Getting started and switching
Your path to Spice
Whether you start fresh, switch or change where Spice runs: the path follows clear steps. This page shows how, and who supports you.
Switching is a project, not a gamble
Many companies stay with their system longer than is good for them. Not because they are satisfied, but because a switch seems large and hard to oversee. What happens to years of data? Who knows the processes that have grown over time? And what if, in the end, less works than before?
These questions are justified. But they can be answered, and before the first row of data moves. A switch to Spice therefore does not begin with technology but with an honest comparison. What can your current system do, what do you really need, and how does Spice map it?
Spice is built on open, widely used technologies, not on a proprietary in-house construction. That makes the way in predictable and keeps every path open to you later on.
Where you stand today
Build from scratch
You currently work with spreadsheets, mailboxes and file shares, or you are introducing a system for the first time. Then you build Spice from the ground up, step by step and without legacy baggage.
Switch
You use software for customer relationships, personnel or quality management that has reached its limits. Then you keep what has proven itself and leave behind what slows you down.
Change where you run Spice
You use Spice in the Spice cloud and want to run it in your own data centre in future.
Starting fresh, without licence costs
Anyone introducing a system for the first time needs a good start, not a move. With Core you start free of charge and get to know Spice in everyday work. As soon as you need more, More unlocks all functions at fixed prices known in advance.
At the start, a clear data model matters more than the number of functions. Who maintains which data, who may see it, and how does it all connect? Defining this cleanly from the outset saves you from restructuring later.
- Core free of charge
- More with all functions
- Prices fixed and known in advance
Six phases to day-to-day operation
Every implementation follows the same framework, from the first review to day-to-day operation. It is not a rigid scheme but a proven sequence without gaps.
Phase 1
Clarify before you start
Before the project officially begins, we clarify the framework conditions together. Which systems and data exist today, and which of them does Spice cover out of the box? What technical environment is in place, and who is responsible for what? That way we set up Spice to fit from the outset instead of readjusting later.
Phase 2
Lay the foundation
At the kick-off we determine who works with which licence. We set up your tenant including your corporate design and brief your system administrators remotely. At the end of this phase, Spice is ready to work.
Phase 3
Map your organisation
We map your company in Spice: locations, departments, roles and permissions. Afterwards Spice knows who may see, edit and approve what.
Phase 4
Transfer data and processes
Your data moves via export or an interface. With an export, we map the fields in Spice. With an interface, we first check how completely the old system releases its data. If it is structured differently from Spice, we set up fields and processes to match beforehand. We then model your processes and set up the approvals. From now on, Spice works with your content.
Phase 5
Steer and measure
We set up key figures, reports and overviews so that you can always see how your processes are running. Spice then no longer just files things away but actively helps steer.
Phase 6
Check, train, hand over
Before operations switch over, we check the setup and data together with you. We train the people who work with Spice and hand over to day-to-day operation. After that, Spice continues to develop with you. Two releases a year are the aim; what changes each time is set out in the release notes.
What differs by product
SpiceCRM and SpiceHCM
The focus is on customer data, contacts, sales opportunities and contracts, as well as personnel master data. Customer databases usually move quickly. Personnel data is subject to particularly strict rules on data protection and access. We transfer it as of a fixed cut-off date and with precisely defined permissions. Focus and typical duration of the individual phases for SpiceCRM and SpiceHCM:
- Phase 1, clarify: what the old system does and what Spice covers. Typically 1 to 2 weeks.
- Phase 2, foundation: licences, tenant and briefing your system administrators. Typically a few days.
- Phase 3, organisation: locations, roles and permissions. Typically 1 to 2 weeks.
- Phase 4, data and processes: transfer via export or interface. Typically 1 to 4 weeks.
- Phase 5, steer and measure: key figures and reports. Typically up to 1 week.
- Phase 6, check, train, hand over: tests and training in 1 to 3 weeks. Switchover on the cut-off date in about 1 week.
SpiceQMS
In quality management, not only the current status counts but also how it was reached. This includes controlled documents with their versions, approvals, open actions and evidence for the next audit. These often sit in file shares, spreadsheets or other QM software. We time the switch to fit your audit cycle. With SpiceQMS, phase three also covers the competence matrix and job profiles, phase four the controlled documents and process map. The fifth phase adds the risk matrix and the register of measuring equipment subject to inspection. The sixth phase concludes with an internal system audit of conformity with the standard. Very small organisations can go live after four to six weeks. Medium-sized companies with several sites should plan for 16 to 24 weeks.
You do not have to switch everything at once. Many start with one product and add the others later. Because SpiceCRM, SpiceHCM and SpiceQMS run on the same platform, nothing drifts apart along the way. A complaint in service leads to a corrective action in quality management. This in turn gives rise to a training need in human resources, without reconciling separate systems.
From the Spice cloud to your data centre
Spice runs in the Spice cloud or in your own data centre. Moving to your own data centre later is even easier than switching from another system. It is enough to set up the servers and transfer the data, provided the technical requirements are met. We discuss what these are with your IT team.
From the Spice cloud to your data centre
Spice runs in the Spice cloud or in your own data centre. Moving to your own data centre later is even easier than switching from another system. It is enough to set up the servers and transfer the data, provided the technical requirements are met. We discuss what these are with your IT team.
Good software does not hold you captive.
It convinces you to stay.
Frequently asked questions
It remains your data. We transfer it via export or interface and map it in Spice. Whatever is no longer needed does not have to move with it; we clarify this in the first phase.
The Spice team itself or one of the partner companies that support switches to Spice.
Core is free of charge. With More you receive all functions at fixed prices known in advance. We discuss the effort for adjustments and data transfer once the current situation has been clarified.
That depends on the scope: how much data, how many processes and how differently the old system is structured. With SpiceQMS it takes between 4 and 24 weeks, depending on size and the extent of data transfer. For SpiceCRM and SpiceHCM, it takes between 4 and 16 weeks, depending on how much data and customisation is involved. We give a reliable estimate after the first phase, not before.
Yes. Spice is built on open technology, and your data remains exportable. We want you to stay because Spice is useful to you, not because leaving is difficult.
Talk to us.
What are you planning, and what is missing today? We reply personally and tell you plainly whether Spice is the right fit.
- You tell us what you have in mind.
- We get back to you personally by email.
- If you like, we show you Spice in a demonstration.
Prefer to talk directly? office@spicecrm.com+43 (1) 89083610