Keeping Your Credit Union CRM Platform in Check: A Guide to Regular Audits

As a credit union marketer, you depend on your customer relationship management (CRM) platform to keep your marketing and sales activities running smoothly and effectively. With it, you can easily create targeted, personalized campaigns that appeal to both current and prospective members. But have you ever wondered if your CRM platform is performing as it should? Do you know if there are any errors or security breaches that could compromise the integrity of your data?

Regular audits can help answer these questions and keep your CRM platform in check. In this article, we will explore the importance of auditing your CRM and the benefits it can bring to your credit union marketing and sales team, along with best practices to help you decide between self-auditing or working with an agency for a complete portal audit.

Why Audit Your CRM Platform?

Auditing your CRM platform is essential to ensure that it is performing optimally and securely. An audit can help identify any weaknesses or gaps in the system, which can then be addressed to improve member service and satisfaction. By regularly auditing their CRM, credit unions can stay ahead of potential issues and make data-driven decisions to enhance their overall operations.

Here are some of the benefits of auditing your CRM platform:

Identify security risks: Credit unions deal with sensitive financial information of their members, making them a prime target for cybercrime. Multi-factor authentication, encryption, and regular audits can help protect the CRM system and the data stored within it.
Ensure compliance: Auditing can help ensure that your CRM platform complies with relevant regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and damage to a credit union's reputation—something that regular audits can help you avoid.
Improve efficiency: Auditing can help identify areas where your CRM platform can be improved, such as automating certain processes or reducing manual data entry. When implemented correctly, automation saves credit union marketing teams time and resources while improving member satisfaction and retention, as well as driving new membership growth. Additionally, automation can reduce errors and ensure consistency in communication and service delivery.
Monitor performance: Auditing can help monitor the overall performance of your CRM platform, including any issues that could potentially cause delays or downtime. A poorly performing CRM can lead to frustrated members, missed sales opportunities, and decreased profitability. Regular audits can help credit union marketers ensure their CRM is properly maintained and utilized.

The Auditing Process: Self-Auditing vs. Working with an Agency

There are two main options for auditing your CRM: self-auditing or working with an agency. Self-auditing can be a cost-effective solution, as you won't have to pay for outside help. However, it requires a significant amount of time and expertise to conduct a thorough audit. On the other hand, working with an agency can provide you with expert knowledge and experience, saving you time and ensuring a comprehensive audit. Additionally, agencies may offer ongoing support and recommendations for improvement.

Ultimately, the decision between self-auditing and working with an agency depends on your budget, resources, and level of expertise. If you have the necessary skills and time, self-auditing may be a viable option. However, if you're looking for a more efficient and effective solution, working with an agency may be the way to go.

Self-Auditing Your Credit Union CRM

If you choose to self-audit your credit union's CRM, the process includes several key steps:

Create an audit plan: Before you begin the audit, you'll want to create a detailed plan to guide your work. Define the scope of the audit, the timeline, and the resources needed to perform the audit.
Identify key stakeholders: Determine who will be involved in the audit and what role they will play. Consider including your sales and marketing teams, members of the I.T. department, and senior management.
Conduct the audit: Review the CRM platform's configuration, security settings, user permissions, and data integrity. You may also need to run vulnerability scans and penetration tests to identify any potential security threats.
Document findings: Document all the findings from the audit, including any issues or recommendations for improvement. This will serve as your source of truth when you implement optimizations inspired by the audit.
Address findings: Take action to address any issues found during the audit. This may involve updating security settings, improving data quality, or implementing new processes to improve efficiency.

Benefits of Working with an Agency for a CRM Audit

Rather than self-auditing your credit union's CRM, you may opt to have an agency conduct it for you. This can be especially helpful if your internal team lacks the experience or technical knowledge to conduct a thorough audit. Some of the benefits that an agency can bring to the table for your audit include:

Identifying areas for improvement: An agency can help you identify areas where your CRM is falling short and provide recommendations on how to improve it.
Optimizing workflows: By analyzing your current workflows, an agency can suggest ways to streamline processes and make them more efficient.
Ensuring data accuracy: An agency can review your data entry processes and suggest ways to ensure that your data is accurate and up-to-date. They can also help you take care of any duplicate records.
Improving reporting capabilities: An agency can help you create custom reports that provide valuable insights into your credit union's operations.
Enhancing user adoption: An agency can provide ongoing training and support to help your team fully utilize the features of your CRM, increasing user adoption and engagement.
Staying up-to-date with best practices: An agency can keep you informed about the latest trends and best practices in CRM management, ensuring that your system stays relevant, effective, and compliant.
Driving membership growth: Successfully auditing your CRM is a surefire way to improve your marketing and sales performance, thus growing your credit union's membership.

If you do decide to have an agency audit your CRM, be sure to choose a partner agency that is an expert in the financial industry. Our Portal Optimization Audit is specifically designed to support credit union marketing, sales, and service teams. You'll come away with actionable insights to improve data quality, drive marketing performance, and boost sales team efficiency.

Best Practices for Auditing Your CRM Platform

Whether you choose to self-audit your credit union's CRM platform or work with an agency, there are some best practices to keep in mind:

Conduct regular audits: Perform audits at least once a year, or more frequently if there have been significant changes to the platform or if members have reported issues. The good news is that once you've conducted an initial audit and implemented optimizations, future audits will consume less time and resources.
Assign ownership: Assign ownership of the audit process to a specific individual or team to ensure accountability and follow-through on recommendations. The audit owner should handle the self-audit process or coordinate with the partner agency on the project.
Involve key stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders in the audit process, including IT, compliance, and member services. This will help ensure that no existing or potential issues are overlooked, especially when self-auditing.
Keep up-to-date with regulations: Stay up-to-date with relevant regulations, such as GDPR or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to ensure compliance. Your partner agency should also be familiar with these regulations and conduct your audit with them in mind.
Address issues promptly: Address any issues found during the audit promptly to minimize risk and maintain member trust. At GreenHouse Agency, we provide a scorecard to help you create a roadmap to success.

Regular audits can help keep your credit union's CRM platform in check, ensuring that it is performing optimally and securely. By following best practices and staying up-to-date with regulations — or working with a partner agency that keeps these factors in mind — you can help protect your members' sensitive information and improve overall efficiency.

Auditing a CRM platform regularly is essential to maintaining the integrity of a credit union's financial information about its members. A properly conducted audit will identify and address any issues or inefficiencies, ultimately leading to improved member satisfaction and retention. Additionally, a well-audited CRM platform can help credit unions' marketing and sales teams better understand their members' needs and preferences, allowing them to tailor their services and offerings accordingly.

Are you ready to invest in the benefits of a CRM audit? At GreenHouse Agency, we offer a HubSpot Portal Optimization Audit designed for marketing, sales, and service teams in the financial industry. We’ll dive into your portal, provide expert insight, and help your team get back on track to stay competitive and provide exceptional member experiences. Click here to learn more and take your portal to its maximum potential!