CRM for consulting firms: proposals, deliverables and deadlines
CustomCRM tracks every consulting engagement from the first conversation to the final invoice: the proposal, the phases, the documents you need from the client, the hours and the deadlines you can’t afford to miss.
- Opportunity and proposal pipeline
- Filing deadlines with alerts
- Billing by phase or by the hour
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Companies that work with the CustomCRM team
What problems does a consulting firm face without a CRM?
Without a CRM, a consulting firm loses proposals that never get a follow-up, hours worked but never billed, and deadlines put at risk by late documents. The cause is always the same: the information sits in each consultant’s inbox.
Proposals sent and forgotten
The client asks for time to think, and the follow-up never happens. Nobody sees how many proposals are still open.
Documents that arrive on the last day
You ask for certificates, financial statements and contracts by email several times, and they arrive the day before the filing.
Hours worked that never reach the invoice
A clarification call, a report revision. If nobody logs them on the project, they miss both the invoice and the profitability numbers.
Deadlines in personal calendars
The filing date or a tax return deadline lives in one consultant’s calendar. When that person is on vacation, nobody owns the deadline.
Phases invoiced late
The contract sets an advance, a payment when the report is delivered and a success fee on approval. Without a signal when a phase closes, the invoice goes out late.
What modules does a CRM for consulting firms include?
A CRM for consulting firms built on CustomCRM includes a pipeline, proposals, phased projects, client documents, deadlines and billable hours, plus invoicing, contracts and e-Factura. You pick the modules that match the type of consulting you do.
Opportunity pipeline
Each opportunity has its source, target service, estimated value and next step, from first contact to negotiation.
Proposals and quotes
Technical and financial proposals start from templates by service type: diagnostic, business plan, funding application, tax audit. Versions and follow-ups stay on the opportunity.
Phased projects and deliverables
You split each engagement into phases with deliverables, owners and deadlines. Partners see which projects are on track and which are waiting on the client.
Client documents
For each project, you define the documents you need: trade registry certificate, financial statements, contracts, permits. The client gets reminders until everything is uploaded.
- Checklist by project type
- Status: received, missing or expired
Deadlines and filings
Filing deadlines, the tax calendar and internal review deadlines send alerts to the whole project team.
Billable hours and timesheets
Consultants log time by project and phase, with hourly rates by level: partner, senior, junior. You see billable hours and how much of the project budget is used.
Billing by phase, by the hour or with a success fee
Invoices are generated when a phase is delivered, from approved hours at month end, or when the result is confirmed, for a success fee. Advance payments are settled at project level.
Consulting contracts
Contracts, annexes with phases and fees, and amendments are generated from templates. Retainer agreements for ongoing consulting have expiry alerts.
ANAF SPV and e-Factura
Invoices go to SPV automatically, and you see their status in the CRM. Invoices from contractors and outside experts are pulled in automatically and assigned to the project.
Included in every CustomCRM
- InvoicingInvoices, pro formas and recurring invoices, payments, due dates and reminders.
- ContractsContracts, annexes and amendments generated from templates, with expiry alerts.
- e-Factura (SPV, ANAF)Invoices go to SPV automatically, status shows in the CRM, supplier invoices come in on their own.
- e-TransportUIT declarations generated from orders, where you move goods covered by the e-Transport rules.
- Reports and dashboardsSales, payments, productivity and profitability, by role.
- Integrations and APIAccounting, email, calendar, website forms, ad leads.
See these modules on a real example
In a demo we walk you through the full workflow on a case close to your business. Or start with a free one-hour consultation where we review your process.
Prefer the phone? Call +40 729 743 719
What does a consulting project look like in CustomCRM, from opportunity to payment?
In CustomCRM, a consulting project moves through the same stages you use today, but the conversation, proposal, contract, documents and invoices all stay on the same client record.
Opportunity
The contact comes from a referral, your website or an event. You log it with the target service and schedule the first meeting.
Proposal
After the needs analysis, you send the proposal from a template, and the CRM reminds you to follow up.
Contract and kickoff
Once the client accepts, the contract is generated and the project starts with its phases, deadlines and document checklist.
Document collection
The client gets the document list and reminders. You see at any time what’s still missing against the filing deadline.
Deliverables and hours
The team works phase by phase and logs hours, and every deliverable goes through internal review.
Invoicing and payment
A delivered phase triggers the invoice, which goes to SPV, and reminders track the due date until you get paid.
CustomCRM for other industries
- Digital Marketing CRMRetainers, projects, timesheets and profit per client.
- Services CRMRequests, scheduling, field teams and maintenance plans.
- Legal CRMCases, deadlines, time tracking and billing from hours.
- Fitness & Spa CRMMemberships, check-in, class and therapist bookings.
- Construction CRMBids, progress billing, subcontractors, e-Transport.
- Recycling CRMWeighing, waste codes, collection routes and reporting.
- Fleet Management CRMVehicles, drivers, renewals, fuel and cost per km.
- Real Estate CRMListings, buyer matching, viewings, commissions.
- Education CRMEnrollment, groups, attendance, fees and parent updates.
- Another industry?We build tailor-made software around your process.
CustomCRM for consulting firms
- What it is: CustomCRM for consulting firms is a CRM for opportunities and proposals, phased projects and deliverables, billable hours, client documents and filing deadlines. It bills by phase or by the hour and connects to SPV (the Private Virtual Space, the online portal of ANAF, Romania’s tax authority) for e-Factura, Romania’s national e-invoicing system.
- Key benefits:
- Filing deadlines no longer depend on someone’s memory
- See which client documents are missing before the deadline
- Invoice every delivered phase or every hour worked
- Who it is for: business consulting firms, tax advisors, EU funding consultants, management consultants, HR consulting firms, partners and project managers
- What sets it apart: Every filing deadline comes with the list of documents you need from the client, each with a status and automatic reminders, so you know early whether the file is ready to submit.
- Quick verdict: It’s the right fit for consulting firms that work on engagements with set phases and fixed deadlines, where a late client becomes your problem. In practice, you see open proposals, missing documents on each project and unbilled hours on the same screen.
How is a consulting CRM different from Excel or a generic CRM?
A generic CRM stops when the contract is signed, and Excel won’t warn you when a deadline gets close. CustomCRM keeps going after the sale and holds phases, documents, hours and invoices in one place. We explain this approach on the why custom page.
| Process | Excel or generic CRM | CustomCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunities and proposals | Pipeline with no link to the project | An accepted proposal becomes a project with phases |
| Client documents | Repeated email requests | Checklist with status and automatic reminders |
| Filing deadlines | The consultant’s personal calendar | Alerts for the whole project team |
| Hours worked | Separate timesheet, filled in at month end | Time logged by project and phase |
| Invoicing | Issued when someone remembers | Generated on phase delivery or from approved hours |
| Client history | Scattered across inboxes | Engagements, documents and invoices on one record |
How do you track filing deadlines and the documents you need from clients?
You track deadlines and documents together: in CustomCRM, every filing deadline carries the list of required documents, with their status next to the date. If a file close to its filing date is missing a document, the owner gets an alert. Documents with limited validity, such as the trade registry certificate, are flagged before they expire.
For EU funding, you build checklists for each type of funding call, based on the applicant’s guide, and reuse them for the next client. For tax consulting, recurring deadlines and monthly document requests are generated for each client.
What does the CRM for your consulting firm integrate with?
CustomCRM can integrate with Gmail or Outlook, so client emails show up on the project, and with your team calendar. Requests from your website form and leads from Google Ads or Facebook go straight into the pipeline.
For accounting, we connect the CRM with software used in Romania, such as SmartBill, Oblio or Saga, and you can import bank statements to record payments. If your methodology needs a system built from scratch, we start from a custom CRM, and RPA automation can take over repetitive tasks. If you work alongside law firms, see also the CRM for law firms.
- ANAF SPV and e-Factura
- SmartBill, Oblio, Saga
- Gmail and Outlook
- Team calendar
- Website forms
- Leads from Google Ads and Facebook
- Bank statements
- API for other systems
Frequently asked questions about CRM for consulting
How much does a CRM for a consulting firm cost?
CustomCRM pricing depends on usage and the modules you choose, not on the number of users. You can add junior consultants, contractors or a new partner at no extra cost per account. You get an exact quote after the free one-hour consultation, where we discuss your engagement types and project volume.
Does it integrate with ANAF SPV, e-Factura and accounting software?
Yes, invoices by phase, by the hour or for a success fee go to ANAF SPV automatically, and you see their status in the CRM. Invoices from contractors and outside experts are pulled in automatically. The CRM can integrate with your accounting software, such as SmartBill, Oblio or Saga, so nobody enters data twice.
How do we move projects and clients out of Excel?
We import clients, contacts, ongoing projects and upcoming deadlines from Excel or from the app you use now. We start with active work, so no upcoming deadline gets lost in the switch, and then bring over the history. Your team learns the platform in one to two hours of training.
How long does implementation take?
Implementation time depends on the modules you choose and how many engagement types your firm has, so we set it during the free consultation. We deliver in stages: you usually start with the pipeline, projects and deadlines, then we add timesheets, document checklists and integrations, so your team works in the CRM from the early stages.
Is it a good fit for EU funding consulting?
Yes, CustomCRM can track a funding project from finding the call to implementation. We build phases for the funding application, submission, evaluation, contracting and reimbursement claims, with document checklists for each call type and deadline alerts. The success fee is invoiced when you mark the project as approved.
Why not a generic CRM?
Because a generic CRM is built for repeat sales and stops at the contract, while in consulting the real work starts after signing. CustomCRM starts from a base built for consulting firms, with phases, deliverables, hours and client documents, and adapts it to your methodology.