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Getting Started with Catalog Configuration

Before your team can begin working effectively in the CRM, the foundation of your system needs to be configured. This is done by defining and organizing the catalogs — structured lists of entities that power the core business processes.
Catalogs are the building blocks of your CRM. By setting them up carefully at the start, you ensure that activities, contacts, sales, and reporting align with your organization’s real-world workflows.
The following sections describe each catalog, its purpose, and configuration best practices.

• Activity types
• Contact categories
• Products
• Organisations
• Adverts
• Roles
• Next steps
• Quick Setup Checklist

Path: Catalogs -> Activity Types

Activity types define the different kinds of interactions your organization tracks in the CRM (e.g., Visit, Phone call, Presentation, Conference).

• Each type can be customized to allow multiple agents and/or multiple contacts per activity.
• The number and type of activity categories should reflect how your business manages client interactions.

Best practice: Start with the core activity types you already use daily, then expand as your processes mature.

Path: Catalogs -> Contact Categories

Contact categories segment your client base into meaningful groups (e.g., ABC categorization, XYZ categorization).

• Categories improve client management by enabling targeted planning and communication.
• They also enhance reporting and analytics by allowing filtered insights.

Best practice: Define categories that support both operational needs (sales campaigns, account ownership) and strategic analysis (customer lifetime value, churn risk).

Path: Catalogs -> Products

Products represent the goods or services your organization sells.

• Each product entry allows sales teams to log opportunities, track inventory (if applicable), and analyze revenue.
• Properly defined products also support quotation, invoicing, and performance reporting.

Best practice: Use clear product names and consistent categorization (e.g., by line of business or region).

Path: Regions

Organizations are the companies or entities to which you sell your products and they can belong to only one region.

• This catalog forms the foundation for account management.
• Associating products and activities with organizations ensures accurate sales tracking and reporting.

Best practice: Include all active customers and prospects, and enrich records with identifiers such as industry, region, and size.

Path: Catalogs -> Adverts

Adverts represent the promotional materials and campaigns available to sales agents.

• Tracking adverts allows you to monitor usage and measure cost-effectiveness.
• Examples include brochures, banners, digital campaigns, or product samples.

Best practice: Keep adverts catalog updated so agents always have access to approved and current materials.

Path: Catalogs -> Roles

Roles define user permissions and access levels within the CRM.

• Each role specifies which data and functionalities users can access.
• Proper role management prevents unauthorized access and minimizes security risks.

Best practice: Follow the principle of least privilege — grant only the access necessary for each user’s responsibilities.

Once catalogs are defined:

1. Verify that the structure aligns with your organization’s business model.
2. Test the setup by creating a sample activity, contact, and organization.
3. Adjust definitions as needed before onboarding end-users.

A well-configured catalog system ensures your CRM reflects your organization’s real workflows, enabling accurate tracking, effective management, and reliable reporting from day one.

Use this checklist to configure your CRM catalogs quickly:

1. Activity Types (Catalogs → Activity Types)
   • Add categories such as Visit, Call, Presentation.
   • Configure whether multiple agents/contacts can be linked.
2. Contact Categories (Catalogs → Contact Categories)
   • Define client segments (e.g., ABC Categorisation, XYZ Categorisation).
3. Products (Catalogs → Products)
   • Enter all goods or services your organization sells.
   • Ensure naming and categorization are consistent.
4. Organizations (Catalogs → Organizations)
   • Create region and add their your organizations
   • Add customer and prospect organizations.
   • Include identifiers like industry or size as description.
5. Adverts (Catalogs → Adverts)
   • Register promotional materials used by sales agents.
   • Keep catalog updated with current campaigns.
6. Roles (Catalogs → Roles)
   • Create roles with appropriate access levels.
   • Apply the principle of least privilege.

✅ Once all catalogs are defined, test by creating a sample activity, sale, contact, and organization to ensure configuration works as expected.