Getting Started Guide

Everything you need to know to set up and use Sage CRM effectively

Welcome to Sage CRM!

Congratulations on signing up! Follow this checklist to get your CRM up and running in minutes.

Initial Setup Checklist

1 Complete App Settings

Configure your business information, notification preferences, and contact details.

Admin Panel โ†’ General Settings

2 Configure SMS Settings

Set up your SMS gateway (Termii or Kudisms) to send order notifications to customers.

Admin Panel โ†’ SMS Settings

3 Add Products and Packages

Create your product catalog and package bundles for easy order processing.

Admin Panel โ†’ Products & Packages

4 Create User Accounts

Add your team members and assign appropriate roles (Staff, Supervisor, Accountant).

Admin Panel โ†’ Users

5 Set Up Product Form

Create an embeddable order form for your website or share the link with customers.

Admin Panel โ†’ Product Forms
Pro Tip: After completing these steps, you'll be ready to start receiving and processing orders!

App Settings

Configure your business information and notification preferences to personalize your CRM experience.

Business Information

Business Name

Your company name that appears in emails and notifications.

Business Email

Primary email address for system notifications and customer communications.

Customer Support Phone

Contact number that will be included in SMS messages to customers.

Notification Settings

Daily Order Summaries

Receive email summaries of daily orders, revenue, and key metrics.

Low Stock Alerts

Get notified when product inventory falls below threshold levels.

Notification Recipients

Add multiple email addresses to receive system notifications (comma-separated).

Make sure to use a valid business email to ensure you receive all important notifications.

SMS Settings

Configure your SMS gateway to automatically send order status updates to your customers.

Gateway Selection

Choose your preferred SMS service provider:

Termii

  • Support for Generic and DND channels
  • Balance checking available
  • Reliable delivery

Kudisms

  • Corporate SMS API
  • Auto-balance updates
  • Competitive pricing

API Credentials Setup

API Key

Your unique API key from your SMS provider's dashboard.

Sender ID

The name that appears as the sender of your SMS messages (must be approved by provider).

SMS Channel (Termii Only)

Choose between Generic (all numbers) or DND (Do Not Disturb numbers only).

Order Status Notifications

Enable SMS notifications for specific order statuses:

New Order
Pending
Confirmed
Scheduled
In Transit
Delivered
Not Picking Up
Number Off
Failed
Cancelled

SMS Balance

Termii

Check your SMS balance anytime using the "Check Balance" button in settings.

Kudisms

Your balance is automatically updated after each SMS is sent.

Note: SMS notifications help keep your customers informed about their order status, reducing support inquiries.

VAT & Tax Compliance

๐Ÿ†• New for 2026! Sage CRM now includes comprehensive VAT tracking and tax reporting tools to help you comply with Nigeria's new tax reforms.

Manage VAT calculations, generate invoices, and export tax reports with ease. Everything you need to stay FIRS-compliant and simplify year-end filing.

VAT Rate Configuration

Set and manage your VAT rate from the admin panel:

Default Rate

The system defaults to 7.5% (current Nigeria VAT rate).

Update VAT Rate

Navigate to Admin Panel โ†’ General Settings and update the VAT Rate field.

Recalculate VAT

After changing the rate, use the "Recalculate VAT" button on the Tax Reports page to update all existing orders.

VAT-Inclusive Pricing

All product prices in Sage CRM are VAT-inclusive:

Example Calculation:

  • Product Price: โ‚ฆ10,000.00
  • Subtotal (excl. VAT): โ‚ฆ9,302.33
  • VAT Amount (7.5%): โ‚ฆ697.67
  • Total: โ‚ฆ10,000.00

Formula: Subtotal = Total รท (1 + VAT Rate)

VAT-Exempt Products

Mark products as VAT-exempt according to FIRS guidelines:

How to Mark Products

Navigate to Admin Panel โ†’ Products โ†’ Edit Product, then check the "VAT-Exempt" checkbox.

Exempt Categories (Per FIRS)

  • Basic food items (staples, fresh produce)
  • Healthcare products and services
  • Educational materials and services
  • Electricity and essential utilities

Tax Reports Dashboard

Access comprehensive VAT reports from the Dashboard โ†’ Tax Reports menu:

Summary Cards:

1 Total Revenue - All orders in period
2 VAT Collected - Total VAT amount
3 Taxable Sales - Non-exempt products
4 VAT-Exempt Sales - Exempt products

Filtering Options:

  • Filter by custom date range (start date to end date)
  • View detailed order breakdown with VAT per order
  • See invoice status for each order

Available Actions

Export VAT Report (CSV)

Download complete VAT report with all order details for accountant or FIRS filing.

Generate Missing Invoices

Create sequential invoice numbers (INV-2026-0001, etc.) for orders without invoices.

Recalculate VAT

Update all orders with the current VAT rate (Admin only). Use after changing VAT rate in settings.

Invoice Generation

Sequential Numbering

Invoices are auto-numbered: INV-YYYY-0001, INV-YYYY-0002, etc.

Invoice Details Include:

  • Business name and contact information
  • Customer details (name, phone, address)
  • Order items with quantities and prices
  • VAT breakdown (Subtotal + VAT = Total)
  • Invoice number and date

Access Invoices

Click the invoice link in the Tax Reports table, or visit Orders โ†’ Order Detail โ†’ Generate Invoice.

CSV Export Format

Exported VAT reports include the following columns:

Column Description
Order IDUnique order identifier
DateOrder creation date
Customer NameFull customer name
Customer PhoneContact number
ProductsOrdered items
Subtotal (โ‚ฆ)Amount before VAT
VAT Amount (โ‚ฆ)Calculated VAT
Total (โ‚ฆ)Final amount (incl. VAT)
Invoice NumberSequential invoice number
VAT StatusTaxable or Exempt

Who Can Access Tax Reports?

Admin - Full access (including Recalculate VAT)
Supervisor - View reports, export CSV, generate invoices
Accountant - View reports, export CSV, generate invoices
Staff - No access to tax reports

Year-End Tax Filing Workflow

Follow these steps for smooth tax compliance:

  1. 1
    Set Date Range

    Navigate to Tax Reports and set the date range (e.g., Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2026).

  2. 2
    Review Summary

    Check the 4 summary cards to verify total revenue, VAT collected, and taxable vs exempt sales.

  3. 3
    Generate Invoices

    Click "Generate Missing Invoices" to create invoice numbers for all orders.

  4. 4
    Export CSV Report

    Click "Export VAT Report (CSV)" to download the complete report.

  5. 5
    Share with Accountant

    Send the CSV file to your accountant or use it for FIRS filing.

Pro Tip: Export monthly VAT reports to stay on top of your tax obligations throughout the year!

User Roles & Permissions

Sage CRM offers 4 user roles to help you manage your team effectively. Each role has specific permissions tailored to their responsibilities.

The first user created during signup automatically becomes an Admin.

Admin (Business Owner)

Full CRM access - Intended for business owners or managers.

Can Access:

  • All dashboard features and reports
  • Complete Admin Panel access
  • Order, customer, and inventory management
  • Payment records and financial data
  • Staff performance and statistics
  • SMS marketing and ad spend tracking
  • User management and settings
  • Subscription and billing management

Supervisor

Management features - For team leads and operations managers.

Can Access:

  • Dashboard and orders
  • Customer management
  • Payment records
  • Inventory management
  • Staff performance reports
  • CRM statistics and analytics
  • SMS marketing
  • Ad spend tracking
Cannot access: Admin Panel user management

Accountant

Financial features - For accounting and finance personnel.

Can Access:

  • Dashboard and orders
  • Customer information
  • Payment records (view, create, edit)
  • Inventory management
  • Tax reports and VAT compliance
  • Financial reports
Cannot access: Staff performance, SMS marketing, Ad spend

Staff

Basic order management - For order processing and customer service teams.

Can Access:

  • Dashboard (orders assigned to them)
  • View and update order status
  • View customer information
  • Process deliveries
  • Update inventory (agents only)
Cannot access: Reports, payment records, management features

Quick Permissions Comparison

Feature Admin Supervisor Accountant Staff
Orders Management
Customer Management
Payment Records
Inventory
Statistics & Reports
Staff Performance
SMS Marketing
Ad Spend Tracker
Admin Panel
Tax Reports & VAT
User Management
Best Practice: Assign roles based on job responsibilities to maintain security and workflow efficiency.

Admin Panel Guide

The Admin Panel is your control center for managing all aspects of your CRM. Only Admin users have access to these features.

Admin Panel is accessible only to users with the Admin role.

Orders Management

Comprehensive order management with advanced filtering and export capabilities.

Features:

  • View all orders with detailed information
  • Filter by status, date, assigned staff, and more
  • Bulk actions for efficient processing
  • Export orders to CSV/Excel
  • Track order history and status changes

Customer Management

Maintain your customer database with complete contact information and order history.

Features:

  • Add, edit, and manage customer profiles
  • View complete order history per customer
  • Search and filter customer database
  • Export customer lists
  • Track customer lifetime value

Products & Packages

Create and manage your product catalog and bundle packages.

Features:

  • Add products with pricing and descriptions
  • Create package bundles for combo deals
  • Manage product availability
  • Set up product forms for online ordering
  • Generate embeddable order forms

Inventory Tracking

Monitor stock levels and agent inventory for efficient operations.

Features:

  • Track product stock levels
  • Monitor agent inventory
  • Low stock alerts and notifications
  • Inventory movement reports
  • Stock adjustment capabilities

Payment Records

Track and manage all payment transactions with detailed records.

Features:

  • Record payments for orders
  • View payment history and summaries
  • Filter by date, amount, and status
  • Export payment reports
  • Track who recorded each payment

SMS Marketing

Send targeted SMS campaigns to your customer base.

Features:

  • Create and save SMS templates
  • Send bulk SMS to customer segments
  • Filter customers by order status or date
  • Track SMS delivery and logs
  • Monitor SMS balance

Ad Spend Tracking

Monitor your advertising expenses across different platforms.

Features:

  • Create ad accounts for different platforms
  • Track daily ad spending
  • Compare ad spend vs revenue
  • View spending trends and analytics
  • Export ad spend reports

User Management

Create and manage user accounts for your team members.

Features:

  • Add new users with roles
  • Edit user information and permissions
  • Set maximum orders per day for staff
  • Reset user passwords
  • Activate or deactivate accounts
Pro Tip: Regularly review your admin panel settings to ensure optimal CRM performance and security.