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  • Key Challenges
    • Low CRM adoption and engagement, the existing system was only used by a few staff and mainly as a contact list
    • Poor system integration and manual processes, leading to duplicated data entry and risk of errors
    • Need to modernise member engagement through a new CRM, improved website, and personalised communications
  • Key Benefits
    • Expert guidance on CRM and website
    • Shortlisted appropriate vendors
    • Solutions meeting strategic goals
    • Providing more streamlined processes
  • Key Services
    • Business Case and Roadmap
    • Invitation to Tender (CRM and CMS)
    • Vendor Selection
    • Project Management
    • Implementation support

About The British Property Federation (BPF)

The British Property Federation (BPF) is the membership organisation for, and the voice of, the UK real estate industry. It represents and promotes the interests of all those with a stake in real estate in the UK – owners, developers, funders, agents and advisers. BPF has around 440 corporate members and holds data on 7,000 individuals within those corporates, as well as engaging with a further 4,000 non-member individuals.

Lack of engagement

With around 25 employees, mostly based in London, BPF had been using an IRIS CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, which was only being utilised by around five members of staff, primarily as a contact list.

Due to this lack of engagement with the CRM,and its limited integration with businesscritical systems such as Microsoft Outlook and Sage, BPF started looking for a new CRM that would meet both the existing and future needs of the organisation and its members. BPF’s existing website also required an overhaul to help BPF engage more effectively with its members.

Increased efficiency

Ion Fletcher, Director of Policy (Finance) at BPF, takes up the story: “We wanted to look at deploying a new CRM and associated technologies to make us much more efficient across a lot of our business processes, many of which were quite manual and involved entering the same data into multiple places. This led to the risk of unwanted errors and duplication.”

To better understand its members’ needs and expectations, BPF undertook a detailed survey in 2016. The results suggested members wanted BPF to change the way it was engaging with them. Specifically, they wanted more personalised communications via a variety of devices and channels.

“In 2017, we decided to carry out our own Invitation to Tender (ITT) process for a new CRM and reached out to a few software providers,” continued Ion Fletcher. “However, we did not achieve an outcome that we were confident in. We became aware of Hart Square, who had helped another property organisation with their CRM implementation, so they came recommended.”

Strategic support

At the beginning of 2018 Hart Square was asked to provide strategic decision support to BPF and carry out an independent review of the options available and enable the delivery of the organisation’s strategic goals. These included:

  • An integrated CRM solution with modern functionality, including:
    • Membership sign-up and administration
    • Subscription management and event management
    • Committee administration
  • An updated and enhanced website with a member portal, including:
    • Member self-service
  • Full integration between the new CRM and the website
  • Integration between the CRM and other systems (email marketing and finance)

“Hart Square came in and ran a series of workshops with us to assess and document the business requirements for the new CRM system, the ‘look and feel’ of the website and the integrated portal,” explained Ion Fletcher. “The outcome of those discussions was a detailed set of functional requirements that formed the basis of a new ITT.

ITT and vendor selection

Hart Square sent the ITT document to the six vendors it believed could provide a CRM system that would match BPF’s specific requirements. “By September 2018 we had received six separate proposals from vendors and reviewed them, then Hart Square organised a series of ‘getting to know you’ sessions with suppliers before arranging final 90-minute presentations. It was a very thorough process.”

After reviewing the final proposals, BPF decided on Wattle, a provider of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, who would also develop BPF’s new website. “We made the decision in December 2018 and, because we were so impressed with Hart Square’s support and approach throughout the ITT and vendor selection processes, we invited them to help us manage the CRM implementation,” said Ion Fletcher.

Phased approach

He added: “We will be taking a phased approach - the implementation of the new CRM and member portal is expected to be completed by May 2019, followed by the new website in July 2019.”

Ion Fletcher is clear about the potential benefits: “Ultimately, we will deliver a better service to our members, capture information more accurately and have it in one place, as well as free-up staff time so that they can do what they do best.”

“ Hart Square is a very professional and responsive organisation. It has been really great to work with them because none of us here have been through a big technology change process before. They have been very supportive and patient about explaining everything. ”

— Ion Fletcher, Director of Policy (Finance), BPF