Lesson 1Entity: Company/Account — key fields with data types and reasons (company name, domain, industry, size, billing address, account owner, etc.)This part describes the Company or Account entity for agencies, listing main identification, grouping, and ownership fields, plus address and billing information that aids in area planning, billing, and long-term account handling.
Core identity fields and uniqueness rulesDomain, website, and enrichment optionsIndustry, size, and firmographic tagsBilling and shipping address modelingAccount ownership and territory logicParent child and group account structuresLesson 2Standardisation versus non-standardisation trade-offs for speed and reportingThis part examines standardisation and non-standardisation approaches in CRM, describing how to structure tables and fields for speed, reporting, and connections while preventing repetition, differences, and extra complexity.
Normalization goals and normal formsCommon denormalization techniquesPerformance impacts and indexingReporting and analytics trade offsIntegration and data sync concernsGuidelines for pragmatic modelingLesson 3Entity: Activity/Interaction — key fields with data types and reasons (type, subject, date/time, outcome, related entity, notes, duration)This part clarifies the Activity or Interaction entity, specifying main fields, data types, and reasons that record emails, calls, meetings, and tasks, guaranteeing a full history of engagements across leads, contacts, and opportunities.
Activity types and controlled vocabulariesSubject, description, and note takingDate, time, and time zone handlingOutcomes, statuses, and follow up rulesLinking activities to related CRM recordsDuration, effort, and productivity metricsLesson 4Entity: Contact — key fields with data types and reasons (first/last name, email, phone, role, linked account, preferred contact method, etc.)This part describes the Contact entity, including personal and work fields, communication choices, and links to accounts and opportunities, allowing accurate targeting, customisation, and relationship monitoring.
Identity fields and name formattingEmail, phone, and channel detailsJob role, seniority, and influencePreferred contact times and methodsLinking contacts to accountsContact roles on deals and projectsLesson 5Entity: Opportunity — key fields with data types and reasons (name, value, currency, stage, close date, probability, product/service type, sales owner)This part details the Opportunity entity for software agencies, including essential fields, suggested data types, and design reasons that aid in forecasting, pipeline visibility, revenue tracking, and steady sales reporting.
Core identification fields and naming rulesMonetary fields, currency, and exchange handlingStage modeling and sales process alignmentClose date, probability, and forecasting logicProduct or service classification structuresOwnership, teams, and access controlLesson 6Entity: Lead — key fields with data types and reasons (source, status, score, created date, owner, etc.)This part concentrates on the Lead entity, detailing fields, data types, and reasons for recording new prospects, following source and status, scoring interest, and readying smooth conversion into contacts, accounts, and opportunities.
Lead capture fields and validation rulesSource, campaign, and attribution dataLead status, stages, and SLA policiesScoring models and intent indicatorsOwnership, routing, and assignmentConversion mapping to core entitiesLesson 7Entity relationship patterns and numbers (one-to-many, many-to-many via junction table, flexible activities)This part covers CRM relationship patterns, including one to many, many to many via junction entities, and flexible activities, explaining when to apply each pattern and how they influence reporting, automation, and data reliability.
One to many relationships and ownershipMany to many via junction entitiesModeling contact roles on opportunitiesPolymorphic activity relationshipsLookup versus master detail choicesImpact on reporting and rollup fieldsLesson 8Overview of main CRM entities and purpose (Lead, Contact, Account/Company, Opportunity, Activity/Interaction)This part introduces main CRM entities used in software agencies, making clear the unique purpose of Leads, Contacts, Accounts or Companies, Opportunities, and Activities, and how they function together in the revenue process.
Lead versus Contact distinctionsAccount or Company core purposeOpportunity as revenue containerActivity as engagement historyTypical lifecycle from lead to clientCross entity data flow and handoffsLesson 9Entity extension points: custom fields, choice lists, formula fields, calculated fieldsThis part investigates entity extension choices, including custom fields, choice lists, formulas, and calculated fields, demonstrating how to add agency-specific data while keeping usability, speed, and safe upgrade setups.
When to add custom fields and whyDesigning picklists and option setsFormula and calculated field patternsUsing rollup and summary calculationsManaging technical debt in metadataGovernance, naming, and documentation
