What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Onboarding call on 28 Aug 2024. Holly Tranter created the read-only CRM user on the call. Saskia Mendes wants complaints near the top of the director page. Adoption is still two people and a second admin is to be named.
What happened: Callie Brennan recapped the Growth scope with Saskia Mendes and Holly Tranter on 28 Aug 2024. Holly created a read-only CRM user and Callie confirmed it sees only clients, vacancies, placements and notes.
Customer view: Saskia wants complaints second on the director page and contractor rates kept out of the first refresh. Individual inboxes come in only with each director's yes.
Commercial: Single sign-on is Enterprise, so it is outside the contract and email invitations were accepted. Adoption is still Saskia and Holly against forty licensed users.
Watch: A second admin is to be nominated by Friday. Accounting approval sits with finance and no approver is named yet.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Holly Tranter to send client name exports from the CRM and accounting system by Friday and ask finance for approval.
- Saskia Mendes to nominate a second admin by Friday.
- Callie Brennan to build the mapping table and deliver the first CRM refresh by the end of the following week.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Usage is still only Saskia Mendes and Holly Tranter against forty licensed users.
- Holly is the only admin until a second admin is named.
- Accounting access depends on a finance approver who is not yet known, so invoice data may slip.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- A contractor dispute dashboard built with the Growth dashboards builder gives directors an early flag.
- A director session using one of Saskia's own clients can widen adoption beyond two people.
Transcript
- Callie Brennan NoneHello, afternoon both. Can you hear me all right?
- Saskia Mendes NoneLoud and clear. Afternoon, Callie. Holly's just coming in, she's been wrestling with the meeting room screen.
- Holly Tranter NoneHi, sorry, hello. I'm here. The room screen wouldn't share so I've given up and gone to my laptop.
- Callie Brennan NoneNo problem at all, that's the most normal start to a call there is. Are we all here?
- Saskia Mendes NoneAll here. Can I do my story of the week first? Very quick.
- Callie Brennan NoneGo on, please.
- Saskia Mendes NoneOne of our client-account directors walked into a review on Monday and the client brought up a complaint she'd never heard of. It was sitting in the helpdesk, the placements were in the CRM, and nobody had put the two side by side. She got through it, but you could see her face. That's exactly why we bought this. The directors need this, and I'd like them on it as soon as it's actually useful.
- Callie Brennan NoneThat's a really clear reason to get it right, and it's why I'd like us to be careful about the order we do things in. So here's the plan for the next forty minutes or so. First, a quick recap of what's agreed. Second, the connectors, one at a time, and what I need from your side is written access for each one before we switch on the refresh. Third, who does what, with a date against it. Then, if there's time, a look at what a director will actually see. Does that work?
- Holly Tranter NoneThat works for me. I've got the access list open in another window, so I can say yes or no as we go.
- Saskia Mendes NoneYes, go on. And if I go quiet it's because a director's messaged me. I'm still listening.
- Callie Brennan NoneLovely. So, just to recap what's agreed. You're on Growth, forty licensed users, contracted at £41,800 a year. The implementation is the eight-week programme, and it finishes with the directors actually using it. Daniel Okafor is your CSM and he picks up from me at handover, and Priya Raman is the account owner on the commercial side. Is that how you remember it?
- Saskia Mendes NoneThat's what I remember. Forty users does sound like a lot right now, though. Holly, how many have actually logged in?
- Holly Tranter NoneA couple. Mostly me and Saskia poking around. We said the directors don't get logins until there's something in there worth seeing.
- Callie Brennan NoneWhich is the right order, honestly. I'd rather the first time a director opens it, their own clients are in it. So, connectors. Holly, you've got the list we agreed at the start. Can you read me what you've got in front of you?
- Holly Tranter NoneYes. So first is the CRM, that's where clients, vacancies and placements live. Second is the accounting system, for the invoices, including the contractor ones. Third is the helpdesk, which is where complaints are logged, mostly. And then there's a mailbox question, because some account directors email complaints straight to each other and they never get as far as the helpdesk.
- Saskia Mendes NoneWhich is half the problem, to be fair. The ones that matter most are the ones that don't get logged.
- Callie Brennan NoneRight, and that tells me the mailbox isn't an extra, it's part of the answer. But let's take them in order. For each one, what I need from your side is written access, a read-only account the brain can use, and the name of whoever can approve it. I don't start a connector without that in writing. Not because I'm fussy, but because if the first refresh pulls in something it shouldn't, we've lost the directors on day one.
- Holly Tranter NoneThat's fine, that's how our IT would want it anyway. For the CRM I can create the read-only user myself. The accounting system belongs to finance, so I'd need to ask them, and the helpdesk is me again.
- Callie Brennan NoneGood. So the CRM first. Can you create that user today and send me the details through the secure route we set up, not by email?
- Holly Tranter NoneActually I can do it now, it's a quick job. Let me get into the admin screen. Keep talking, I can listen.
- Callie Brennan NonePerfect, do it now. While you're in there, Saskia, a question on the mapping. In the CRM each client has a reference, and the accounting system has its own customer code. Do those match up, or does somebody match them by hand?
- Saskia Mendes NoneBy hand. Finance type the client name in and sometimes it's the trading name and sometimes it's the legal name. There's a spreadsheet. There's always a spreadsheet.
- Callie Brennan NoneSo that's the thing I won't guess at. I'm not going to tell you it'll be fine until I've seen the actual names side by side. What I'd like is an export of client names from both systems, and the spreadsheet if that's the real source of truth. Then I build the mapping table, and someone in finance checks it before anything goes live.
- Saskia Mendes NoneIt's not tidy, I'll warn you. Some rows are duplicates from years ago.
- Callie Brennan NoneThat's very normal, so don't tidy it first. Send it as it is and I'll flag the duplicates, that's quicker than you cleaning them. Once the duplicates are marked, it maps cleanly more often than people expect.
- Saskia Mendes NoneCan we make it simpler, though? Because if finance have to check a mapping table every month, it won't happen.
- Callie Brennan NoneFair, and it's the right question. The check is once, at the start. After that the brain keeps the mapping and only shows you names it doesn't recognise. So it's a short list, not a monthly job. And the nightly refresh is done by seven in the morning on business days, so the directors have it before their first meeting.
- Saskia Mendes NoneOkay, that I can sell to finance. A short list is fine.
- Holly Tranter NoneSorry, the permission set fought me for a bit. Right, done. It's a read-only user and I've only given it clients, vacancies, placements and notes. I'm sending the details now through the secure route.
- Callie Brennan NoneGot it, it's landed. Thank you, that's the written access I need for the CRM, and I'll note the time against it. Bear with me while I check it can see what you've granted. I'm not switching on any refresh yet.
- Callie Brennan NoneOkay. It sees clients, vacancies, placements and notes, nothing else, which is exactly what you wanted. The object names are the ones in the plan, so that part maps cleanly. The field-level mapping I'll do properly once I've got the exports.
- Holly Tranter NoneGood. Can I ask about the directors logging in? Someone asked me whether it hooks into our normal login.
- Callie Brennan NoneGood one. On Growth it's invitations by email: each director gets a link and sets up their own access. Single sign-on is part of Enterprise, so it isn't in your contract. I'd rather say that now than have it come as a surprise.
- Saskia Mendes NoneNo, that's fine. Invitations it is. Simpler is simpler. How long does it take them?
- Callie Brennan NoneA couple of minutes each. And I'll write a one-page note for them, what to ask first and where the client page is. You can send it as your own, I won't mind.
- Saskia Mendes NoneOh, I'd love that. Make the first question something they'll recognise. What did the client actually say, that kind of thing, so they see it answer.
- Callie Brennan NoneYes, I'll use a real complaint from the helpdesk as the example, once it's connected. That's the whole point of it, really, the complaint next to the placements. Let me show you roughly what a director sees, so you can tell me if it's the right shape. I'm sharing my screen now. Can you see it? This is a sample client page, not yours. At the top the client, then open vacancies, then placements, then invoices, then complaints, all in one column. Nothing to click through.
- Saskia Mendes NoneOh, that's it. That's exactly it. Can the complaints be nearer the top? That's what they'll look for first.
- Callie Brennan NoneYes, the order's yours to set. I'll put complaints second, under the client summary, and if the directors disagree we move it. It's a setting, not a rebuild.
- Holly Tranter NoneCan I ask who's allowed to see what? Contractor pay rates, say. Not everyone should see those.
- Callie Brennan NoneGood question, and one I want in writing from you rather than assume. Tell me which directors see which clients, and whether contractor rates are in scope at all. My suggestion would be to leave rates out of the first refresh, so there's nothing to worry about, and add them later if you want them.
- Saskia Mendes NoneLeave rates out. Definitely. We can revisit it.
- Holly Tranter NoneAgreed, I'll put that in writing. While I've got you, I raised a ticket last week about the Snowflake role and got a long answer, and I just want to be sure I've understood it. Is the brain a new database, or does it sit alongside ours?
- Callie Brennan NoneIt runs inside your own Snowflake account, so it's your account and your data. We create a separate area within it for the brain, with its own role, and it only reads from the sources you approve. Your data people can see exactly what it's doing. I'll put the role names in the setup note so your IT can approve them once.
- Holly Tranter NoneRight, that's what I thought. I'll forward the role names to our IT when you send the note, so they're not surprised.
- Saskia Mendes NoneAdmins. Callie, you said something at the kickoff about more than one admin?
- Callie Brennan NoneI did. At the moment it's just Holly. Which is fine on day one, but if Holly's on holiday or moves on, nobody can add a user or fix a source. I like to leave two admins, so whoever's left can run things alone. Is there someone in the operations team who'd be comfortable with that?
- Saskia Mendes NoneHm. Let me think who'd actually use it. Not me, I'd forget. I'll nominate someone by Friday.
- Holly Tranter NoneI'm happy to show them the admin side. It's not complicated, is it?
- Callie Brennan NoneNo, it's a short screen. I'll do a proper walk-through in the final week and the setup note will cover it, so it's not only in my head. Shall we do the helpdesk now? Holly, could you open the category list and read me what you've got? I want to see how complaints are tagged before I decide anything.
- Holly Tranter NoneRight, one second. We've got general, billing query, contractor complaint, client complaint, and a catch-all called other.
- Callie Brennan NoneOther is where the interesting ones hide. Roughly how much goes in there?
- Holly Tranter NoneMore than I'd like. I couldn't swear to a number. I can share the full field list if that helps.
- Callie Brennan NonePlease do, and don't count anything now. I'll pull the category counts on the first refresh and show you, rather than us guessing. If it's mostly complaints sitting in other, we map those by their text, not their tag.
- Saskia Mendes NoneDo that. What did the client actually say, that's the bit that matters, not the tag.
- Callie Brennan NoneOkay, I've been through the field list you shared. The client name is there, a priority, and a free-text description, which is enough to work with. Now the mailbox, because that's the sensitive one. I'd start with a shared mailbox if you've got one, not individual inboxes. Individual inboxes need each person's agreement, and I'd rather it was agreed than found out.
- Saskia Mendes NoneThere's the client services shared mailbox, isn't there? Holly?
- Holly Tranter NoneThere is, yes, the main one, and I can grant that. For the individual ones I'd want to ask the directors first.
- Saskia Mendes NoneAsk them. Put it as, so your complaints appear on the client page. They'll say yes.
- Callie Brennan NonePlease frame it exactly like that and let each director say yes themselves. Then one last thing before dates, and that's usage. You've got forty licences and a couple of people using it, which is normal at this stage. What I don't want is the same two people being the only ones asking questions in a few months. So when the directors are invited, I'd suggest a short session using one of Saskia's own clients as the example.
- Saskia Mendes NoneI won't pretend adoption is better than it is. Right now it's me and Holly. But I'll get the directors in a room for that, and I'll pick the client.
- Holly Tranter NoneMm. And I'll make sure the invitations only go out once the CRM page looks right.
- Callie Brennan NoneRight, let me give you the dates against each step, because Saskia needs something to tell the directors. The CRM user is done, thank you Holly. If the exports land by Friday, I'd expect the first CRM refresh by the end of next week, and I'll show it to you two before anyone else sees it. Accounting follows once finance have approved. Helpdesk after that. By the end of the eight weeks, everything's connected and the directors are invited.
- Saskia Mendes NoneEnd of next week for the CRM. That's a nice thing to tell them. And the invoices?
- Callie Brennan NoneThat depends on finance, honestly. If the approval comes quickly, a week or so after that. If it drags, it drags, and I'd rather tell you than promise.
- Holly Tranter NoneI'll chase finance tomorrow. I'll copy you in, Saskia, so they know it's coming from above.
- Saskia Mendes NoneCopy me, yes. They respond to a head of department.
- Callie Brennan NoneWonderful. One more thing, the contractor invoices. Saskia, you mentioned disputes earlier. What would you want to see first?
- Saskia Mendes NoneA contractor says they weren't paid for something, or we've billed a client for hours the contractor says they never worked. Right now someone pulls the timesheet, someone pulls the invoice, someone pulls the email. I'd like one page per client that shows all of it. And ideally an early flag, before it turns into a row.
- Callie Brennan NoneThat's a good use, and I'll note it as the first dashboard idea. The dashboards builder is part of Growth, so Holly can build it herself after handover, and Daniel can walk through it at your first quarterly review.
- Holly Tranter NoneI'd like that. I've not used a builder like that, though. Is there training?
- Callie Brennan NoneYes, I'll run a session in the last couple of weeks, and there are walk-throughs in the help centre. You won't be left with a blank page. Since we've got a few minutes, shall we start the setup note together? I'll type, you tell me. First, who approves access for the accounting system?
- Holly Tranter NoneSomeone in our finance team. I don't know who signs it off yet, I'll find out.
- Callie Brennan NoneFine, I'll leave that line open and mark it as Holly's to fill. Next, refresh timing. The nightly refresh finishes by seven in the morning on business days. Do your directors start earlier than that?
- Saskia Mendes NoneSome are in by half seven, but nobody's looking at a client page before eight. Seven's fine.
- Callie Brennan NoneGood. Then the support route. For the first weeks, send anything to the help channel and mark it onboarding, so I see it. After handover it goes through support in the normal way, and Daniel will be your first call for anything about adoption or value.
- Holly Tranter NoneIs that the same route as the ticket I used?
- Callie Brennan NoneSame route, yes. Yours was a how-to question, so that's the right category and it was handled properly. Give me a moment, I'm typing all this up.
- Callie Brennan NoneRight, that's the first page. I'll send the whole note after the CRM refresh so it's got real names in it. Is there anything you want to be sure I've written down?
- Saskia Mendes NoneYes. Contractor rates stay out of the first refresh, and individual inboxes only with the director's yes. Put both in bold.
- Callie Brennan NoneBoth are in already, in those words.
- Holly Tranter NoneOne more from me. What do I do if one of our systems changes? Say we rename a field in the CRM.
- Callie Brennan NoneTell us before, not after. A renamed field or a changed system is the usual reason a connector goes quiet, and then the brain is answering on stale data without anyone noticing. A short message to the help channel is enough, and Daniel or I will check the mapping.
- Holly Tranter NoneOkay. I'll make that a rule on our side. Anyone changing a field tells me first.
- Saskia Mendes NoneI like that. Put it in the note as well, then it's not just Holly nagging people.
- Callie Brennan NoneDone, it's in. Give me a second to tidy the page.
- Callie Brennan NoneOkay, let me say back the actions so you can paste them into an email. Holly: the read-only CRM user is done. Holly: client name exports from the CRM and the accounting system, plus the spreadsheet as it is, by Friday. Holly: ask finance for approval on the accounting connector tomorrow and copy Saskia. Holly: forward the Snowflake role names to your IT when I send them. Saskia: nominate a second admin by Friday. Me: the mapping table once the exports are in, the first CRM refresh by the end of next week, a one-page note for the directors, and the written setup note. Daniel gets that at handover.
- Saskia Mendes NoneGot it. That's clear, thank you. Holly, anything I've missed?
- Holly Tranter NoneNo, I think that's everything. Maybe a reminder from you on Thursday, Callie? Just so it doesn't slip.
- Callie Brennan NoneI'll send a short note on Thursday, yes. A line per item, with who owns it.
- Saskia Mendes NoneBrilliant. Honestly, this feels a lot more real than the last time we spoke. Before the director with the complaint finds another one, I'd like to see that CRM page.
- Callie Brennan NoneThat's the plan. I'll put a short call in for just after the first refresh, so you see it with your own clients on it before anyone else does.
- Holly Tranter NoneThat'd be good. I'll get the exports sorted this afternoon, then I can stop thinking about the spreadsheet.
- Saskia Mendes NoneDon't promise that. It never stops. Right, I've got a director waiting, I'm so sorry, I have to run.
- Callie Brennan NoneGo, go. Thanks both, that was really useful. Speak soon.
- Saskia Mendes NoneThanks, Callie. Bye both.
- Holly Tranter NoneThanks, Callie. Talk Thursday. Bye.
- Callie Brennan NoneBye, both. Cheers.