You’ve decided to implement a new CRM. Or an ERP. Or another core business system.
The vendor assigns a project manager. They seem organised. They send timelines and Gantt charts. They run weekly stand-ups.
So you’re sorted, right?
Hrm… not quite.
The vendor PM is not on your side of the table
Here’s the part many businesses miss: the vendor’s project manager works for the vendor.
Their job is to get the system live – on the vendor’s terms, on the vendor’s timeline, and often with the vendor’s interpretation of what you said you needed months ago.
That’s not the same thing as delivering what your business actually needs.
What an independent, client-side PM actually does
This is where an independent, client-side project manager makes all the difference.
They are the person who sits on your side of the table. Someone who:
- Challenges the vendor when the scope or specification starts to drift
- Translates “tech speak” back into business outcomes and real workflows
- Spots gaps early (before they become expensive change requests)
- Keeps decisions documented, clear, and aligned to the original goals
- Makes sure the system that goes live in month nine looks like the system you described in month one
The most expensive sentence in a post-go-live meeting
We’ve sat in too many post-go-live meetings where a client says:
“This isn’t what we asked for.”
And the truth is, it probably was – somewhere along the way.
But nobody was watching the gaps. Nobody was holding the line. Nobody was protecting the client’s interests with the same energy the vendor was protecting their own.
Why this is exactly why we’re tech-agnostic
This is the job. This is what we do.
We’re there for you, not for any particular system.
A question to ask before your project starts
If you’re implementing a CRM or other business systems this year, ask yourself:
Who is sitting on your side of the table?
If you’d like independent support to manage the project from the client side – keeping the work aligned to your outcomes, not just the go-live date – let’s talk.
Check out Natalie’s short video below!
If the video doesn’t play, view it on YouTube here »
Natalie Cooke is founder of ncco and an independent CRM and Digital Transformation consultant, helping businesses of all sizes in their CRM, AI and Digital Transformation journeys.