Top 100 CPA Firm Protects Its Billing System From CRM Sync Errors
Client Overview
Mole Street rebuilt the connection between HubSpot and STAR for HBK, a Top 100 CPA firm, to protect its billing records from CRM sync errors. STAR stays the source for client and job data. Checks hold back incomplete deals and unrecognized values before they reach STAR.
Hill, Barth & King LLC (HBK) is a Top 100 CPA and consulting firm. It serves more than 20,000 clients with audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services.
Client: Hill, Barth & King LLC (HBK CPA)
Industry: Professional Services (Accounting & Consulting)
Solution Delivered: Integration rebuild, custom HubSpot architecture, and ongoing consulting
HubSpot Products Used: Sales Hub Enterprise, Marketing Hub, Operations Hub, Custom Objects
Timeline: November 2023 to present
Ashlee Miller
Information Services Admin
Want to Speak to a Specialist? Book a Strategy Call Now.
Key Outcomes
Billing Data Is Protected From CRM Overwrites
STAR stays the source, and companies already in STAR show as read only on the HubSpot card.
Incomplete Deals Are Held Back From STAR
Deal stage, team, required fields, and a user review must pass before sending.
Duplicate Submissions Are Blocked
Queued and completed deals cannot be resent, and open STAR jobs are checked for conflicts.
Unrecognized Values Never Overwrite Records
They are logged and left unchanged instead of being guessed or cleared.
Client Records Stay Current From STAR
Daily workflows refresh existing clients and add new ones in HubSpot.
HBK's Team Can Trace Sync Problems
A runbook sets daily checks, error evidence to capture, and rollback steps.
The Challenge
A sync between HubSpot and STAR put a Top 100 CPA firm's billing records at risk. The firm had set up HubSpot two years earlier. It served about 20,000 active clients, held in about 54,000 company records. An outside vendor built the sync, and it copied data in ways neither system was designed for.
Every Deal Became a Separate Job, Which Did Not Match Real Projects
The integration treated every deal as a separate job in the practice management system. That did not match how the firm managed projects. Both systems worked outside their intended structure, and users could not use HubSpot fully.
Sync Errors Let Older CRM Data Overwrite Accurate Billing Data
STAR holds time, billing, and invoicing. When the sync failed, older HubSpot data could replace accurate STAR data. Errors in billing records reach invoices and time entries, so the risk was financial.
Duplicate Records Appeared in Both Systems and Made Billing Unreliable
The sync created duplicate records, and billing information became harder to trust. Staff could not tell which record was correct without checking both systems by hand.
One Person Checked and Entered Every Record by Hand to Prevent Errors
The firm turned off the automatic sync from HubSpot. An administrator reviewed each record and entered it in STAR by hand. The step prevented errors, but it slowed every update.
Integration Fixes Depended on an Outside Vendor's Response Time
When errors occurred, the firm waited for a third-party vendor to respond. Even after the firm fixed an issue internally, the vendor had to push the change through. Fixes stayed pending until the vendor acted.
Ashlee Miller
Information Services Admin
Key Deliverables
Job Object
A custom Job object in HubSpot, linked to deals, matches how HBK tracks client work.
Protected STAR Data
Companies already in STAR show as read only on the HubSpot card, so users cannot overwrite them.
CRM Cards
Three cards on Deals, Companies, and Jobs check required fields before data goes to STAR.
Validation Function
A cloud function validates clients and jobs and checks for conflicting open STAR jobs before writing.
Daily Client Refresh
Workflows update existing clients, create new ones, and write HubSpot IDs back to STAR.
Runbook and Rollback Plan
A runbook sets daily checks, the error evidence to capture, and backup and rollback steps for changes.
The Solution
Mole Street partnered with HBK to rebuild the connection between HubSpot and STAR around how the firm works. The work focused on protecting billing data at every step, from the deal to the STAR record. Each system now keeps its own role.
Built a Job Object So Deals Match Real Projects
A custom Job object in HubSpot links to each deal. It replaced the design where every deal became its own STAR job, so records now follow how HBK manages client work.
Kept STAR as the Source for Billing and Job Data
STAR supplies the client and job identifiers and the controlled option lists. A company already in STAR appears read only on the HubSpot card, so users cannot replace STAR-controlled data by accident.
Blocked Duplicate Submissions and Conflicting Jobs
The send workflow checks for duplicate submissions, and the validation function checks for conflicting open STAR jobs. Deals already queued or completed cannot be sent again, and a recurring job needs explicit confirmation.
Added Checks That Hold Back Incomplete Deals
A deal reaches STAR only if it is in the right stage, the user is on an allowed team, and every job has revenue above zero. Users confirm their review before Submit to STAR becomes available.
Left Unrecognized Values Unchanged and Logged
When STAR Search cannot resolve a value, the integration does not guess a label or clear the old one. It logs the value for review, and errors show on the deal for support staff.
Documented the Integration So HBK Can Fix Issues
A runbook lists each workflow, daily and weekly checks, and the evidence to capture before escalation. It also sets backup and rollback steps, so HBK's team can trace and correct problems without waiting on an outside vendor.
Before and After Mole Street
Billing Data Protection
Before
HubSpot could overwrite accurate STAR data
After
STAR-controlled data is read only, and unrecognized values are left unchanged
Impact
Billing records protected from CRM edits
Record Checks
Before
One person checked and entered each record by hand
After
Cards check stage, team, and required fields, then users review and submit
Impact
Incomplete deals are held back
Duplicate Control
Before
Duplicate records appeared in both systems
After
Duplicate submissions and conflicting open jobs are checked first
Impact
Duplicate jobs are caught before sending
Deal and Job Structure
Before
Every deal became one STAR job
After
A Job object linked to deals
Impact
Records match how HBK runs projects
Sync Support
Before
Fixes waited on an outside vendor
After
Runbook, error logs, and a rollback process for HBK's team
Impact
Issues traced in-house
Want to Speak to a Specialist? Book a Strategy Call Now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you protect billing data when connecting a CRM to practice management software?
At HBK, STAR stays the source for billing and job data. A deal can be sent to STAR only after its stage, team, required fields, and a user review pass, and a validation function checks for conflicts before anything is written.
What happens when a CRM value does not match the practice management system?
The integration does not guess or clear it. The unrecognized value is logged for review, and the existing value is left unchanged.
How do you prevent duplicate jobs when a CRM sends deals to a practice management system?
The send workflow checks for duplicate submissions, and deals already queued or completed cannot be sent again. A duplicate or recurring job needs explicit new work confirmation.
Can a CRM sync still fail after it is rebuilt?
Yes. Errors appear on the deal and in workflow history. The runbook sets daily and weekly checks, the evidence to capture, and rollback steps for changes, so support staff can find and fix problems.
Why do CPA firms need a custom integration between a CRM and practice management software?
A practice management system holds time, billing, and job data, while a CRM holds client relationships. Sending every CRM deal to billing as a separate job caused errors at HBK, so the integration follows the firm’s engagement process.
Which HubSpot products did the integration use?
