Let's do an experiment

We prepared terms of reference and business process diagrams, which were sent to 30 integrator companies.

They were selected from the rating of Bitrix24 partners, ordinary companies that were in the top of the search on the Internet, and Yandex.Direct advertisements. The choice was made only in favor of large and competent integrators.

This is what the TK looked like

According to the information in the letter, the implementation was required to be carried out in a typical company that provides services for the installation of video surveillance and security systems, “husband for an hour”, plumbing services. Additional conditions were specified:

As a result, we got prices

What was learned during the study

Main points:

Any customer company that wants to integrate Bitrix24 into its work will face a similar situation. You will receive a large number of offers with a wide range of prices.

Why is there such a situation?

To answer this question, you need to determine what niche the IT integrator company occupies. It takes over the execution of several companies at once:

• consulting company;

• Service IT company, where various IT specialists work - using Bitrix24 for setting up, using 1C for integrating CRM and accounting applications, using Internet telephony, using websites;

• Outsourcing development companies, if there are improvements or individual developments in the project structure.

Given the above, there are several points in the work of the integrator:

1. If the software (software) were simple enough to set up and use, there would be no need for IT integrators. If you are already working in Bitrix24, then remember that the process of using the platform began with tasks and the help of a third-party company was not needed. And when trying to implement a full-fledged CRM and use business processes, difficulties arise that cannot be solved on their own. In the future, the developers of complex applications themselves must take care to make it easier to implement their products. If a solution appears on the market that, due to its simplicity, does not require an integrator for implementation, it will take a leading position and other developers will implement the same capabilities in their products. Then only improvements will be needed from integrators.

2. The average quality of services provided by IT integrators will always be worse than in consulting or service companies. To make an IT integration company, you need to create three companies at the same time (see above). It's 3 times harder to do it.

3. The implementation price consists of three components: consulting, service function (setting up the platform and connecting integrations), and development.

Each of the companies that participated in the study has its own distribution of consulting, service and outsourcing development functions.

For example,if the company does not provide consulting services and it does not develop, then when familiarizing themselves with the TOR, its specialists estimate the number of specialists needed for implementation, after which they make a calculation. At the same time, some items from the TOR cannot be performed absolutely or are performed with the help of "crutches". Such a company offers to complete the task in part and postpone the rest for later. Or completely silent about the impossibility to fulfill some points of the TOR.

If the company also has a consulting component, then she proposes to conduct a study of business processes in the company, communicate with employees and clarify the technical specifications, and then carry out adjustments and improvements.

If the company specializes in outsourcing development, they, when familiarized with the TOR, are looking for items that cannot be implemented using standard CRM tools. This means that it will be necessary to make improvements, the cost of which can reach 1 million rubles.

What prices can be considered adequate?

This is not a completely correct question, given that all companies operate in this market. If all companies from the list are successfully operating in the market, then their services are in demand at the price they offer. That is, the cost is adequate for a specific segment of customers.

A better question iswhat services the customer needs and what is the cost of these services for the customer.

There are several options here

1. The customer is well acquainted with the business processes in the company, the manager alone makes the decision and knows exactly how Bitrix24 works, what can and cannot be done in it. When ordering, the client can say for himself which business processes and at which facilities will be implemented. In this case, the consulting service is not needed. It is enough to draw up a technical specification and competently convey your wishes to technical specialists. Then the setup can be performed by one specialist, and the cost will range from 20 to 50 thousand rubles.

2. The customer is a large company, several line managers are involved in CRM integration, there is a need to optimize business processes. In this case, you will need a consulting component, which will cost about 100 thousand rubles. The setup itself will also cost from 100 thousand rubles, and additional integrations - from 50 thousand rubles. The total cost of such an implementation ranges from 250 to 500 thousand rubles.

3. The customer wants to implement Bitrix24, but he needs additional features and tools that are not available in the standard version of the platform. In this case, individual modifications will be required. Or the company needs to implement complex CRM integration with 1C accounting applications. The cost of implementation will include the costs from the previous paragraph, plus each development costs from 100 thousand rubles. The total cost of such an implementation will be about 1 million rubles or more.

A few tips for those who want to estimate the budget for the implementation of the project

1. It is not recommended to send TK in bulk to a large number of companies.
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This option has several disadvantages:
• compiled by the customer will be incomplete and it is impossible to make an accurate assessment on it;
• executing companies can underestimate the cost of implementation, trying to get a customer and close possible cash gaps;
• if the company has many clients, it may ignore the request, and the customer will lose a good performer.
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When choosing a contractor, it will be more effective to communicate by phone and hold personal meetings.
 

2. A stepwise cost estimate is recommended
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It makes no sense to ask the contractors for the full cost of the project if the implementation of CRM involves a large amount of work. It is not possible to obtain an accurate cost estimate for the entire project.
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It is advisable to highlight the most important works and include them in the first stage of implementation, and then ask the performers to evaluate this particular stage.