How a Top 100 CPA Firm Unified Its CRM to Scale 20,000 Client Relationships
Client Overview
Hill, Barth & King LLC (HBK) is a Top 100 CPA and consulting firm with a national presence across 20 states. The firm serves more than 20,000 clients with audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services.
Known for its focus on client relationships and operational excellence, HBK sought to modernize its CRM to support future growth and build a scalable platform aligned with how the firm operates.
Client: Hill, Barth & King LLC (HBK CPA)
Industry: Professional Services (Accounting & Consulting)
Solution Delivered: Process-led integration rebuild, custom HubSpot architecture, and organizational change management
HubSpot Products Used: Sales Hub Enterprise, Marketing Hub, Operations Hub, Custom Objects
Timeline: October 2023 – Present (Ongoing Technical HubSpot Consulting Program)
Ashlee Miller
Information Services Admin
Key Outcomes
20,000+ Active Clients Synced Automatically
Client data now updates nightly without manual effort, ensuring accuracy and consistency at scale.
Duplicate Entry and Manual Gatekeeping Removed
Teams no longer spend time re-entering data, reducing errors and streamlining operations.
Third-Party Integration Tool Eliminated
Removing external tools restored full control of the system and simplified the tech stack.
HubSpot Established as the CRM of Record
A centralized CRM foundation now supports future scale and prepares the organization for ERP alignment.
Teams Fully Enabled and Adopted on HubSpot
Improved proficiency and confidence in the platform increased efficiency across departments.
The Challenges
Two years after implementing HubSpot, HBK was struggling with misaligned systems and data issues. The firm’s CRM and practice management platform, STAR, were not designed to work together. The result was operational friction, unreliable data, and frustrated teams.
Systems Working Against Each Other
The integration treated every HubSpot deal as a separate STAR job. This design did not match how HBK managed projects. Both systems were forced to work outside their intended structure, limiting performance and preventing users from realizing HubSpot’s full potential.
Data Integrity at Risk
Sync errors caused HubSpot to overwrite accurate STAR data. Duplicates appeared and billing data became unreliable. To prevent major issues, a person had to approve every sync manually. This created a bottleneck and eliminated the benefits of automation.
Vendor Dependency
When integration errors occurred, HBK had to wait for a third-party vendor to intervene. Even after fixing issues internally, the team had to rely on the vendor to push changes through. This dependency caused long delays and limited control.
Misalignment Across Departments
HubSpot was originally implemented by marketing, but the configuration did not reflect the firm’s real business processes. As IT became more involved, confusion grew. Ownership was unclear and user adoption fell.
Platform Upgrade Complexity
STAR was three versions behind its latest release and due for migration within a year. HBK needed an integration that would remain stable through this upgrade and not require a full rebuild.
Roadblocks to Strategic Growth
HBK’s 2025 roadmap included seven key initiatives such as referral tracking and ERP integration. The broken CRM infrastructure stalled all progress. Without a reliable system of record, none of these priorities could advance.
Ashlee Miller
Information Services Admin
Key Deliverables
Integration Rebuild
Redesigned the HubSpot–STAR integration around HBK’s real business workflows to eliminate friction and restore system alignment.
Custom Job Architecture
Introduced a new Job object in HubSpot linked to deals, mirroring HBK’s project structure and supporting accurate operational reporting.
Automated Bi-Directional Sync
Implemented a nightly sync with a seven day lookback window to remove manual approvals and ensure consistent, error free updates.
Comprehensive Field Mapping
Configured more than twenty mapped fields including client, billing, and relationship data for complete CRM accuracy.
Validation & Data Integrity Framework
Built guardrail workflows, logging, and validation rules that prevent overwrites, duplication, and inaccurate data transfers.
Rigorous User Testing
Completed four structured testing rounds with one hundred eighty six documented test cases to confirm system reliability.
The Solution
Mole Street partnered with HBK to rebuild its CRM infrastructure into a unified and scalable system. The goal was to align technology with real business operations, restore data integrity, and empower internal teams.
Process-Led Integration Architecture
Mole Street rebuilt the integration based on HBK’s real business workflows. A custom job object was introduced, syncs were automated, and over 20 data fields were mapped to support more than 20,000 active clients.
Data Integrity and Validation Framework
Strict validation logic and layered user safeguards were built into HubSpot. Four test rounds ensured accuracy, and real-time error monitoring protected data quality during sync and cleanup.
Organizational Alignment and Change Management
Cross-functional sessions aligned teams and reduced friction. A dedicated administrator was empowered internally, shifting ownership and positioning the project as a strategic evolution.
Authentication and Technical Infrastructure
Authentication was automated with a client credentials grant flow. New API endpoints were documented, and Azure components were integrated with Mole Street’s AWS environment for secure performance.
Future-Proofing for Platform Evolution
The integration was designed to be STAR-version agnostic and cloud-ready. The architecture aligns with the firm’s 2025 roadmap and supports six major upcoming initiatives, including ERP connectivity.
Before and After Mole Street
Data Sync
Before
Manual gatekeeping for every transfer
After
20,000 plus clients syncing automatically each night
Impact
Eliminated errors and delays
Integration Control
Before
Dependent on third party vendor
After
Full internal control
Impact
Faster issue resolution
Data Integrity
Before
Frequent overwrites and duplicates
After
Validation and error prevention
Impact
Protected billing accuracy
User Experience
Before
Restricted HubSpot usage
After
Full platform access
Impact
Improved productivity
System Architecture
Before
Disconnected systems
After
HubSpot and STAR aligned
Impact
Optimal performance
Organizational Alignment
Before
Departments out of sync
After
Unified ownership
Impact
Stronger collaboration
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