CRM, ERP, task managers—what do you really need?

As a business grows, teams often face the same problem: they require something to organize their work, but it's not clear what exactly. The sales department leans toward CRM, project managers toward a task manager, and someone else suggests “everything in one system” as a compromise.

So how do you choose task management software that will work for everyone? You need to understand what each system can do, where they overlap, and most importantly, what will help your business.

What is the difference between a CRM, ERP, and task manager?

Understanding the differences between these tools helps you avoid two common mistakes: overpaying for features you'll never use and resistance from a team that doesn't understand why a new system is needed.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

CRM is a system for managing customer relationships. Here we work with everything related to customers and sales. CRM stores information about each customer (current, former, and potential), tracks the stages of deals, and helps you avoid losing potential buyers.

The main functions of CRM are a customer contact database, sales funnel, interaction history, sales analytics, and communication automation. The system answers questions such as “Who are our customers?”, “What stage is each deal at?”, “When was the last contact?”, and so on.

According to Nucleus Research, the average return on investment in CRM is $8.71 for every $1 spent. Some companies, such as Omega Financial, report a 45% increase in sales in the year after implementing CRM.

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)

ERP is a resource planning system. It covers all key processes of a company and serves for centralized management of many areas of work, from HR to supply chain management. ERP integrates finance, warehousing, purchasing, production, personnel, and more.

The main goal of ERP is to provide all the necessary tools for process management while minimizing the number of platforms used by the company.

Replacing disparate accounting systems with a single ERP significantly improves accuracy and efficiency. For example, N&N Moving Supplies was able to reduce payroll processing time by 84% after implementing ERP.

Task Manager

A task manager is a system for managing tasks. Such applications are designed to plan work and monitor the execution of tasks (both general and within individual projects). It is a tool that helps distribute responsibilities among team members and track progress.

Task manager features include project planning, task creation, deadline setting, assigning responsibilities, and tracking progress and completion statuses. To illustrate, here is an example of what a task manager might look like in the Tracy system:

According to PMI surveys, companies that use structured project management methods achieve their initial goals 38% more often than companies that don't have a clear system.

What to choose: CRM, ERP, or task manager?

Deciding on the system for your business starts with answering three questions.

What tasks need to be solved?

Sales and customers—CRM

If your main problem is chaos in customer relations, lost deals, or lack of control over sales, you need CRM. This system performs specific tasks: it prevents you from losing potential customers, helps you understand why sales are falling, automates routine communication processes, and forecasts revenue based on current deals.

Given the widespread adoption of AI in software, CRM opens up even more possibilities. According to a report from Salesforce, 83% of sales teams that actively use AI features in CRM have increased their revenue over the past year. Among those who do not use AI, this figure is 66%.

Finance, HR, procurement—ERP

ERP is needed when you can't quickly get answers to questions about the state of your business.

How much money is in the accounts? What is the cost of the product? When will the goods in the warehouse run out? How much are we spending on salaries? The system combines data from different departments and provides a complete picture. Instead of collecting reports from accounting, warehousing, and HR, managers can see all the information in one place. ERP is especially useful when a company has several departments and tasks and processes overlap.

After all, as Bill Gates aptly notes, “How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose”.

Task planning and teamwork—task manager

A task manager solves the problems of organizing the work of an individual team. When tasks get lost in correspondence, no one knows who is responsible for what, or deadlines are constantly missed, it is worth considering a task manager: this is where it will work best. A task manager cannot replace CRM in customer relations or ERP in financial management, but it will make teamwork transparent and manageable.

However, don't underestimate the effectiveness of this solution. For example, for the company Scan2Cad, transferring all processes to a task manager saved “hours of work and thousands of dollars” by eliminating 10 separate tools.

Who will be the users?

Small businesses and freelancers—task manager

A task manager is usually sufficient for teams of up to ten people or individual entrepreneurs. Such businesses rarely have complex financial processes or large sales volumes, which are much better handled by specialized platforms.

And yet, according to a monday.com survey, 54% believe that task automation tools could save them 5 hours or more.

Sales department—CRM

As Jeff Bezos said, “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better”. CRM takes into account the specifics of working with customers, its stages, and analytics needs. Even if the sales department uses a general task manager, it will most likely still need CRM to manage deals.

In addition, research by McKinsey shows that digital sales leaders increase team productivity by an average of 30% through automation and CRM analytics.

Large organization with multiple departments—ERP

Companies with multiple departments, complex financial structures, and diverse business processes need ERP. When an organization has dozens or hundreds of employees, it is important to have centralized resource management. ERP allows different departments to work with shared data, automates document flow between departments, and provides tools for strategic planning.

How flexible should the solution be?

Maximum customization, but with complex settings—CRM and ERP

Specialized CRM and ERP systems offer extensive customization options for specific business processes. Here you can create your fields, configure automation, integrate with other systems, and generate unique reports (although this will take a lot of time).

For example, a report from Panorama Consulting Group confirms that when implementing ERP systems, 50.4% of organizations improve their processes to make them compliant with industry standards for new corporate solutions.

Quick start, but fewer features—task manager

Most task managers can be set up in a few hours and used immediately. Applications of this type have an intuitive interface and standard templates for typical tasks. However, flexibility is limited.

Task managers are designed to bring people together to achieve common goals, which is the foundation of any process. Walt Disney once said, “Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal”.

A compromise between simplicity and functionality—universal all-in-one systems

Automated all-in-one platforms are the best option when a team needs several systems. In this case, we are really talking about “all in one”.

Universal platforms combine the functions of CRM, task manager, and ERP (at least its basic capabilities). They are simpler than specialized ERP systems but more functional than conventional task managers. The compromise is that some features may be less flexible than in specialized solutions or may be missing altogether.

As an alternative, you can consider gradually implementing full-fledged ERP and CRM, as they did at Ronin Gallery (art gallery, USA). As a result, staff productivity has doubled—the gallery now holds about 50 exhibitions a year with a team of only 4 people. All customer data is stored in the CRM, allowing a single manager to provide personalized service to over 30,000 customers and avoid overlaps when selling artworks.

Comparison table: CRM, ERP, Task Manager

Function	CRM	ERP	Task Manager
Customer management	Yes	Partially (in modular solutions)	No
Financial management	No	Yes	No
Task planning	Limited (built-in)	Yes (depends on the platform)	Yes
Reporting and analytics	Yes	Yes	Yes (in a simpler form)
Integrations with other systems	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customization flexibility	Medium	High	High (depends on the service)
Ease of use	Medium	Low (due to complexity)	High
Support for Agile / Kanban / Scrum	Partially	Partially (in modular ERP)	Yes (in most modern services)

CRM, ERP, and task managers for the Ukrainian market

Let's take a look at five popular systems that are actively used in our market.

NetHunt CRM

System type: CRM

Functionality: Ukrainian CRM for project management that integrates directly into Gmail and Google Workspace. Allows you to manage sales, customer data, and marketing activities from your mailbox.

Key features: Lead generation, sales funnel management, email campaigns, and analytics tools. The system automates customer card updates and communication through various channels, including LinkedIn, messengers, and email.

Localization: Adapted for Ukrainian users, with a Ukrainian interface and documentation, as well as technical support.

Who it's for: Small and medium-sized businesses, teams that actively work with Google Workspace and conduct most of their team and customer communication via email.

Tracy

System type: A constructor in which you can assemble CRM, ERP, task manager, or other solutions from ready-made elements.

Functionality: A Ukrainian no-code system that combines task manager and CRM, ERP elements in one interface—but it is the client who chooses the necessary functionality for their needs. In this way, Tracy creates a single digital space for teamwork, where you can plan, track, and manage projects, clients, and business processes without switching between dozens of services.

Key features: The system is highly flexible, allowing you to decide only what you need—without overpaying for unnecessary features. Tracy offers various types of process visualization, such as Gantt charts, timesheets, workload, Kanban boards, and calendars:

Localization: Developed by a Ukrainian team, Tracy takes into account the specifics of local business and provides simple and effective management of all tasks in one place.

Who it's for: Teams that don't want to split functions across multiple systems. Businesses where project work is combined with customer service, but don't need lots of complex ERP features. Small and medium-sized teams across industries, service companies, and agencies that need both project management and basic customer management.

Want to learn how one platform covers all your key business tasks and can be customized to your needs? Try Tracy for free—no complicated setup or months of implementation!

Trello

System type: Task manager

Functionality: A visual workflow management tool that allows teams to generate ideas, plan, and manage work collaboratively, productively, and in an organized manner.

Key features: Kanban boards, lists for categorizing tasks, and cards for individual tasks. The cards contain descriptions, deadlines, checklists, tags, color coding, file attachments, task assignments, comments, a calendar, a table for working with lists, and a timeline for planning.

Localization: The interface is partially available in Ukrainian. English support is available, but its responsiveness and quality depend on the pricing plan.

Who it's for: Small teams, startups, freelancers, and agencies that need a simple visual tool for organizing tasks. It's well suited for projects with clear stages and a few participants (ideally up to ten people).

Uspacy

System type: All-in-one (CRM, task manager)

Functionality: Ukrainian platform for organizing teamwork. It is a corporate space that includes a CRM module, project management, internal communications, a calendar, and analytics.

Key features: Process configuration, task and subtask management, various types of reporting, time tracking, deal, contact, and company management, as well as sales funnel building and automation. A large number of integrations with messengers and social networks are available.

Localization: Completely Ukrainian development with a localized interface and Ukrainian technical support.

Who it is for: Small and medium-sized companies that want to centralize all business processes in one system. Organizations that need both CRM and task management. Teams willing to invest time in setup and training to manage complex processes through a single platform.

Odoo

System type: ERP

Functionality: An open-source ERP system that integrates all aspects of business management. The platform allows you to automate document flow between departments and generate detailed analytics and reports. Thanks to its modular architecture, you can start with basic functions and gradually add new features.

Key features: CRM, accounting and financial reporting, procurement management, HR (timesheets, leave, payroll), production planning and control, project management.

Localization: Partial Ukrainian localization. Adaptation to Ukrainian legislation through partners. Technical support is usually provided in English.

Who it is suitable for: Medium and large companies with complex business processes, retail chains, and manufacturing enterprises that need centralized management of all resources.

How to choose the right tool for your team

So, which is better: CRM or ERP? Or maybe a task manager is enough for you? Here are five practical steps to help you decide.

Define your main goal

Start with the main question: what problem do you want to solve first?

1. If you are losing potential customers, don't know your customer history, or can't predict sales, you need customer management and CRM.
2. When you lack control over finances, inventory, or business processes between departments, you need resource management and ERP.
3. If your team is missing deadlines, tasks are getting lost, or it's unclear who is responsible for what, you need task management and a task manager.

Assess the size of your team

It is worth considering not only the current composition, but also the scale for the next few years:

1. Up to five people: a simple task manager or basic CRM will suffice. Complex systems will be excessive and expensive.
2. 5-20 people: you can consider specialized CRM for sales or all-in-one solutions for comprehensive management.
3. 20-50 people: you need a system with advanced access rights, process customization, and integrations between departments.
4. More than 50 people: without an ERP system, it is difficult to ensure effective management. You need data centralization and process automation.

Determine your budget

It is best to allocate an additional 20-30% to your budget:

1. Calculate the annual cost based on the number of users, required features, etc.
2. Keep in mind that complex systems require configuration, data migration, and staff training.
3. If your team does not have an IT specialist, consider the cost of technical support.

Check integrations with other services

The lack of critical integrations can make a system ineffective, even if it is ideal in terms of functionality. Here are a few points to consider:

1. Email. Can the system work with your email client (Gmail, Outlook)?
2. Files. Does it work with Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud storage services?
3. Accounting. Is there integration with your accounting system (1C, FreshBooks, QuickBooks)?
4. Analytics. Can data be exported to Excel or Google Sheets for further analysis?
5. Communications. Does it connect to Slack, Telegram, or other messengers used by the team?

Select one or two systems for testing

After analyzing your needs, budget, and integration requirements, try the tool in practice:

1. Test it with real data. Add a few customers, create typical tasks or projects. This will help you understand how convenient it is to work with the system daily.
2. Evaluate the speed. Does the system freeze? Is it convenient to work from a mobile device?
3. Involve your team. Let everyone who will be working with the system test it and share their feedback.

And don't forget about support—contact the system team if you don't understand something. This is also a kind of test :)

Conclusions

Choosing between CRM, ERP, and a task manager is a decision about how convenient it will be for your team to work.

Don't try to buy a system “for the future.” It's better to decide on a simple tool that the team will use 100% than a complex platform that will work at 20% of its capacity. After all, the best project management software is the one that is used.

FAQ

How is CRM different from ERP?

CRM is designed to manage customer relationships and, accordingly, for sales and marketing teams. It works with the external side of the business—customer data, leads, deals, etc. ERP, on the other hand, covers the internal processes and resources of the company: finance, warehouse, production, personnel, and more.

Both systems automate business processes, but in different areas. However, CRM helps you earn more by improving service and increasing sales, while ERP helps you save and spend more efficiently by optimizing operations.

Can CRM and task managers be combined?

Yes, and this is quite a common practice. Most modern task managers support integration with CRM systems via API or ready-made plugins and appropriate settings. For example, when creating a new customer in CRM, a task to call them can be automatically generated in the task manager. Or sales tasks are displayed on the team board in the task manager. You can manage a deal in CRM and perform and monitor related tasks in the task management system, which is very convenient.

How to choose the best system for your business?

Identify your main needs and problems. If sales are sluggish, focus on CRM. If there is chaos in operations, look at ERP. If there are teamwork issues, start with a task manager. Next, assess your budget and resources for implementing CRM and ERP, i.e., whether you have IT specialists and time to train staff. Compare several options. Pay attention to the interface (is it understandable for the team), the availability of integrations, the flexibility of settings, and the cost of use.

Is a task manager suitable for managing the entire company?

No, it is not suitable if we are talking about the entire company. Task managers are great for task planning, project management, and team collaboration, but they do not cover financial accounting, inventory management, or comprehensive analytics. In other words, you cannot handle accounting or inventory issues with task managers alone. For comprehensive business management, you need either a broader system (ERP) or an all-in-one platform with extended functionality (including finance, inventory, and other modules).

Which is better for small businesses—CRM or ERP?

In most cases, a CRM system or even a task manager is sufficient. Small companies usually do not have internal processes complex enough to require a full-fledged ERP program for accounting and other tasks. Implementing such a system would be unreasonably expensive and time-consuming. CRM, on the other hand, will bring quick benefits if your small business works with customers. It will help you structure your customer base, increase sales, and automate marketing.