Already in 2013, Kristian af Sandeberg (Managing Director at Enablen Consulting) pointed out on digi.no that companies must think far broader than traditional CRM to succeed with customer experiences. Back then, it was about combining CRM, analytics, publishing, collaboration, and social channels into one holistic customer platform. Today many call this a revolution; at Enablen, it has been the core principle since 2012.
Read the original article: “You need to do far more than just CRM” (digi.no).
“The advantage of the monday platform is that it covers the entire customer journey, from first contact to delivery and follow‑up. With Campaign in place and Smart Journey tying everything together, you get a holistic system where many other CRM solutions have gaps.”
Kristian af Sandeberg, Managing Director at Enablen Consulting
More than just CRM — in brief
- Since 2012, Enablen has maintained that CRM must be viewed in connection with marketing, collaboration, and knowledge and document management, not as standalone tools.
- The 2013 article on digi.no described precisely this holistic approach: listen, gather, and act across channels and touchpoints.
- Today this “all‑in‑one” promise exists in practice, and Smart Journey in monday CRM makes it manageable to implement and secure buy‑in.
- Smart Journey provides a guided process with clear steps, ownership, automations, and training, so CRM and marketing are actually used correctly.
- The point is the same as in 2013: Technology + process + ownership = impact
From “best‑of‑breed” to “all‑in‑one” — without losing the processes
In 2013 the message was clear: it’s not enough to “just have a CRM.” You must listen to the customer’s voice in every channel, gather the insight in one place, and act consistently. Whether the dialogue happens in the contact center, on the web, on mobile, or in social media. Back then, companies often combined multiple systems (e.g., one tool for marketing and another for CRM). Today we have everything in one, but the principle is the same: the whole first, the tools second.
Kristian offers a small caution to the industry: When “all‑in‑one” is held up as something entirely new, it’s hard not to recognize The Emperor’s New Clothes. Many call it a revolution in 2025; we’ve been talking about it since 2012.
We simplify CRM implementation
Smart Journey is Enablen’s app that makes it easy to get CRM and marketing working in practice in monday CRM. You get a guided, tailored workflow directly in the system — from the first meeting to renewal and advocacy.
What Smart Journey does:
- Guided workflows for leads, customers, projects, and customer success, tailored to the company’s actual processes and how teams work.
- Automated actions and alerts that ensure consistent follow‑up, high data quality, and continuous progress.
- Shared templates for sales stages, onboarding, QBRs, and renewals that create structure and ensure everyone works the same way.
- Flexible support for different sales models, whether complex B2B processes or more transactional sales.
The result is more structure, better flow, and a CRM that actually delivers results — without unnecessary complexity.
Why do so many CRM and marketing initiatives fail?
A modern CRM should make everyday work easier, yet too often the project stalls. We keep seeing the same symptoms:
- Lack of ownership and buy‑in: When CRM is treated as an IT project instead of a strategic initiative for sales and marketing, it loses power.
- Low adoption and limited engagement: If the system doesn’t provide clear day‑to‑day value, interest fades quickly. CRM must be experienced as useful — not as extra work.
- Unclear processes and insufficient training: Without shared routines and solid training, the system is used inconsistently, leading to poor data quality and unreliable reports.
- Misaligned understanding of the customer journey: When teams don’t share a common picture of the journey, CRM becomes a data store — not a tool for insight and decision‑making.
Many believe the solution is to switch systems, but the challenges are usually not about technology; they’re about people, skills, and processes.
The right strategy — the same principle as in 2013
A good CRM/marketing strategy starts with practice: How do you work today? What do you want to achieve? Who owns the processes? Then you choose technology that supports how you intend to work — not the other way around.
This was the core message already in 2013: listen, gather, act. Back then through multiple tools; today on a single platform. The point is to get people, processes, and technology working together.
The benefits of Smart Journey
When CRM and marketing become an integrated part of everyday work, with clear processes, ownership, and guided steps, a clear shift happens. Adoption rises because the system feels relevant to salespeople, marketers, and customer teams; the data becomes more precise, which yields better insights and more accurate forecasts. Everyone knows the next step — and who is responsible for taking it.
Management gains a solid decision‑making foundation based on real‑time data rather than gut feel, and collaboration is strengthened because the processes are shared, open, and transparent.
What makes Enablen different?
We have believed in and practiced a holistic approach since 2012. That means we combine:
- Technology (monday CRM + Smart Journey)
- Process understanding (sales processes, marketing, customer success)
- Change management (buy‑in, training, adoption)
We work closely with our customers, build on real needs, and ensure you realize outcomes — not just acquire a new tool.
Let’s talk about how Smart Journey can work for your organization.