Lesson 1Entity: Company/Account — key fields with data types and rationales (company name, domain, industry, size, billing address, account owner, etc.)This section outlines the Company or Account entity for agencies, detailing crucial identification, grouping, and ownership fields, along with address and billing information that aid in territory planning, invoicing, and sustained 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 2Normalisation vs denormalisation trade-offs for performance and reportingThis section examines normalisation and denormalisation approaches in CRM, clarifying how to structure tables and fields for optimal speed, reporting, and system integrations, all while steering clear of data repeats, inconsistencies, and excess 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 rationales (type, subject, date/time, outcome, related entity, notes, duration)This section covers the Activity or Interaction entity, specifying key fields, data types, and reasons behind them to record emails, calls, meetings, and tasks, thus maintaining a full record of engagements with 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 rationales (first/last name, email, phone, role, linked account, preferred contact method, etc.)This section describes the Contact entity, including personal and work-related fields, communication choices, and ties to accounts and opportunities, allowing for accurate targeting, customisation, and monitoring of relationships.
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 rationales (name, value, currency, stage, close date, probability, product/service type, sales owner)This section elaborates on the Opportunity entity for software agencies, including vital fields, suggested data types, and design reasons that facilitate forecasting, pipeline oversight, revenue tracking, and uniform sales reports.
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 rationales (source, status, score, created date, owner, etc.)This section delves into the Lead entity, explaining fields, data types, and rationales for recording new prospects, monitoring sources and statuses, assessing interest levels, and ensuring smooth transitions to 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 cardinality (one-to-many, many-to-many via junction table, polymorphic activities)This section discusses CRM relationship patterns, covering one-to-many, many-to-many through junction entities, and polymorphic activities, detailing suitable uses and their effects on 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 canonical CRM entities and purpose (Lead, Contact, Account/Company, Opportunity, Activity/Interaction)This section presents standard CRM entities for software agencies, explaining the unique roles of Leads, Contacts, Accounts or Companies, Opportunities, and Activities, and their interplay 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, picklists, formula fields, calculated fieldsThis section investigates ways to extend entities, such as custom fields, picklists, formulas, and calculated fields, demonstrating how to incorporate agency-specific data without compromising ease of use, speed, or update compatibility.
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
