SugarCRM Enterprise System for Electricity Distribution - Complete CRM with Custom Modules and Integrations

When an electricity distribution company needs a complete business management system tailored to the unique requirements of the energy sector, off-the-shelf solutions fall short. This project was the first in a long series of developments I conducted for a Spanish electricity distribution company, transforming SugarCRM Community Edition into a comprehensive enterprise platform with 10+ custom modules, external system integrations, and automation capabilities specific to electricity distribution and marketing.

I architected and developed a complete SugarCRM-based solution including custom modules for contracts, consumption tracking, rate management, invoicing, tax compliance (Spanish Model 159), integration with the corporate WordPress website for automated lead capture and rate simulation, Dropbox API integration for automated data imports, comprehensive server infrastructure deployment and hardening, backup policies, and scheduled automation for reporting and alerts. This became the foundational system powering the company’s operations and was the basis for the customer portal project detailed separately in my portfolio.

The Business Challenge: Energy Sector Complexity

Electricity distribution companies operate in a highly regulated, data-intensive environment with unique business processes that generic CRM systems cannot accommodate. The client needed a solution that could handle the entire customer lifecycle while meeting Spain’s energy sector regulatory requirements.

Critical Business Requirements:

• Contract management - Track electricity supply contracts with specific energy sector data (supply points, rate plans, consumption profiles).
• Consumption tracking - Record and analyze customer electricity usage over time for billing and rate optimization.
• Rate management - Maintain complex rate structures including time-of-use pricing, seasonal variations, and regulatory changes.
• Invoicing and tax compliance - Generate invoices and produce Spanish Tax Agency Model 159 filings for regulated reporting.
• Supply point (CUPS) management - Track physical electricity supply points with unique identifiers per Spanish regulations.
• Opportunity to contract workflow - Streamline sales process from initial contact to signed electricity contract.
• External system integration - Connect with corporate website, third-party provider systems, and internal tools.
• Automated data processing - Handle file imports from energy market systems without manual intervention.
• Reporting and alerts - Automated summaries and event-driven notifications for supervisors.

Why Custom Development Was Essential:

The electricity sector has domain-specific concepts (CUPS codes, consumption profiles, regulatory rates, Model 159 tax reporting) that don’t exist in standard CRM systems. While starting from scratch would provide maximum flexibility, the timeline and budget required leveraging existing software for general CRM features (contacts, calendaring, email) while customizing extensively for energy-specific requirements.

The Solution: SugarCRM as an Extensible Foundation

SugarCRM Community Edition provided the perfect balance: robust core CRM functionality at zero licensing cost, with exceptional extensibility for custom module development. This approach allowed rapid deployment of standard features while building sophisticated custom modules for energy-specific business processes.

Project Scope and Technical Approach

This was a comprehensive engagement covering infrastructure, application development, system integration, and ongoing enhancement.

My Responsibilities:

Infrastructure and Operations:

• Deploy and configure two virtual servers (primary and backup).
• Linux server hardening and security optimization.
• Apache web server configuration and performance tuning.
• Resource optimization for cost-effective operation.
• Implement comprehensive backup policies.
• Monitor system health and performance.

Application Development:

• Install, configure, and optimize SugarCRM CE.
• Develop 10+ custom modules for energy sector operations.
• Extend native SugarCRM modules with custom fields and logic.
• Build custom reports and dashboards.
• Implement business logic automation via logic hooks.
• Optimize database queries for performance.

System Integration:

• WordPress website integration for lead capture and rate simulation.
• Dropbox API integration for automated file imports.
• Data exchange interfaces with third-party energy market systems.
• PDF generation for customer-facing documents.

Automation and Scheduling:

• Configure SugarCRM scheduler for automated processes.
• Build email automation for reports and alerts.
• Implement event-driven notifications.
• Data import automation via Dropbox.

Technology Stack

Component	Technology	Purpose
CRM Platform	SugarCRM CE 6.5	Core CRM foundation
Backend Language	PHP 5.4	Custom business logic and modules
Database	MySQL 5.5	Data persistence and reporting
Web Server	Apache 2.4	HTTP server
Operating System	Linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS	Server infrastructure
Website Platform	WordPress	Corporate website and integrations
File Storage	Dropbox	Automated file exchange
PDF Generation	TCPDF	Invoice and report generation
Scheduling	Cron + SugarCRM Scheduler	Automated task execution

Custom Modules: Energy Sector Operations

The heart of the project was developing custom SugarCRM modules that perfectly matched electricity distribution workflows.

1. Opportunities and Contracts Modules

Opportunities Module (Extended):

The native SugarCRM Opportunities module was heavily customized for the electricity sales process:

Custom Fields:

• Estimated annual consumption (kWh).
• Current supplier and contract details.
• Desired contract start date.
• Rate plan preferences.
• Supply point (CUPS) information.
• Lead source tracking (website, referral, telemarketing).

Custom Workflow:

• Automatic opportunity creation from website contact forms.
• Integration with rate simulator for instant quotes.
• Contract document generation upon opportunity win.
• Automatic conversion to Contract record when closed-won.

Contracts Module (Custom):

Completely custom module managing active electricity supply contracts:

Key Features:

• Complete contract lifecycle management.
• Link to customer account and supply point (CUPS).
• Rate plan and pricing details.
• Contract start/end dates with renewal tracking.
• Power capacity (kW) contracted.
• Payment terms and billing frequency.
• Contract status workflow (draft, active, suspended, terminated).
• Document attachment for signed contracts.
• Automatic alerts for contract expiration.

2. Rates and Consumption Profiles

Rates Module (Custom):

Master data module for electricity rate structures:

Rate Management:

• Multiple rate plans (fixed, time-of-use, indexed to market prices).
• Pricing tiers by consumption volume.
• Peak/off-peak/shoulder period pricing for time-of-use rates.
• Seasonal rate variations.
• Regulatory rate adjustments.
• Historical rate tracking for analysis.
• Public vs. internal rates (for quotations).

Business Value:

• Centralized rate management.
• Automatic rate application to contracts and invoices.
• Rate comparison and optimization recommendations.
• Historical analysis of rate changes.
• Integration with website rate simulator.

Consumption Profiles Module (Custom):

Predefined consumption patterns for customer segmentation and rate optimization:

Profile Types:

• Residential profiles (standard home, electric heating, large family).
• Small business profiles (office, retail, restaurant).
• Industrial profiles (manufacturing, warehousing).
• Custom profiles based on actual customer data.

Applications:

• Rate simulation and optimization.
• Contract recommendations based on usage patterns.
• Invoice estimation for prospects.
• Customer segmentation for targeted marketing.

3. Consumptions and Supply Points (CUPS)

Consumptions Module (Custom):

Track actual electricity usage over time:

Consumption Data:

• Meter readings by period (monthly, bimonthly).
• Consumption calculations (current reading - previous reading).
• Peak/off-peak consumption breakdown for time-of-use rates.
• Estimated vs. actual readings flagged.
• Consumption trends and analytics.
• Integration with invoicing for billing.
• Comparison to contracted power capacity.
• Anomaly detection (unusually high/low consumption).

Data Sources:

• Manual entry by staff.
• Automated imports from meter reading systems.
• Estimated consumption for periods without readings.

Supply Points (CUPS) Module (Custom):

In Spain’s electricity market, every supply point has a unique CUPS code (Código Unificado de Punto de Suministro). This module managed these critical identifiers:

CUPS Data:

• Unique CUPS identifier (20-22 character alphanumeric code).
• Physical address of supply point.
• Contracted power capacity.
• Current supplier and contract.
• Meter information and readings.
• Supply point status (active, suspended, terminated).
• Historical contracts for that supply point.
• Technical characteristics (voltage, phases).

Business Value:

• Accurate supply point identification per regulations.
• Portability request tracking (customer switching suppliers).
• Historical supply point data for market analysis.
• Integration with consumption and contract modules.

4. Invoicing and Tax Compliance

Invoices Module (Custom):

Complete electricity billing system:

Invoice Features:

• Automatic invoice generation based on consumption data.
• Energy charges calculation (consumption × rate).
• Distribution charges and regulatory fees.
• Tax calculations (IVA - Spanish VAT, Electricity Tax).
• Previous balance and payment credits.
• Payment due dates and terms.
• Invoice status tracking (pending, paid, overdue).
• PDF invoice generation for customer delivery.
• Integration with accounting systems (data export).

Billing Workflow:

• Scheduled automatic invoice generation (monthly/bimonthly).
• Review queue for staff verification before sending.
• Batch invoice processing for efficiency.
• Email delivery to customers.
• Payment tracking and reconciliation.

Model 159 Tax Reporting Module (Custom):

Spain’s Tax Agency (AEAT) requires electricity distributors to file quarterly Model 159 reports detailing electricity tax collections. This custom module automated this compliance requirement:

Model 159 Features:

• Automatic data aggregation from invoices for reporting period.
• Electricity tax calculation by rate and customer type.
• Required breakdown per regulatory categories.
• XML file generation in AEAT-specified format.
• Historical Model 159 filings for audit trail.
• Reconciliation reports comparing filed vs. collected taxes.

Compliance Value:

• Eliminated manual spreadsheet processes prone to errors.
• Ensured accurate quarterly tax filings.
• Reduced compliance workload from days to hours.
• Provided audit trail for tax authorities.

System Integrations: Connecting the Ecosystem

The SugarCRM platform didn’t operate in isolation. Multiple integrations created a seamless ecosystem connecting internal and external systems.

WordPress Website Integration

The corporate website served as the primary customer acquisition channel. Deep integration between WordPress and SugarCRM automated lead capture and provided instant rate quotations.

Automated Opportunity Creation:

Workflow:

1. Prospect fills out contract form on WordPress website.
2. Form submission triggers WordPress plugin.
3. Plugin makes API call to SugarCRM.
4. SugarCRM automatically creates Opportunity record with form data.
5. Opportunity assigned to appropriate sales representative based on region.
6. Sales rep receives email notification of new lead.
7. Follow-up workflow initiated automatically.

Benefits:

• Zero data entry for sales team on inbound leads.
• Immediate lead response capability.
• Complete lead source tracking for marketing analytics.
• No leads lost due to manual entry delays or errors.

Rate Simulator and Comparison Engine:

A sophisticated calculator was built into the WordPress site allowing prospects to:

Simulator Features:

1. Enter consumption data or select consumption profile.
2. Input current supplier and rate details.
3. Select desired rate plan.
4. View instant cost projection with month-by-month breakdown.
5. See comparison chart vs. major competitors.
6. Download detailed PDF report.
7. Submit lead directly to sales team if interested.

Technical Implementation:

• WordPress plugin queries SugarCRM via REST API for current rates.
• PHP calculation engine applies rate structures to consumption data.
• TCPDF library generates professional PDF reports.
• Simulation data stored in SugarCRM for sales follow-up.
• Competitor rates manually maintained in SugarCRM admin panel.

Rate Display on Website:

Official electricity rates were managed in SugarCRM but displayed on the WordPress website with appealing visual design:

Implementation:

• SugarCRM API endpoint exposing public rates.
• WordPress shortcode fetching and displaying rate data.
• Automatic cache refresh when rates change in CRM.
• Responsive design for mobile viewing.
• SEO-optimized rate pages for organic search traffic.

Dropbox Integration for Automated File Processing

Third-party energy market systems provided data files that needed import into SugarCRM. The Dropbox integration eliminated manual file processing.

Automated Import Workflow:

1. Staff member receives data file from external system (email, FTP, etc.).
2. User drags file to designated Dropbox folder on their computer.
3. Dropbox syncs file to cloud.
4. Scheduled SugarCRM process connects to Dropbox via API.
5. Process downloads new files from Dropbox folder.
6. File parser validates format and extracts data.
7. Data imported into appropriate SugarCRM modules (Contracts, Consumption, etc.).
8. If import successful, file deleted from Dropbox.
9. If import fails, file moved to error folder with log entry.
10. Staff receives email summary of imports (successes and failures).

Technical Implementation:

• Custom PHP integration using Dropbox API v2.
• OAuth authentication for secure API access.
• File format parsers for common energy market formats (CSV, XML).
• Transaction-based imports (all or nothing) to maintain data integrity.
• Comprehensive error logging for troubleshooting.
• Scheduled execution every 15 minutes via cron.

Business Value:

• Eliminated hours of manual data entry weekly.
• Reduced data entry errors to near zero.
• Faster data availability for sales and operations.
• Seamless integration invisible to end users.
• “Magic” user experience (drop file, data appears automatically).

Automation and Scheduled Processes

SugarCRM’s scheduler enabled powerful automation for reporting, alerts, and data processing.

Automated Email Reports:

Weekly Summary Reports:

• New contracts signed that week.
• Won opportunities with contract value totals.
• Pipeline report showing opportunities by stage.
• Consumption anomalies detected.
• Overdue invoices requiring follow-up.

Recipients: Management and supervisors, automatically sent every Monday morning.

Event-Driven Alert Emails:

Automatic Alerts For:

• Contract expiration warnings - 60, 30, and 15 days before expiry, sent to account manager.
• Portability requests - When customer requests to switch supplier (competitive threat).
• Opportunity won - Instant notification to operations team to initiate contract setup.
• Payment overdue - Alert when invoice past due date.
• Consumption anomaly - Unusually high consumption suggesting meter or billing issue.
• Supply point status change - When CUPS activated, suspended, or terminated.

Technical Implementation:

• SugarCRM logic hooks triggering on specific events.
• Email template system with dynamic data insertion.
• Recipient determination based on record ownership and team assignment.
• Suppression of duplicate alerts within time windows.
• HTML emails with embedded data and links back to CRM records.

Infrastructure and Operations

Beyond application development, comprehensive infrastructure work ensured reliable, secure, performant operations.

Server Deployment and Configuration:

Primary Server:

• Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS for stability and long-term support.
• Apache 2.4 web server with mod_php.
• MySQL 5.5 database with query cache optimization.
• PHP 5.4 with opcode caching (APC).
• SSL/TLS certificates for encrypted communications.

Backup Server:

• Identical configuration to primary for failover capability.
• Daily database replication from primary.
• File synchronization of SugarCRM uploads and customizations.
• Ready for activation with DNS change if primary fails.

Server Hardening:

• Firewall configuration (iptables) allowing only necessary ports.
• SSH hardened (key-based authentication, non-standard port).
• Intrusion detection system (AIDE).
• Automatic security updates for critical packages.
• Regular security audit scans.
• Restricted sudo access with audit logging.

Backup Policies:

Database Backups:

• Full MySQL dumps every 6 hours.
• 30-day retention with daily full backups, 6-hour incrementals.
• Off-site backup replication to secondary location.
• Monthly backup verification and restoration tests.

File Backups:

• Daily rsync of SugarCRM directory (code, uploads, custom modules).
• 14-day retention of file backups.
• Version control (Git) for all custom code.

Performance Optimization:

• MySQL query optimization based on slow query log analysis.
• PHP opcode caching reducing script compilation overhead.
• Apache tuning for worker processes and connection handling.
• SugarCRM database indexes optimized for common queries.
• Regular database maintenance (OPTIMIZE TABLE, ANALYZE).

Project Outcome and Business Impact

The SugarCRM solution became the operational backbone of the electricity distribution company, supporting their growth and market position.

Business Results:

• Complete operational platform - All business processes managed in unified system.
• Automated lead capture - 100% of website inquiries captured as CRM opportunities automatically.
• Eliminated manual data entry - Dropbox integration processing hundreds of files monthly.
• Regulatory compliance - Model 159 tax filing automated, reducing compliance time by 90%.
• Sales efficiency - Rate simulator provided instant quotes, accelerating sales cycle.
• Improved cash flow - Invoice automation and payment tracking reduced overdue accounts.
• Scalability achieved - System supported company growth without performance degradation.

Technical Achievements:

• 10+ custom modules developed for energy sector operations.
• WordPress integration delivering automated lead capture and rate simulation.
• Dropbox API integration eliminating manual file processing.
• Comprehensive tax compliance automation (Model 159).
• Scheduled automation for reporting and alerts.
• Robust infrastructure with redundancy and comprehensive backups.
• Zero-downtime operation throughout project lifecycle.

Foundation for Growth:

This project became the foundation for additional development including the customer portal (documented separately in my portfolio), mobile applications for field staff, and further integrations with energy market systems.

Key Learnings

1. Platform Selection is Critical - SugarCRM’s extensibility proved ideal for this use case. Starting with solid foundation accelerated delivery compared to building from scratch.

2. Domain Expertise Required - Understanding electricity market regulations, business processes, and industry terminology was essential for designing appropriate modules.

3. Integration Multiplies Value - Connecting SugarCRM with WordPress and Dropbox created seamless workflows that were greater than the sum of parts.

4. Automation Reduces Operational Burden - Scheduled processes and event-driven alerts eliminated repetitive manual work, allowing staff to focus on high-value activities.

5. Infrastructure Matters - Reliable, performant servers with proper backups and security were foundation for business-critical system.

6. Iterative Development Works - Starting with core modules and adding functionality over time allowed learning from real usage patterns and adapting accordingly.

Conclusion

This SugarCRM implementation demonstrated the power of customizing robust open-source platforms to meet highly specific industry requirements. By leveraging SugarCRM’s foundation while building extensive custom modules and integrations, I delivered an enterprise-grade solution at a fraction of the cost of commercial energy sector software.

The project successfully combined CRM platform expertise, energy sector domain knowledge, integration capabilities, and infrastructure operations into a cohesive solution that became the operational heart of the client’s business.

This experience established a long-term client relationship leading to the customer portal project, additional custom modules, and ongoing system enhancements as the company grew. The success validated the approach of building on extensible platforms rather than monolithic custom development or expensive vertical market solutions.

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Confidentiality Note: Client name and specific business details have been omitted per confidentiality agreement. Screenshots have been sanitized to remove identifying information.