CRP: what does the acronym mean, and should you use it?
An acronym that sometimes shows up in software quotes, and can point to two very different things.
CRP is an acronym occasionally used for customer relationship management, meaning the practices and software a business uses to win and keep customers. It is rare in Quebec, where people say CRM in English and GRC in French. In production management, CRP usually stands for capacity requirements planning instead.
In short
- For customer relations, say CRM (or GRC in French) and you'll be understood.
- The OQLF entry on customer relationship management does not list CRP.
- CRP's verified management meaning is capacity requirements planning.
- If a vendor quote says CRP, ask which of the two meanings they intend.
Does CRP really mean customer relationship management?
It does turn up in that sense, but it is not a standard term. The OQLF's terminology entry on customer relationship management lists customer relationship management, customer relations management and CRM in English, and GRC in French [1]. CRP is not among them.
The entry for the software itself gives "logiciel de GRC" in French [2], again with no CRP. Our advice: when you mean customer relations, say CRM. That page covers the topic in full.
What is the other, verified meaning of CRP?
In production planning and control, CRP stands for capacity requirements planning. The OQLF's French equivalent is planification des besoins de capacité (PBC) [3].
The entry explains that the term refers to working out how much labour and machine capacity is needed to get production done. Open shop orders and planned orders from the material requirements planning system feed into CRP, which turns them into hours of work by work centre and time period [3]. Planning this way lets managers foresee bottlenecks and underloads [3].
That is a manufacturing concept, typically found as a module inside an ERP system.
How do the look-alike acronyms compare?
| Acronym | Stands for | Field | Status in Quebec |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | customer relationship management | Sales, customer service | Very common |
| GRC | gestion de la relation client | Sales, customer service | French term preferred by the OQLF |
| CRP (meaning 1) | customer relationship management (non-standard) | Sales | Rare; not in the OQLF entries consulted |
| CRP (meaning 2) | capacity requirements planning | Production planning | Established; French: PBC |
What does a capacity check look like for a service business?
The production meaning of CRP translates, in simplified form, to a crew of technicians at a small business: compare available hours with hours already promised on work orders.
What mistakes should you avoid with CRP?
- Assuming everyone reads CRP as "customer relations": an accountant or production manager will think capacity.
- Buying a "CRP" module in business software thinking it tracks customers.
- Putting CRP on your website: for SEO, people search for CRM, not CRP.
- Translating an English acronym word for word without checking a terminology source.
Does Pilotiko do capacity planning?
Not in the manufacturing sense of CRP. Pilotiko proposes job assignments based on each person's calendar and workload and shows real open slots, which keeps you from promising hours you don't have. For day-to-day scheduling of crews, see dispatch. Route optimisation is not built yet.
Frequently asked questions
Are CRP and CRM the same thing?
In the customer-relations sense, CRP is a rare, non-standard acronym and CRM is the established one. In the production sense, CRP means something else entirely: capacity requirements planning. Stick with CRM.
What does CRP mean in an ERP system?
Inside enterprise resource planning software, CRP usually means capacity requirements planning. The module converts planned orders into hours of work per work centre to spot bottlenecks.
What is CRP in French?
For capacity requirements planning, the OQLF gives planification des besoins de capacité (PBC). For customer relations, the French term is gestion de la relation client (GRC).
Should I use CRP on my business website?
No, unless you're addressing production specialists. People looking for customer-relations tools search for CRM, and using their words helps them find you.
Does a service business need a capacity module?
Not a manufacturing one. But comparing available hours with booked hours every week keeps a crew from being overloaded. A shared calendar and a workload view are often enough.
Sources
- Office québécois de la langue française (Vitrine linguistique), gestion de la relation client (GDT) (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Office québécois de la langue française (Vitrine linguistique), logiciel de gestion de la relation client (GDT) (accessed on October 15, 2026).
- Office québécois de la langue française (Vitrine linguistique), planification des besoins de capacité (GDT) (accessed on October 15, 2026).
Read next
What is CRM (customer relationship management)?
What CRM means, what CRM software actually holds, a follow-up calculation for a Quebec service business, and the privacy duties Quebec's Law 25 adds.
What is an ERP (enterprise resource planning) system?
What an ERP system is, what it integrates, a double-entry calculation for a Quebec service company, and the classic mistakes of a first ERP project.
Dispatch: how should service calls be assigned?
Dispatch explained for field service companies: how calls get assigned to technicians, which criteria matter, a worked example from Laval and common mistakes.