Tier 1 CRM Audit Report
Sports Talent Scouting Organization
Overall CRM Health Score
This CRM is in critical condition. While the system shows a well-designed dual-pipeline structure, it's suffering from what we call "The Parking Lot Problem" - being used as a place to store names rather than as a workflow tool.
Pillar Score Summary
| Pillar | Score | Weight | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar 1: Data Quality & Hygiene | 22/100 | 30% | 10.65% email capture, 16.67% phone capture |
| Pillar 2: User Adoption | 41/100 | 25% | Only 11 emails logged; zero calls/meetings tracked |
| Pillar 3: Automation & Workflows | 30/100 | 20% | "Create Deal" workflow creating bloat; zero deal-stage automations |
| Pillar 4: Pipeline & Deal Management | 20/100 | 15% | 98.89% deals stuck in "Identified" - no progression visibility |
| Pillar 5: Reporting & Analytics | 25/100 | 10% | Cannot track scouter performance or prospect progression |
Pillars 6 (Lists & Segmentation) and 7 (Forms & Lead Capture) are supporting analysis sections and do not contribute separate scores.
Score Interpretation
Critical Findings Summary
"Parking Lot Problem" - CRM is a name list, not a workflow tool
Cannot communicate digitally with prospects/athletes
Cannot reach athletes/parents for recruitment conversations
Accountability gap across 8 scouters
Deal-Contact associations likely broken; cannot segment
Pipeline architecture issue - signed players should be "Closed Won"
Expected for talent scouting - recommend Scout Rating property instead
This organization's HubSpot CRM is in critical condition with an overall health score of 28/100. While the system shows a well-designed dual-pipeline structure tailored for hockey scouting operations (Talent Pipeline and Active Players), the CRM is suffering from what we call "The Parking Lot Problem" - it's being used as a place to store athlete names rather than as a workflow tool to track scouting progression.
The most urgent finding is that 98.89% of Talent Pipeline deals (535 of 541) are stuck in the first stage ("Identified"). This means leadership has zero visibility into which prospects are being actively scouted, evaluated, contacted, or progressing toward signing. The pipeline exists, but it's not being used as a pipeline - athletes are added when discovered and then left indefinitely without stage progression. This transforms a sophisticated scouting workflow into a static name database.
The contact data quality presents equally concerning gaps: only 10.65% of contacts have email addresses and only 16.67% have phone numbers. For a business that relies on communication with athletes, parents, and agents, this data gap severely limits outreach capability. The 100% OFFLINE source attribution suggests the database was built from imports (roster lists, league databases, or spreadsheets) rather than captured through direct engagement - which explains the missing contact details. The positive finding is that 99.85% of contacts have complete names, indicating legitimate athlete records exist but cannot be acted upon without contact information.
The 8-person scouting team shows reasonable ownership distribution among assigned records, though 38.70% of deals remain unassigned, creating accountability gaps. Activity analysis reveals a critical adoption issue: only 11 emails have been logged in HubSpot across the entire database (8 sent, 3 received), with zero calls and zero meetings tracked. This suggests either a "Shadow CRM" scenario where scouters communicate outside HubSpot, or that contacts simply aren't being engaged. The nearly 1:1 ratio of contacts (648) to deals (646) is explained by the "Create Deal" workflow that auto-generates a deal for every contact - good for ensuring no prospect is missed, but without subsequent engagement, these deals sit idle.
With proper stage progression discipline, contact data enrichment, and adoption training, this CRM could serve as a powerful scouting command center. Without intervention, it will continue functioning as an expensive athlete name list.
Pillar Scores Overview
Data Quality & Hygiene
Weight: 30%
10.65% email capture, 16.67% phone capture
User Adoption
Weight: 25%
Only 11 emails logged; zero calls/meetings tracked
Automation & Workflows
Weight: 20%
Workflow creating bloat; zero deal-stage automations
Pipeline & Deal Management
Weight: 15%
98.89% deals stuck in first stage - no progression
Reporting & Analytics
Weight: 10%
Cannot track performance or prospect progression
Detailed Pillar Analysis
Prioritized Recommendations
Priority 1: Critical Fixes (Immediate Action Required)
1.1 Fix Pipeline Stage Progression
The single most impactful fix for this CRM. 98.89% of Talent Pipeline deals (535/541) are stuck in "Identified" stage - this is the "Parking Lot Problem." The CRM provides zero visibility into scouting progress, making it impossible to track which prospects are being actively worked.
Implementation Steps:
- 1Hold a pipeline review session with scouting team
- 2Define clear criteria for each stage transition (e.g., "Scouted" = has been seen play in person)
- 3Review all 535 "Identified" deals and update to current actual stage
- 4Implement stage update as part of scouting workflow
- 5Create weekly pipeline progression report for accountability
1.2 Contact Data Enrichment Campaign
579 contacts missing email (89.35%) and 540 missing phone (83.33%). Without contact info, the CRM cannot support outreach to athletes, parents, or agents.
Implementation Steps:
- 1Export contacts missing email/phone
- 2Cross-reference with league databases, social media profiles, agent networks
- 3Bulk update enriched data
- 4Implement required fields for new contact creation going forward
1.3 Review and Modify "Create Deal" Workflow
The "Create Deal" workflow is auto-creating a deal for EVERY contact, resulting in pipeline bloat. This is likely creating deals for parents, coaches, and agents - not just athlete prospects.
Implementation Steps:
- 1Review the workflow trigger conditions in Settings > Automation > Workflows
- 2Add filters to only create deals for contacts that are actual athletes (e.g., based on a "Contact Type" property)
- 3Consider disabling temporarily while reviewing existing 646 deals for duplicates/non-athletes
- 4Re-enable with proper filters once contact segmentation is in place
1.4 Implement Scout Rating Property
Instead of requiring deal amounts (which don't apply to early-stage scouting), implement a Scout Rating custom property that allows scouters to quantify prospect potential.
Implementation Steps:
- 1Create custom deal property: "Scout Rating" (dropdown: 1-10)
- 2Define rating criteria (e.g., 10 = NHL ready, 5 = developmental prospect, 1 = unlikely)
- 3Require rating on all new deals
- 4Backfill existing deals during pipeline review
- 5Use rating for pipeline prioritization and reporting
This provides the prioritization benefits of deal amounts without requiring contract values that aren't available at the scouting stage.
Priority 2: Quick Wins (High Impact, Low Effort)
2.1 Create Deal Owner Assignment Workflow
38.70% of deals (250) have no owner. Create an automated assignment workflow.
Implementation: Workflow that assigns new deals based on territory, round-robin, or manual queue.
2.2 Enable Disabled Workflow
The workflow "Lead Status Updated To Signed > Update to Active" is currently DISABLED. This should likely be enabled for proper signed player tracking.
Implementation:
- Review the workflow logic in Settings > Automation > Workflows
- Determine why it was disabled (possible error or intentional)
- Enable if appropriate, or document why it's intentionally disabled
2.3 Fix Pipeline Probability Configuration
Pipeline probabilities don't increase with stage progression. This breaks weighted forecasting.
Implementation: Settings > Objects > Deals > Pipelines > Edit probabilities:
- Identified: 10%
- Scouted: 25%
- Evaluated: 35%
- Contacted: 50%
- Invited: 65%
- Decision Pending: 80%
- Signed: 100%
- Not Selected: 0%
2.4 Assign Unowned Contacts and Deals
221 contacts and 250 deals are unassigned. Assign to appropriate scouters.
Implementation:
- Export unassigned records
- Review and assign by territory/specialization
- Implement owner assignment workflow for new records
2.5 Verify Deal-Contact Associations
The nearly 1:1 ratio of contacts (648) to deals (646) combined with 98.30% missing lifecycle stages suggests deals may not be properly associated with contacts (orphaned records).
Implementation:
- Export deals and check "Associated Contacts" field
- Identify orphaned deals (no contact association)
- Link deals to appropriate contact records
- Enable full athlete profile views in contact timeline
Priority 3: Major Projects (High Impact, Requires Planning)
3.1 Lifecycle Stage Implementation
98.30% of contacts have no lifecycle stage. Implement proper staging for scouting context.
Implementation:
- Define lifecycle stages for scouting (Prospect, Contacted, Evaluating, Negotiating, Signed, Alumni)
- Bulk update existing contacts based on deal pipeline stage
- Create workflow triggers for automatic stage progression
3.2 Active Players Pipeline Architecture Review
All 105 Active Players deals are in "Signed Player" stage. This is an architecture issue - signed players should arguably be "Closed Won" deals in the Talent Pipeline, with Active Players tracking player STATUS rather than deal progression.
Implementation Options:
- Option A: Use Active Players pipeline correctly by progressing players through status stages (Active, In Development, Injured, etc.)
- Option B: Move signed players to "Closed Won" in Talent Pipeline and use custom properties for player status tracking
- Train team on ongoing status updates regardless of approach
DIY Quick Fixes
The following items can be addressed by your team using HubSpot's built-in tools:
| Fix | How To | HubSpot Location |
|---|---|---|
| Review "Create Deal" workflow | Check trigger conditions for bloat | Settings > Automation > Workflows |
| Fix pipeline probabilities | Edit stage > Update probability percentage | Settings > Objects > Deals > Pipelines |
| Create Scout Rating property | Add custom dropdown property (values 1-10) | Settings > Objects > Deals > Properties |
| Review disabled workflow | Check "Lead Status > Active" workflow | Settings > Automation > Workflows |
| Review unassigned deals | Filter deals by "Owner" = Unassigned | CRM > Deals > Add filter |
| Review stale prospects | Filter deals by "Create date" > 90 days + Stage = Identified | CRM > Deals > Add filter |
| Export contacts for enrichment | Select all > Export | CRM > Contacts > Actions |
| Check deal-contact associations | Filter deals by "Associated contacts" = 0 | CRM > Deals > Add filter |
These self-service fixes are provided as a value-add. For hands-on support, contact us.
Appendix
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Report generated January 2, 2026 | CRM Audit performed by MapMatix