Accounts and contacts: organising the relationship

Understand the working context

An account records the customer organisation. A contact records an individual and their relationship to that account. A company may have several contacts, each involved in a different part of the work. Keeping those records connected helps colleagues understand who to speak to about a quotation, service question or next order. The structure also avoids repeating the same company information on every person’s record.

Put it into practice

• Choose one consistent account name for each customer organisation.
• Link contacts to the correct account and record their relevant role.
• Keep shared company information on the account.
• Review the relationship when people change jobs or responsibilities.

A practical example

A studio has a purchasing contact and an operations contact. Your sales colleague uses the first for commercial discussions and the second to confirm requirements. Both remain linked to the studio’s account, so the wider customer context stays visible. Agree how your team represents branches or separate legal entities before importing a large customer file.