Authors: Sorab Wadia
Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms are critical to modern business success, but many organizations particularly those operating in hybrid or legacy IT environments struggle with workflow inefficiencies and integration limitations. This review explores the use of Unix shell scripting as a lightweight, versatile solution for CRM automation. From data extraction and transformation using command-line tools like jq and awk, to workflow orchestration via cron, inotify, and Bash pipelines, shell scripts provide reliable alternatives to proprietary automation platforms. The article presents technical patterns for API integration, system maintenance, real-time event handling, and business intelligence generation. It also highlights security best practices and challenges such as debugging complexity and cross-platform compatibility. Through real-world case studies, the review demonstrates how organizations across sectors can automate CRM operations, streamline processes, and extract actionable insights without major platform investments. Shell scripting emerges as a powerful bridge between traditional CRM systems and modern DevOps-ready architectures.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16881136
