CRM WARS again...NOT

[Guest]

Okay, I have a friend who runs a non-insurance biz and is asking my advice on CRMs. I am aware of SugarCRM (free desktop version) and SugarPro (paid web-based). For Sugar, the thick and thin client do not sync; as far as I can tell, the databases are different formats.

I have looked at Entellium (Rave) and their thick and thin clients DO sync. Also looking at SageCRM.com (thin client). I did a search of the forum and neither of these turned up.

My question: Has anyone had any experience with these CRMs (esp. Entellium and Sage)? If so, any advice?

Thanks in advance...

 

[djs]

Advice would all depend on what it is you are trying to do. Thick / thin / Sync / etc are all solutions to problems. Without the problem statement, it's all just banter.

Dan

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Tell him to check out Online Office, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, CRM and more decent free CRM

 

[Guest]

Advice would all depend on what it is you are trying to do. Thick / thin / Sync / etc are all solutions to problems. Without the problem statement, it's all just banter.

Dan

He runs an entertainment booking agency, books about 50 acts in all. So, he needs to keep up with the entertainment personnel on the one hand, and on the other, keep up with the customers who want to book the entertainment, which act, when, where, etc., and kick out contracts to each party. Stuff like that.

The reason I ask about thick/thin sync, is that he works from his office during the day (thin okay), and is on the road at night (thick client would be nice, no net access on a moving bus, can sync records to the web-based DB when he gets back home). BUT would also like to just walk up to any web-connected computer anywhere (client's premises) and access his data (web-based)

He is used to a snappy desktop program but it doesn't have the flexibility he wants. So, the concern is performance, esp. as regards web-based access. Anyone have any performance experience with the web access performance of ZOHO, Sugar, but esp. Entillium and Sage? He has a huge pipe (broadband) so bottleneck would not be at his end. Price is not the issue, he wants performance!

In limited testing so far, ZOHO and Entillium seem a bit slow on access (sometimes real slow). Anyone using either one of these CRMs on a regular basis? Haven't tested Sage yet.

Hey Al3, have you had any experience with Entillium or Sage? Would appreciate you chiming in here if you see this; I respect and appreciate your opinion on all things net (and other things too...).

Hope that helps, thanks for the responses so far!

Sorry if I'm not using thick/thin client or standalone/web-based terminology correctly...

 

[Guest]

Hey Al3, have you had any experience with Entillium or Sage? Would appreciate you chiming in here if you see this; I respect and appreciate your opinion on all things net (and other things too...).

First I'm confused as you said you want customers to enter data? Are you saying you want club owners to go online and book their own acts? If so, ignore most of what follows. I'm going to assume that you (your friend) does ALL the data entry... that he is the focal-point of the system... the only user (except others in his office who have same authority.)

Forget fat and thin as that most often refers to hardware and not applications. (A fat client is a full-bore PC. A thin client is one with limited memory and without a hard disk where all the work is done on a sever... via a "thin client" terminal.)

As for the application, you need to define the scope and determine the "players." You need to understand the relationship between the data blocks.

In simple form we have two blocks of data here: Acts and Customers, right? In simple terms a customer who can have many acts. Can an act have many customers? Yes... but it depends on how you DEFINE the data. If an Act is defined as a performance on a given date (date span) than an Act has only ONE customer. In other words Joe and His Trained Chimps can only appear at one place on August 1st.

Now this sounds very esoteric but understanding (determining or defining) the relationships of the real-world data is how we determine if a piece of software is going to "work" for a particular client situation. We look at how the application defines its data relationships. That's what it is all about. We ask, "Is this application going to cover all the relationships... and if not... can it be made to 'fudge' some of them?"

From my limited experience with CRM systems, the CRM paradigm won't work for your friend too well. CRM is all about data relating to customers... who they are, where they reside, what stage of the sales process they are in, what campaigns they are part of, who the key players are, etc. It is not highly transactional. A CRM is not really about who bought what and how many.

You need a system designed to relate customers with orders and products.

Jack Smith is a club owner (customer). He needs to book 3 acts for December 3rd (one order... which is another data block) He wants two singers and a magic act (three products.) Will a CRM work well in that environment? No.

However, a CRM can be made to work for your friend... because it just depends on how he DEFINES the data.... but it won't work very well.

Obviously, you want a booking system that has data blocks of customers, dates, places, and acts. All of these have to intertwine with each other. You also want an integrated calendaring system if possible.

Assuming you can't find a booking system (which would have all the above,) what you can use is an order-entry system. I would define the clubs that book acts as the Customers and the performers as the Acts (or products). That is what most order-entry systems are built around... customers and products. I believe you really want the order-entry and sales paradigm and not CRM... if you can't get a real booking application. You might do well with something like our Jaya123 system, or Orchard Billing, or any of the other systems out there. I think ZOHO has one on their site too.

Like I say, you can "make" a CRM like SugarCRM or FreeCRM work for you, and while the cost might be great (free), it would not be the right tool for the job as far as I'm concerned.

I know this is not the answer you wanted... and perhaps does not adequately even reflect the question.... but you asked... and my advice is worth what it cost you.

Jackass Al

 

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AJ