, phone in another
They had tried a packaged CRM before us — abandoned it during setup. The discount and reservation logic did not fit without significant customization.
What we did
We built a custom CRM on our own stack. AI helped at every stage: from parsing the spec and prototyping forms to test generation and documentation.
- Sprint 1 (week 1): directories, client card, basic product catalog, import from the old Excel files
- Sprint 2 (week 2): orders, tiered discounts by dealer, reservations with priorities, role model (8 roles)
- Sprint 3 (week 3): two-way 1C Trade Management integration over REST, sales-pipeline reporting, knowledge transfer and documentation
At every sprint — a demo for the client, with corrections going straight into the next sprint. No "extras coming later".
The outcome
Orders and stock now live in one place; duplicates are gone — the system blocks creating an order for the same item for the same client within 24 hours. Managers stopped spending mornings on 1C reconciliation: the integration pulls stock and pushes reservations back automatically.
The owner sees the sales pipeline in real time without exports. In the first month after launch the average deal cycle dropped — the client had no exact metric beforehand, but subjectively it felt "like moving from a kick scooter to a car".
Project cost was 40% below the estimate for a packaged CRM plus comparable customization. And most importantly — without the "10% that irritates".
The client's name is withheld under NDA. Real names and details are shared at the brief.
A similar task?
Describe it briefly — within 1–2 days we'll come back with an analysis and an hourly estimate. If a packaged solution fits, we'll say so honestly.