The high stakes of CRM investment
For enterprise leaders, investing in a CRM platform is a strategic decision that affects the entire business – operations, IT, sales, marketing, and customer service. Yet too often, these investments become a financial burden due to high maintenance costs, inflexible systems, and the ever-growing dependency on external developers.
That’s why Creatio CRM total cost of ownership is catching the attention of CIOs, CTOs, and other transformation leaders. According to a recent independent study from Nucleus Research, Creatio delivers significant long-term cost advantages and implementation benefits when compared to traditional CRM systems.
The hidden costs of traditional CRM systems
Enterprise CRMs promise power and scalability – but many come with strings attached. Customising features to match specific workflows can take weeks, if not months. Each minor change often requires a developer. Over time, this not only adds to direct costs but creates an operational drag on agility and innovation.
Platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics are excellent at scale, but many enterprise users find themselves burdened with overly rigid processes, fragmented tools, and a long queue of IT requests. What starts as a modernisation project quickly turns into a dependency trap.
Nucleus Research findings: The ROI of Creatio CRM
Nucleus Research’s March 2025 report offers a data-driven view into why organisations are moving to Creatio. After interviewing real users across multiple industries, the analysts found that switching to Creatio generated measurable business value, including:
- 37% reduction in total technology costs
- 70% reduction in implementation timelines
- 61% reduction in lead response time
- 17% reduction in manual data entry for sales teams
These improvements weren’t limited to one department. Organisations also reported a significant boost in operational agility, improved customer engagement, and smoother cross-platform integrations. One enterprise switching from Salesforce described Creatio’s flexibility as “taking a lot of weight off the shoulders of our IT team.”
The 8.3 Twin Release: Scaling Value Through AI and No-Code
The findings from Nucleus Research align directly with what Creatio has just launched in its latest platform update – the Creatio 8.3 “Twin” release. This update marks Creatio’s evolution into what it calls the agentic era, blending no-code development with AI agents that work alongside your teams.
The two “Twins” in the release – CRM Apps and AI Agents – help extend the value of the platform by:
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Enhancing decision-making with contextual data
- Allowing domain experts to build intelligent assistants using no-code tools
From sales prep to marketing content, customer service to internal operations, these AI agents aren’t designed to replace people – they’re designed to augment them. As the 8.3 release demonstrates, Creatio’s TCO advantage doesn’t stand still. It continues to grow as new platform features make businesses even more self-sufficient.
The power of No-Code: Customisation without the cost
At the heart of Creatio’s value is its no-code development platform. Unlike traditional CRMs that require IT teams to script and test every change, Creatio allows business users – those closest to the customer journey – to configure processes using intuitive drag-and-drop tools.
This means:
- Faster deployment of new functionality
- Less reliance on expensive developers
- Easier adjustments when business needs evolve
As one Creatio customer explained, “Rather than enduring long customisation cycles, we were able to go live six months ahead of schedule.”
This flexibility is especially valuable in complex enterprise environments where agility and compliance must go hand in hand.
What our CRM experts see on the ground
Here at Collier Pickard, we’ve been implementing and supporting CRM systems for over 30 years. Our first-hand experience matches what Nucleus Research uncovered in their analysis. As one of our senior consultants puts it:
“This Nucleus Research article perfectly aligns with what we at Collier Pickard have witnessed first-hand over years of CRM implementations. Faster implementation times resonate strongly, particularly when migrating from more rigid legacy systems.
As experienced implementers, we consistently see how Creatio’s no-code capabilities empower businesses. It reduces a reliance on developers (coding) by enabling subject matter experts (tech savvy people within your team). That is, after all, the essence of ‘No-Code’ technology. And it drastically shortens customisation and enables greater flexibility to adapt to change. In turn, this reduces ongoing IT dependencies and costs. It’s not just about initial savings; it’s about building a sustainable, adaptable CRM future.”
The takeaway for senior leaders
If your organisation is reviewing its CRM strategy, the data is compelling: Creatio offers an opportunity to reduce long-term costs, speed up delivery, and empower your team with tools that grow alongside the business.
Nucleus Research concludes that the market is shifting away from rigid, one-size-fits-all platforms and towards integrated, no-code ecosystems that enhance business agility. Creatio stands out by uniting CRM, workflow automation, and AI in a single platform – without the traditional baggage.
Next steps: Explore your Total Cost of Ownership
Whether you’re migrating from a legacy system or looking to scale up intelligently, understanding your true TCO is the first step.
Talk to us at Collier Pickard
We’ll help you assess where you can streamline costs, improve delivery speed, and gain lasting value from your CRM investment.
