Laravel CRM: Custom vs Off-the-Shelf

Generic CRM software rarely fits perfectly. Custom Laravel CRM systems align exactly with business processes while maintaining flexibility. At ZIRA Software, we've built custom CRMs that increased sales team efficiency by 40%.

Off-the-Shelf vs Custom

Off-the-shelf (Salesforce, HubSpot):

• ✓ Fast deployment
• ✓ Proven features
• ✗ Expensive licenses
• ✗ Limited customization
• ✗ Vendor lock-in

Custom Laravel CRM:

• ✓ Perfect fit for business
• ✓ Full control
• ✓ Lower long-term cost
• ✗ Development time
• ✗ Maintenance responsibility

When to Build Custom

Build custom CRM when:

• Unique business processes
• Complex integrations needed
• Existing software licenses expensive
• Industry-specific requirements
• Data ownership critical

Core CRM Features

1. Contact Management

// app/Models/Contact.php
class Contact extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'name', 'email', 'phone', 'company',
        'job_title', 'source', 'owner_id'
    ];

    public function owner()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class, 'owner_id');
    }

    public function activities()
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Activity::class);
    }

    public function deals()
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Deal::class);
    }
}

2. Deal Pipeline

// app/Models/Deal.php
class Deal extends Model
{
    const STATUS_LEAD = 'lead';
    const STATUS_QUALIFIED = 'qualified';
    const STATUS_PROPOSAL = 'proposal';
    const STATUS_NEGOTIATION = 'negotiation';
    const STATUS_CLOSED_WON = 'closed_won';
    const STATUS_CLOSED_LOST = 'closed_lost';

    protected $fillable = [
        'title', 'value', 'status', 'expected_close_date',
        'contact_id', 'owner_id'
    ];

    protected $casts = [
        'value' => 'decimal:2',
        'expected_close_date' => 'date',
    ];

    public function moveToNextStage()
    {
        $stages = [
            self::STATUS_LEAD => self::STATUS_QUALIFIED,
            self::STATUS_QUALIFIED => self::STATUS_PROPOSAL,
            self::STATUS_PROPOSAL => self::STATUS_NEGOTIATION,
            self::STATUS_NEGOTIATION => self::STATUS_CLOSED_WON,
        ];

        if (isset($stages[$this->status])) {
            $this->update(['status' => $stages[$this->status]]);

            Activity::create([
                'type' => 'deal_stage_change',
                'contact_id' => $this->contact_id,
                'deal_id' => $this->id,
                'description' => "Deal moved to {$stages[$this->status]}",
            ]);
        }
    }
}

3. Activity Timeline

// app/Models/Activity.php
class Activity extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'type', 'description', 'contact_id', 'deal_id',
        'user_id', 'scheduled_at', 'completed_at'
    ];

    protected $casts = [
        'scheduled_at' => 'datetime',
        'completed_at' => 'datetime',
    ];

    public function contact()
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(Contact::class);
    }

    public function scopeUpcoming($query)
    {
        return $query->whereNull('completed_at')
            ->where('scheduled_at', '>', now())
            ->orderBy('scheduled_at');
    }
}

Dashboard and Reporting

Sales dashboard:

// app/Http/Controllers/DashboardController.php
public function index()
{
    $user = auth()->user();

    $metrics = [
        'total_deals' => Deal::where('owner_id', $user->id)->count(),
        'open_deals' => Deal::where('owner_id', $user->id)
            ->whereNotIn('status', [Deal::STATUS_CLOSED_WON, Deal::STATUS_CLOSED_LOST])
            ->count(),
        'total_value' => Deal::where('owner_id', $user->id)
            ->where('status', Deal::STATUS_CLOSED_WON)
            ->sum('value'),
        'conversion_rate' => $this->calculateConversionRate($user),
    ];

    $pipeline = Deal::where('owner_id', $user->id)
        ->selectRaw('status, count(*) as count, sum(value) as total_value')
        ->groupBy('status')
        ->get();

    $recentActivities = Activity::with(['contact', 'deal'])
        ->where('user_id', $user->id)
        ->latest()
        ->limit(10)
        ->get();

    return view('dashboard', compact('metrics', 'pipeline', 'recentActivities'));
}

Email Integration

Track emails:

// app/Mail/ContactEmail.php
use Illuminate\Mail\Mailable;

class ContactEmail extends Mailable
{
    protected $contact;

    public function __construct(Contact $contact)
    {
        $this->contact = $contact;
    }

    public function build()
    {
        // Log activity
        Activity::create([
            'type' => 'email_sent',
            'contact_id' => $this->contact->id,
            'user_id' => auth()->id(),
            'description' => "Email sent: {$this->subject}",
        ]);

        return $this->view('emails.contact')
            ->subject($this->subject);
    }
}

Permission System

Role-based access:

// app/Policies/DealPolicy.php
class DealPolicy
{
    public function view(User $user, Deal $deal)
    {
        // Admins can view all
        if ($user->isAdmin()) {
            return true;
        }

        // Users can view their own deals
        return $user->id === $deal->owner_id;
    }

    public function update(User $user, Deal $deal)
    {
        return $user->id === $deal->owner_id || $user->isAdmin();
    }
}

API for Mobile/Integrations

// routes/api.php
Route::middleware('auth:api')->group(function () {
    Route::apiResource('contacts', 'Api\ContactController');
    Route::apiResource('deals', 'Api\DealController');
    Route::apiResource('activities', 'Api\ActivityController');

    Route::get('dashboard/metrics', 'Api\DashboardController@metrics');
    Route::get('dashboard/pipeline', 'Api\DashboardController@pipeline');
});

Third-Party Integrations

Email service:

// Integrate with Gmail API, Outlook, etc.
// Store email threads linked to contacts

Calendar sync:

// Sync activities with Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar

VoIP integration:

// Log calls automatically from phone system

Conclusion

Custom Laravel CRM provides exact business fit at lower long-term cost. Start with core features and iterate based on team feedback.

Need a custom CRM solution? Contact ZIRA Software for CRM development consultation.