CRM VS COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE

Using Salesforce for License Tracking? Here's Why That's Like Using a Forklift to Move a Couch

CRMs are brilliant at what they do (managing sales). They're just massively overcomplicated and overpriced for compliance tracking.

Try ExpiryEdge Free (Actually Built for This)

Conversation I Had Last Month with a Compliance Director:
"We've been using Salesforce to track our 200 professional licenses for 18 months. Our VP of Sales insisted— 'We already pay for Salesforce, why buy another tool?' So IT spent 6 weeks building custom objects, workflows, and email alerts. Cost us $18,000 in consultant fees. The system works... technically. But simple tasks are complicated: Adding a license requires filling out 15 fields because Salesforce wants to know the 'Opportunity Stage' and 'Lead Source' (it's a license, not a lead!). Our team hates it. I secretly started a trial of ExpiryEdge last week. Imported all 200 licenses from Salesforce in 12 minutes. Set up everything I needed in 30 minutes. Now I'm trying to figure out how to tell my VP we wasted $18K when a $69/month tool does it better."
— Rebecca K., Compliance Director, Professional Services Firm

Why People Try Using CRMs for Compliance (And Why They Switch)

The Logic Seems Sound:

"We already pay for Salesforce/HubSpot"Why buy another subscription when we have this powerful tool?
"CRMs can track anything with dates"If it can manage sales pipeline, surely it can track license renewals
"Our team already knows the system"No learning curve, no adoption challenges
"Everything in one place"Keep all business data in a single system

The Reality After 6 Months:

$15,000-50,000 in customization costsConsultants, custom objects, workflows, email templates, reports
Team frustration"Why do I need to fill out Lead Source and Opportunity Stage for a nursing license?"
Ongoing maintenance burdenEvery Salesforce update breaks workflows, requires IT to fix
Still miss deadlinesCRM email alerts go to spam, workflows fail silently, dates don't sync to calendars

The Real Cost Comparison (50-Person Team Tracking 150 Licenses)

Everyone focuses on monthly subscription costs. Nobody calculates the actual total cost of ownership.

Cost Component	CRM (Salesforce/HubSpot)	ExpiryEdge
Monthly Subscription	$75/user × 10 users = $750/month (Only compliance team needs access in CRM)	$69/month (flat rate, unlimited users)
Initial Setup / Implementation	$12,000-40,000 • Custom objects for licenses ($3,000) • Workflow automation ($4,000) • Email alert templates ($2,000) • Custom reports/dashboards ($3,000) • Integration with calendar ($2,000) • Training ($2,000-5,000)	$0 • Works out of the box • 30-minute setup • No consultants needed
Ongoing Maintenance	$200-500/month Salesforce admin time to fix broken workflows, update reports, troubleshoot issues	$0 No maintenance required
Data Migration	$2,000-8,000 Consultant to map spreadsheet data to custom CRM objects	$0 (Free CSV import, 15 minutes)
Training Time Per User	4-8 hours × 50 employees = 200-400 hours @ $55/hr = $11,000-22,000 in labor cost	15 minutes × 50 employees = 12.5 hours @ $55/hr = $687 in labor cost
YEAR 1 TOTAL COST	$34,000-72,000	$1,515
COST SAVINGS WITH EXPIRYEDGE	$32,485-70,485 in Year 1

Real Numbers from Our Customer Survey (2024):

• 87% of teams who tried using CRM for compliance switched within 18 months
• Average total cost spent on CRM customization before switching: $31,400
• Average time from "let's use our CRM" decision to ExpiryEdge trial: 14 months
• Most common quote: "We should've just started with the right tool."

What You Actually Need vs. What CRMs Force You To Deal With

What You Need:

Add license with expiration date
Automatic alerts 90/60/30 days before
Assign to specific person
Upload renewal certificate
See dashboard of upcoming renewals
Export audit report

What CRMs Make You Do:

Create custom objectBuild data structure from scratch
Configure workflow automationIF date < 90 days THEN send email UNLESS...
Design email templatesMerge fields, formatting, testing
Build custom reportsDrag fields, apply filters, save views
Set up file storage integrationConnect to Box/Dropbox/SharePoint
Train everyone on your custom setup'Here's how WE configured Salesforce...'

How ExpiryEdge Works:

Click "+ Add License"Pre-built for this exact use case
Alerts work automaticallyNo configuration needed
Select from dropdown or type nameTakes 3 seconds
Click "Upload" buttonAttaches directly to license record
Dashboard loads on homepageNo setup, just works
Click "Export Report"PDF generated in 10 seconds

To Be Fair: When Using a CRM Actually Makes Sense

We're not saying CRMs are bad. They're incredible tools—for the right use case:

You need contract lifecycle management AND sales pipeline in one systemEnterprise teams managing vendor relationships from prospect to renewal
Your licenses are directly tied to customer accountsE.g., software resellers tracking client licenses as part of account management
You have a dedicated Salesforce admin on staffSomeone who loves building workflows and maintaining complex systems
Budget is unlimited and IT time is free(We've never met this team, but theoretically they exist)

Real talk: If you're tracking professional licenses, certifications, insurance renewals, or permits— things where the primary goal is "don't let this expire"—a purpose-built tool will save you time, money, and sanity.

Save the $30K+ CRM Implementation Budget

ExpiryEdge: Built for compliance tracking. Works in 30 minutes. Costs $69/month.

Start Free Trial (No CRM Consultant Required)

Import your data from Salesforce/HubSpot in minutes. See what simple feels like.