Some of our customers who are considering implementing a data warehouse often ask:
“Do we also need a CRM or an ERP—or both?”
The short answer? Probably. While a data warehouse helps you understand your business, and it can consume things like emails and spreadsheets and give very effective reporting, a CRM and ERP help your team run the business you want to report on and measure. And which one you need next depends on how your company sells, serves, and scales.
Let’s break down what these systems are, how they differ, and how to decide what’s right for your next step.
First, Define the Tools
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A CRM tracks your interactions with people—leads, customers, accounts, partners. It’s built to support sales, service, and marketing teams in managing relationships across time.
Use it for:
- Sales pipelines and quoting
- Customer support tickets or service calls
- Marketing emails or loyalty programs
- Contact notes, follow-ups, and segmentation
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
An ERP tracks the operational side—orders, inventory, fulfillment, finance. It’s typically the system of record for products, vendors, and accounting.
Use it for:
- Purchase orders, invoices, and inventory tracking
- Logistics and supply chain coordination
- Financials (P&L, balance sheet, COGS)
- Manufacturing or assembly workflows
Where They Overlap (and Don’t)
Both systems deal with customers and products—but from different angles:
| Feature | CRM | ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Outreach & Pipelines | ✅ | ❌ |
| Inventory & Fulfillment | ❌ | ✅ |
| Service Scheduling | ✅ | (Sometimes) |
| Invoicing & Financials | ❌ | ✅ |
| Marketing Campaigns | ✅ | ❌ |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | ✅ | ✅ (in different forms) |
How to Choose (and What Comes First)
Here’s how we usually frame the decision with growing brands:
Start with a CRM if…
- You’re managing a team of sales reps or account managers (especially in B2B or wholesale).
- You run service-based follow-ups—like installations, maintenance, or repairs.
- You have marketing efforts that need contact segmentation and automation.
- You don’t yet have a single view of all communication touchpoints (email, chat, calls, tickets).
Example: A company that imports patio furniture and offers custom quoting to hospitality clients. They also run summer email campaigns to homeowners. A CRM helps them keep the messaging and sales pipeline organized.
Start with an ERP if…
- You’re struggling with inventory chaos—overselling, stockouts, or missed POs.
- You’re juggling multiple warehouses, SKUs, or vendor lead times.
- You need a better handle on margin, COGS, and financial reporting.
- You want to tighten operations before scaling sales.
Example: A wellness brand that sells on Amazon, Shopify, and to spas. They started with spreadsheets but outgrew them as they scaled. Their ERP now centralizes inventory and syncs across channels.
What About Companies That Sell and Service?
Many product brands now offer both—like water filtration systems that include install and annual maintenance, or high-end appliances with white-glove delivery and repair.
In these cases, you’ll likely need both systems sooner than later:
- CRM: to manage customer lifecycle and field service.
- ERP: to manage parts, inventory, service scheduling, and invoicing.
So Where Does a Data Warehouse Fit?
While ERP and CRM are tools your team uses daily, your data warehouse is where you understand what’s happening—across all tools. It doesn’t replace either one, but instead makes their insights more powerful:
- Merging CRM contacts with ERP sales to reveal customer profitability.
- Tracking service response times and rep performance.
- Identifying churn risks based on support tickets, purchase frequency, or returns.
Think of your CRM and ERP as the “muscle” of your business. Your data warehouse? That’s the brain.
Final Thoughts
For CEOs of growing retail and product companies, it’s not a matter of if you’ll need these systems—but when, and in what order. Your business model, growth stage, and tech debt all play a role.
Need help sorting out where your systems stand—and how to future-proof them? Let’s talk. Our data warehouse platform works with the tools you already use, and helps you make smarter decisions about what to add next.