Crm-Service
A Swagger doc, Buildly Core compatible lightweight CRM microservice in Django
Case Study
Overview
CRM Service: Customer Relationship Management API
The Buildly CRM Service is a headless CRM solution designed for modern applications. It provides a powerful API for managing customer data, interactions, and relationships without the constraints of traditional CRM interfaces.
Core Capabilities
- Contact Management: Rich contact profiles with custom fields and tags
- Company Hierarchies: Model complex B2B organizational structures
- Interaction Tracking: Log emails, calls, meetings, and custom touchpoints
- Deal Pipeline: Flexible multi-stage pipeline for opportunity management
- Segmentation: Dynamic lists based on behavior and attributes
- API-First: RESTful and GraphQL APIs for maximum flexibility
Built for Integration
Unlike traditional CRMs, CRM Service is designed to be embedded into your existing applications and workflows, providing the data layer while you control the user experience.
The Problem
Traditional CRM systems create significant challenges:
- Rigid Interfaces: Teams forced to adapt to CRM workflows, not the other way around
- Data Silos: Customer data locked in proprietary systems
- Integration Complexity: APIs as afterthoughts requiring middleware
- Scaling Costs: Per-seat pricing makes enterprise deployment expensive
- Customization Limits: Unable to model unique business processes
These limitations lead to CRM abandonment, shadow spreadsheets, and incomplete customer views that hurt sales and customer success outcomes.
The Solution
CRM Service provides customer data infrastructure that adapts to your needs:
-
API-First Architecture: RESTful and GraphQL APIs designed for developers, not CRM administrators.
-
Flexible Data Model: Custom objects and fields without schema limitations or upgrade restrictions.
-
Event-Driven: Webhooks and streaming for real-time integration with other systems.
-
Buildly Native: Deep integration with Logic Service for workflow automation and Babblebeaver for communication tracking.
-
Scalable Pricing: Usage-based pricing that scales with your business, not arbitrary seat counts.
Real-World Implementation
Case Study: SaaS Company Builds Custom CRM Experience
The Challenge
A B2B SaaS company selling to enterprise customers had outgrown their traditional CRM:
- Sales reps spending 2 hours/day on manual data entry
- No connection between product usage and sales data
- Complex approval workflows impossible to model
- $180K/year licensing costs with only 40% adoption
- Customer success team using separate spreadsheets
The Solution
The company replaced their CRM with CRM Service integrated into their existing product:
Phase 1: Data Migration & API Setup (Weeks 1-4)
- Migrated 50,000 contacts and 10,000 companies
- Created custom objects for product licenses and usage
- Built real-time sync with product analytics
Phase 2: Custom UI Development (Weeks 5-8)
- Embedded CRM functionality into admin portal
- Created rep-specific dashboards with most relevant data
- Built mobile app for field sales team
Phase 3: Automation & Integration (Weeks 9-12)
- Connected to Logic Service for approval workflows
- Integrated Babblebeaver for communication logging
- Built product-usage-based lead scoring
The Results
After 12 weeks:
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Time | 2 hrs/day | 15 min/day | 88% reduction |
| CRM Adoption | 40% | 95% | +55 points |
| Annual Cost | $180K | $48K | 73% savings |
| Lead-to-Close Time | 45 days | 28 days | 38% faster |
"Our sales team now spends time selling instead of entering data. CRM Service gave us the flexibility to build exactly what we needed." — VP of Sales Operations
Key Success Factors
- Embedded experience met users where they already worked
- Product usage data created more accurate lead scoring
- Buildly Logic Service automated complex approval workflows
- Mobile-first design increased field sales productivity
Key Benefits
Use Cases
Build CRM functionality directly into your product admin panels and customer portals.
b2b-saasTrack partner accounts, certifications, deal registration, and commission calculations.
technologyHIPAA-compliant tracking of provider relationships, referrals, and engagement.
healthcareProperty-centric CRM linking buyers, sellers, and agents to listings.
real-estateTarget Industries
Company Sizes
Buildly Ecosystem Integrations
User authentication and organization hierarchy
Automatic logging of all customer communications
Workflow automation for approvals and escalations
Sales dashboards and pipeline analytics
AI-Powered Workflows
ML-based scoring using behavioral and firmographic signals
Identify at-risk accounts before they churn
Auto-populate contact info from public data sources
AI-recommended activities for each opportunity
Business Workflows
Multi-level approval workflows for discounts and custom terms
Automatic lead routing based on geography and product interest
Auto-generate contracts from opportunity data
Sync with ERP for accurate revenue tracking
Technology Stack
Support Options
- GitHub Issues
- Community forums
- Public documentation
- Email support
- 72-hour SLA
- API consulting hours
- Priority support
- 24-hour SLA
- Dedicated Slack
- 24/7 support
- 4-hour SLA
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated CSM
Hosting Options
Deploy on your infrastructure for full data control
Included in licenseManaged hosting with automatic scaling and backups
Starting at $150/monthSingle-tenant deployment for compliance requirements
Starting at $1,000/monthManaged Services
Full data migration from Salesforce, HubSpot, or custom systems
Starting at $10,000Build custom objects, integrations, and workflows
Starting at $8,000Deduplication and enrichment of existing contact data
Starting at $5,000Getting Started
Getting Started with CRM Service
Quick Start with Docker
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/buildlyio/crm-service.git
cd crm-service
# Start services
docker-compose up -d
# Create superuser
docker-compose exec api python manage.py createsuperuser
# Access API docs
open http://localhost:8000/api/docs
Create Your First Contact
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/contacts/ \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"first_name": "Jane",
"last_name": "Doe",
"email": "[email protected]",
"company": "Acme Inc"
}'
Connect to Buildly Core
# In settings.py
BUILDLY_CORE_URL = "https://your-buildly-instance.com"
BUILDLY_AUTH_ENABLED = True
GraphQL Query Example
query {
contacts(first: 10) {
edges {
node {
id
fullName
email
company {
name
industry
}
}
}
}
}
Documentation: https://docs.buildly.io/crm-service
Repository
🆓 Free Access Available
Purchase includes license + support
⚖️ Licensing & Support
Fair Hybrid License Model
🛠️ What's Included with Your Purchase
🌟 Open Source Community
What's Included:
- Complete source code access
- Commercial hosting license
- 30-day LabsChat support
- SLA: <1 day response
- Deployment configuration files
- Installation documentation
- Multiple deployment guides (Docker, K8s, GitHub Pages, Buildly Core)
- Community support access
Free for personal use • Commercial hosting requires license • Converts to Apache 2.0 after 24 months