Introduction to HotCRM

HotCRM is a world-class Customer Relationship Management system that combines Salesforce-level functionality with Apple/Linear-level user experience. Built on the innovative @objectstack/spec protocol, it provides a comprehensive solution for managing the entire customer lifecycle from Lead to Cash.

What is HotCRM?

HotCRM is designed to help businesses of all sizes manage their customer relationships more effectively. It covers five major domains:

🟢 Marketing & Leads (获客域)

Capture and nurture leads through multiple channels, with AI-powered lead scoring and intelligent assignment.

Key Objects: Lead, Campaign

🔵 Sales Force Automation (销售域)

Complete sales pipeline management with 360-degree customer view, opportunity tracking, and CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote).

Key Objects: Account, Contact, Opportunity, Activity, Product, Pricebook, Quote, Contract, Payment

🟠 Service & Customer Success (服务域)

Deliver exceptional customer service with omni-channel case management and AI-powered knowledge base.

Key Objects: Case, Knowledge

🟣 Platform Foundation (底座域)

Extensible, metadata-driven platform that allows complete customization without code.

Components: Metadata Engine, ObjectQL, Workflow Engine, UI Engine

🤖 AI Copilot (智能域)

AI capabilities embedded throughout the system for intelligent automation and insights.

Features: Predictive analytics, NLP, recommendations, automated insights

Core Principles

HotCRM is built on five core architectural principles:

1. Metadata-Driven Architecture

All business objects are defined natively in TypeScript (.object.ts files), not YAML or JSON. This provides:

• Full type safety with IDE autocomplete
• Compile-time validation
• Easy refactoring and version control
• Native JavaScript/TypeScript development experience

import type { ObjectSchema } from '@objectstack/spec/data';

export default const Account: ObjectSchema = {
  name: 'Account',
  label: 'Account',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'Name',
      type: 'text',
      label: 'Account Name',
      required: true
    }
    // ... more fields
  ]
};

2. ObjectQL Query Language

Replace SQL with a type-safe, flexible query language:

// Simple query
const accounts = await db.find('Account', { 
  filters: [['Status', '=', 'Active']] 
});

// Complex query with relationships
const result = await db.query({
  object: 'Account',
  fields: ['Name', 'Industry'],
  filters: {
    Industry: { $in: ['Technology', 'Finance'] }
  },
  related: {
    Opportunities: {
      fields: ['Name', 'Amount', 'Stage']
    }
  }
});

3. UI Engine with Tailwind CSS

Frontend rendering based on ObjectUI framework with Tailwind CSS for beautiful, responsive interfaces.

4. AI-First Design

Every major feature has built-in AI capabilities:

• Lead scoring and enrichment
• Opportunity win prediction
• Smart case routing
• Knowledge base Q&A

5. Modular Monorepo Architecture

Clean separation of concerns with pnpm workspaces:

hotcrm/
├── packages/
│   ├── core/       # ObjectQL engine
│   ├── crm/        # Marketing & Sales
│   ├── support/    # Service & Support
│   ├── products/   # Product & Pricing
│   ├── finance/    # Contracts & Payments
│   ├── ui/         # UI Components
│   └── server/     # Application Server

Who Should Use HotCRM?

HotCRM is designed for:

• Small to Medium Businesses looking for an affordable, feature-rich CRM
• Enterprises requiring customization and extensibility
• Developers who want full control over their CRM system
• Teams seeking modern UX with AI-powered insights

What's Next?

• Installation Guide - Get HotCRM up and running
• Quick Start - Your first steps with HotCRM
• Architecture Overview - Deep dive into the system design