The Challenge
A defined workflow
with no infrastructure.
The client had a clear operational model: a BD lead handled business development, an ops lead ran operations, a field manager handled delivery. The problem was that the handoffs between them ran entirely through phone calls, text messages, and a spreadsheet maintained manually.
The process worked until it didn’t. At scale, handoffs get dropped, files get lost, and it becomes unclear who is responsible for what. Intel-Ventures identified this as a clear software problem and built a custom CRM to replace the spreadsheet.
No shared visibility. Each team member had their own mental model of what was happening. There was no single place to see where every client and project stood.
Manual handoffs between roles. Moving a client from onboarding to operations required a phone call. A missed call meant a delayed project.
No order tracking. Material requests were handled through ad-hoc communication with no record of what was ordered, when, for which project, or at what status.
No audit trail. If a dispute arose about what was agreed, there was no log to reference. No timestamps, no record of who approved what.
No external interface for field partners. Partners had to call or message to submit requests with no structured process and no way to track status.
The Workflow
Three phases.
One source of truth.
The CRM is organized around the actual client workflow, not a generic template. Every stage transition is logged with a timestamp and the user who made it. Every handoff triggers a notification to the next owner.
Onboarding
BD Lead
- Lead Info: capture new prospect
- Contact: initial outreach made
- Follow Up: cadence if no response
- Send Email: formal intro or proposal
- → moves to Ops Lead automatically
Work
Ops Lead + Field Manager
- Service Registration: client enrolled in program
- Credit Agreement: client signs
- PO: Purchase Order issued
- NTP: Notice to Proceed
- Send Quote → Field Manager notified automatically
- Approved? Quote approval decision
Collection
Field Manager + BD Lead
- Delivery / Pick Up: confirmed by Field Manager
- Invoice: sent to client
- Program Invoice: submitted to service platform
- Collection: payment tracked by BD Lead
The System
Beyond the pipeline.
Requests, formalized
A global orders view shows all requests across all partners with live stat cards (pending, approved, in progress, fulfilled, total value). Every request moves through a defined status lifecycle and is tied to both a partner record and a project record.
No login required
A public-facing portal accessible via a secure, pre-generated link. Field partners submit requests directly into the CRM — name, project reference, line items, and image attachments. On submission, the request lands in the system with a reference number and a confirmation of next steps.
No missed handoffs
Automated triggers fire at every role boundary: client moves to Service Registration (BD Lead → Ops Lead), quote uploaded (Ops Lead → Field Manager), quote approved (Field Manager → Ops Lead), delivery confirmed (Field Manager → BD Lead). Invoice overdue fires to BD Lead automatically.
Structured by responsibility
Every internal user has a role-encoded session that determines what they can see and do. Admin access allows full oversight. Standard access is scoped to the team member’s responsibilities. All session management runs server-side with enforcement on every route.
How We Think About It
Evaluate the product
before the infrastructure.
The client sees and approves the exact finished product on realistic demo data, then flips to live data in a single sprint. This separates the product conversation from the infrastructure conversation. No waiting for database setup to evaluate the experience.
No rewrites at go-live
Every feature is built against a clean data interface, not directly against the database. In the current demo, that interface returns realistic mock data. When the client greenlights the live product, only the data layer changes. No UI rewrites, no feature changes.
No exposed IDs
The partner portal uses secure, pre-generated access tokens rather than account logins or raw system IDs. Each token is unique to a partner, shareable via any channel, and can be rotated at any time without touching the portal experience.
Build Status
Demo live.
Database ready to wire.
The full product is navigable and functional on demo data today. The client team can log in, review every feature, and give feedback before any live database is committed.
Full navigable CRM with partners, suppliers, projects, and orders — all pages live
Theming, card and badge redesign, dark/light mode foundation
Secure session auth, login page, light/dark theme, fully mobile-responsive layout
BD→Ops→Field stage system; onboarding + work + collection checklists live
Orders system, public partner portal, token-based access
Awaiting partner greenlight; ready to wire on approval
Full management forms for partners, suppliers, projects, orders
What This Demonstrates
The workflow first.
The database third.
Intel-Ventures mapped a real three-person operations workflow from a shared spreadsheet and translated it into a structured CRM with role-based permissions, notifications, an orders system, and a public-facing partner portal. Production-quality demo shipped in under two weeks.
The approach reflects a deliberate philosophy: build the product the client can see and evaluate before asking them to commit to infrastructure. The mock and live versions of the product are architecturally identical — the client never has to imagine what they’re getting.
This is the model for how Intel-Ventures approaches early-stage custom software for operators: understand the workflow first, build a navigable product second, wire the database third.
Build With Us
Running your business
on spreadsheets?
If your team has a defined workflow but no shared system to run it through, we can build the platform that replaces the manual coordination. Every engagement starts with mapping the process.