Your tools don’t talk to each other. So Sarah copies data from the website form to the CRM. Mike exports sales numbers weekly to update the reporting spreadsheet. Everyone is too busy to automate it.

This is expensive. Not in software costs, in human costs. Every manual data copy is time lost and errors introduced.

Here are seven integrations you should set up first.

1. Website Forms to CRM

The pattern: When someone fills out a form on your website, create a contact (or update existing) in your CRM and add them to appropriate lists or pipelines.

Why it matters: Manual lead entry delays response time and creates errors. Automating this means leads are in your system instantly, ready for follow-up.

How to implement:

• Many form builders (Typeform, Jotform, HubSpot Forms) have direct CRM integrations
• Zapier/Make can connect any form to any CRM
• Native integrations exist between most major website platforms and CRMs

Common variations:

• Route to different pipelines based on form answers
• Trigger immediate notification to sales
• Add to different email sequences based on source

2. CRM to Email Marketing

The pattern: Keep contacts synchronized between your CRM and email marketing platform. When someone’s status changes in CRM, update their email lists.

Why it matters: Without this, you send marketing emails to closed customers, or don’t email people who should hear from you. Lists get out of sync.

How to implement:

• Most CRM and email marketing tools have native integrations (HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign)
• If not native, Zapier handles most combinations
• Sync should be two-way when possible

Common variations:

• Move customers from prospect list to customer list on deal close
• Unsubscribe from marketing when someone requests support
• Segment by deal value or customer type

3. Sales Data to Reporting Dashboard

The pattern: Automatically pull sales data from your CRM into a reporting tool or spreadsheet for dashboards and analysis.

Why it matters: Manual report generation is tedious and often skipped. Automated dashboards mean always-current data without human effort.

How to implement:

• Google Looker Studio connects to many CRMs directly
• Zapier can push deals to Google Sheets as they close
• Many CRMs can push to BI tools via API

Common variations:

• Daily summary of pipeline changes
• Weekly revenue closed notification
• Monthly comparison reports

4. Calendar to Project Management

The pattern: When meetings are scheduled (especially client meetings), create tasks or update projects in your project management tool.

Why it matters: Meetings create work. Post-meeting follow-ups get forgotten without a system to track them.

How to implement:

• Direct integrations exist between major calendar and PM tools
• Zapier can create tasks when specific calendar events occur
• Some teams use meeting-specific tools like Fireflies that integrate with PM systems

Common variations:

• Create follow-up task for sales calls
• Add client meeting to project timeline
• Notify team of scheduled project reviews

5. Payment Processing to Accounting

The pattern: When payments come in through Stripe, Square, or similar, automatically record in your accounting software.

Why it matters: Revenue reconciliation is painful when payment data doesn’t flow to accounting. This also enables accurate cash reporting.

How to implement:

• Stripe and Square have native Xero and QuickBooks integrations
• These typically sync daily
• For real-time needs, Zapier can push individual transactions

Common variations:

• Create invoice on payment for services
• Update customer record with payment status
• Generate receipt emails automatically

6. Support Tickets to CRM

The pattern: When support tickets are created, update the contact record in CRM. When major issues are resolved, notify sales or account managers.

Why it matters: Sales shouldn’t contact customers during support issues. Account managers need to know when their customers have problems.

How to implement:

• Many helpdesk tools (Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom) integrate with major CRMs
• Zapier connects support and CRM systems
• Notifications can route to Slack or email for immediacy

Common variations:

• Flag CRM record when ticket is open
• Notify account manager of escalated issues
• Add support history to customer profile

7. Employee Systems to IT Setup

The pattern: When HR marks someone as starting, trigger IT provisioning. When someone leaves, trigger access removal.

Why it matters: Manual onboarding delays productivity. Manual offboarding creates security risks.

How to implement:

• HRIS systems like BambooHR often integrate with identity providers
• Zapier can connect HR tools to Google Workspace or other systems
• For security-sensitive offboarding, consider dedicated tools

Common variations:

• Create accounts in all systems on start date
• Disable access on end date (critical for security)
• Trigger onboarding task lists for managers

Starting Small

Don’t try to build all seven at once. Pick the one causing the most pain.

Most common starting point: Website forms to CRM. This is usually the easiest to implement and has immediate impact on lead response time.

Second most common: CRM to email marketing sync. This eliminates one of the most annoying manual processes.

Implementation Tips

Start with native integrations. If your CRM and email marketing tool have built-in connection, use it before reaching for Zapier. Native integrations are usually more reliable.

Test thoroughly. Run test data through the integration before going live. Check edge cases. What happens if a field is empty?

Monitor for failures. Integrations break. Data formats change, APIs update, tokens expire. Set up notifications for failures.

Document what you build. Someone needs to maintain this. Write down what each integration does and how to troubleshoot it.

Keep it simple. The most reliable integration is the simplest one. Avoid complex branching logic unless genuinely necessary.

When to Get Help

If you’re comfortable with technology, most of these are DIY-able with Zapier or Make. Plan for a few hours per integration.

If you’re not technical, or if the integrations involve complex logic or high-volume data, consider getting help. Many implementation consultants, including AI consultants Melbourne, can set up integration architectures that scale properly.

The Goal

Every manual data copy is a failure of integration. Every “we export that weekly” is a process waiting for automation.

Start with the most painful manual process. Automate it. Then move to the next.

Within a few months, your data flows automatically between systems. Your team focuses on work that matters, not copying and pasting between tools.