CRM at Scale: Laravel SaaS CRM Case Study

Executive Summary

When Drish partnered with Zestminds, their US-based client Ralph Relign wasn’t looking for just another CRM — they needed a scalable, intelligent platform that could automate workflows, generate content, and support their sales growth across multiple touchpoints.

Zestminds delivered a custom SaaS CRM built with Laravel, integrated with OpenAI to enable smart features like AI-written sales emails, SEO-optimized landing pages, and automated deal follow-ups. In just 3 months, the platform increased team productivity by 3x, cut lead response time by 70%, and eliminated all manual tracking headaches.

This case study details how we built it — from strategy and execution to real business outcomes.

About the Client

Drish is a global software consulting firm that works with high-growth companies to modernize digital operations. Their US-based client, Ralph Relign, is a service-based organization scaling fast and struggling with fragmented tools, manual processes, and low visibility into the sales pipeline.

They needed a CRM platform tailored to their business model — something flexible, powerful, and intelligent.

The Business Challenge

Before the CRM was built, Ralph’s team was juggling between spreadsheets, scattered email threads, and outdated third-party CRM tools that lacked flexibility. This created:

• Missed follow-ups and cold leads
• Lack of accountability between teams
• No visibility into deal progress or team performance
• 100% dependency on manual workflows

The sales team spent hours every week just trying to stay organized — not actually closing deals.

They didn’t want "another SaaS subscription." They wanted a CRM that matched their business logic — and enhanced it.

The Solution: Custom CRM Foundation (Laravel-Powered)

Zestminds architected a powerful backend system using Laravel 10, paired with Vue.js for a responsive frontend, and Redis for queue and cache handling.

We designed the system from scratch to deliver:

• Modular roles and permission layers
• Activity timelines for each deal
• Smart task reminders, email logs, and alerts
• Seamless onboarding with minimal training curve

Every screen, table, and flow was custom-designed to match Ralph’s workflows — not the other way around.

The Innovation: AI-Powered CRM Capabilities

The client didn’t just want automation — they wanted intelligence.

We integrated OpenAI directly into the CRM, enabling sales teams to:

• Generate personalized follow-up emails in seconds
• Write landing page content using AI-trained SEO structures
• Autogenerate call-to-actions based on stage, industry, and sentiment
• Create templates for WhatsApp, SMS, and pitch decks — all AI-assisted

"Earlier, it took 20 minutes to write a good email. Now we hit 'Generate' and it’s done in 30 seconds — and it converts better." — Ralph Relign

This turned the CRM from a tool into a sales co-pilot.

Core Features We Delivered

CRM System Features

• Visual deal pipelines with drag-and-drop stages
• Role-based dashboards (Sales, Support, Admin)
• Real-time reporting on leads, deals, and performance
• Task automation and daily reminders
• Secure user management + audit logs

AI-Powered Modules

• OpenAI Email Writer
• AI Landing Page Generator (SEO-optimized)
• Smart CTA Recommender
• Content Snippets & Message Templates
• Multilingual AI content support for global teams

Tech Stack Used

Backend

• Laravel 10 (Modular MVC architecture)
• PHP 8.2
• MySQL 8
• Redis (Queue + Cache)

Frontend

• Vue.js + Inertia.js (SPA-style experience)
• TailwindCSS (Responsive design)

AI Integration

• OpenAI GPT-4 API (content generation, landing pages, CTAs)
• Structured prompt templates for consistency

Integrations

• Gmail API
• Slack Webhooks
• Zapier / Make
• Google Analytics

Infrastructure

• AWS EC2 (App hosting)
• AWS S3 (Storage)
• Docker + GitHub Actions (CI/CD pipeline)

Business Results That Mattered

In the first 90 days post-deployment:

• 70% reduction in lead response time
• 140+ hours/month saved in manual CRM tasks
• 25% higher email reply rate from AI-generated content
• 3x increase in qualified deals moved to next stage
• Full visibility into pipeline, tasks, and KPIs for leadership

The CRM became the operating system for sales.

Client Testimonials

"This is the first CRM that felt like it was built for us. Not something we had to adjust to." — Ralph Relign

"Zestminds didn’t just deliver a product. They understood the business problem, and solved it with tech that scales." — Project Manager, Drish

What’s Next

With the core CRM platform deployed, Drish and Zestminds are now working on:

• A mobile-first version for on-the-go sales
• Advanced AI lead scoring & predictive analytics
• Multi-language CRM interface
• Full integration with marketing automation stack

The roadmap is focused on scaling with intelligence — not just adding features.

Want an AI-Powered CRM Built for Your Business?

Zestminds builds custom SaaS CRM platforms using Laravel, OpenAI, and scalable cloud infrastructure — tailored for teams in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, and India.

Whether you're in sales, services, or B2B SaaS — if you're outgrowing spreadsheets and clunky tools…

Let’s build your CRM growth engine.

Book a Free CRM Strategy Call