Info wanted on some kind of CRM

LundiMardi

I've just started a new job within a small company. It is a very successful company in it's own right and has quite a high turnover.

Right now everything is very basic, orders come in via phone/fax, written down on a docket, dockets are kept in trays until ready to be picked and delivered. It is only when the orders have been fulfilled and the dockets are returned with signatures that they are then inputted onto the system for invoicing. It's all very time consuming and can be confusing. For instance if someone rings asking to make changes to an order, you have to route through all the dockets to find the damn thing, that's if you do, and for all you know it's been taken out into the yard to be picked, but you won't know until you make a call to someone out there!! Anyway, you get what i'm saying.

I'm just looking for suggestions on for some form of crm whereby all this can be simplified, I.E, PC based, selecting customers and making up orders and printing rather than hand writing them (which can lead to mistakes!!).

Currently we use Big Red Book which in my opinion is far from ideal and is very limited. It's useful for information storage but that's about it.

Anyway, i probably haven't been very clear as i'm in a rush, but if anyone needs anything to be clarified then let me know.

But any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks

m_stan

I would highly recommend salesforce.com. If you are a small company of 5 or less who would need to use the software, Team Edition is probably perfect for you.

Note that I work for salesforce.com, but really have nothing to gain by recommending it. I would strongly suggest you take a good look because it really is very good.

If I can help you get in contact with someone to evaluate it please let me know, but I would recommend going to the website and signing up for a Free 30-day no-obligation trial. Can't hurt and should show you what it's capable of and whether it suits your business need.

Best of luck.

misterq

I'm not sure a fully featured CRM system like salesforce.com, or the one that I use, Sugar CRM, are really what you need.

By the sound of things, all you really need is a slightly more advanced order management system. It doesn't sound to me that you need to open opportunities, manage leads etc.

You have two options:

1) Look at a new combined accounts and crm system. I understand sage has some products in this area. There are probably others.

2) Develop an order management system. This could be a simple database application using Access or some other low level solution. Even an excel spread sheet might be of use.

The bottom line: don't jump from too simple to too complicated!

Sponge Bob

salesforce.com will cost about €10k a year for 5 people , its good but expensive

m_stan

misterq wrote:

I'm not sure a fully featured CRM system like salesforce.com, or the one that I use, Sugar CRM, are really what you need.

By the sound of things, all you really need is a slightly more advanced order management system. It doesn't sound to me that you need to open opportunities, manage leads etc.

You have two options:

1) Look at a new combined accounts and crm system. I understand sage has some products in this area. There are probably others.

2) Develop an order management system. This could be a simple database application using Access or some other low level solution. Even an excel spread sheet might be of use.

The bottom line: don't jump from too simple to too complicated!

I would agree that pure CRM is not exactly what you need. An out of the box salesforce.com implementation would therefore not do what you would need. However, salesforce.com now have a thing called the AppExchange will allows third-party solutions providers to add-on complimentary products that integrate with the CRM (SFA, Marketing Automation, and Customer Self Service & Support) functions. Take a look at this one from Intacct for example.

Sponge Bob wrote:

salesforce.com will cost about €10k a year for 5 people , its good but expensive

Salesforce Team Edition costs 735 Euro for 5 users for one year. Sure, there are other more expensive editions, but it starts as cheap as this. Also bear in mind what other traditional on-premise (client server) solutions cost when you add in the hardware, software, and maintenance costs all of which are managed for you as part of your license fee with an on-demand solution.

boomer_ie

m_stan

Ive had a look at the demos and screen shots on the website, how or where can you add sales and invoices etc to it which is what the OP wants (and I wouldnt mind having for myself as well)

m_stan

Hi boomer_ie

To be honest, I am not a product expert and if you wanted to find out the nitty gritty of what salesforce.com can do and how that matches with your business requirements, your best bet is to signup for a free, fully functional 30-day trial and attend the online training sessions. When you signup for a trial, enter valid contact details and someone will be in touch within a few days. They will be able to help you evaluate the service more than I would.

There's a link to the Free Trial signup on most of our webpages, including the homepage.

I hope that helps.

PRman

Act - can't go wrong.

antoinolachtnai

Lots can go wrong with ACT, at least as it was when I used it. Maybe it has improved.

I agree that it works well if you have a desk operation operating out of one office, and not too many people working for you.

Perhaps it has changed since I used it.

edanto

I'd recommend salesforce too. It can be a bit daunting when you look at all the functionality at the start, but if you have even a basic understanding of how a database can work, you should have no problem importing an App to do order management and connecting it to your contacts/accounts.

We're starting to use it (at Suas) and even for something as bespoke as signing a group of people up off a webpage (to volunteer at an event) and having their details appear as a customisable report (as well as mailing them as required), out of the box salesforce made it painless.

The hardest part is getting people to implement it, but a clever strategy (i.e. get people to WANT to use it by leading with the functions that save them time & effort) will pay off. Support is great, but I'd recommend the admin training.

The training will set you back about 2.5k though - and if it weren't for the fact that we had the whole package donated to us I don't know if I could have justified the cost.

Salesforce will add a lot of value and functionality in terms of how you track/communicate with your clients, but if all you really need is an order management system, then there may be a simpler solution (even an open source one - ask at sourceforge)

See what your team want, if it's just order management go for simple, but if they want outlook integration, shared calanders, connected contacts & a mass mailing tool (there are add ins - boy, are there add ins, look at the AppExchange), then have a good look at Salesforce.

ednwireland

just found this http://www.zoho.com which has all sorts of online products including crm upto 3 users free

glenrichkid

Get Sage Instant Accounts or Line 50 depending on features needed and budget, links with AC T! CRM(now also under the Sage umbrella so you can be assured it's got the big co. back up)

Ring Sage ask about Accounts & ACT! linked, they are on 1800255300, or www.sage.ie

I know a freelance sage training guy can get the software, instal it, train you on it and direct telephone support from sage, all from about 1 - 1.5k (sage charge 995 for training day alone so good to have a guywith his mobile number type set up instead of ringing a call centre as with sage direct.
his email is prosoftwaresolutions@gmail.com