- Thread starter
- #11
- 1,328
How hard is Sugar to implement? You mentioned that you use it for free? Please explain... I spent some time on their site but it appeared there was a license fee?
SalesForce.com
- Thread starter joshril
- Start date
G
Guest
Guest
They have 3 basic editions... the PRO, Enterprise and the Community version. The last one is free... and while it does not have all the whistles and bells as the other two, it has everything I need.
First thing you need to do is run the online demo:
SugarCRM - Commercial Open Source CRM
If you like that, you can read more about it at:
Open Source - SugarCRM
Installing is not the easiest process in the world but if you read the docs it should go pretty easily... assuming you have a little bit of computer savvy... and that you have an ISP (web domain) that will cooperate with you if necessary (most will... SugarCRM is HUGE... everyone out there knows about it in ISP land.)
If you WISH you can install it on your local machine by using one of the 'stack' installers. This pops Apache, PHP, and MySQL (all free) along with SugarCRM on your hard disk. I've not used the stack installer so I can't vouch for it. But others say it works well.
I run Sugar on my Macintosh as well as my FreeBSD (Unix) server (out on Pennsylvania). (The Mac came with Apache and PHP and installing MySQL was a simple one-click deal.) My ISP helped me with the rest... which was not too difficult.
I do all my daily work on the server... where I have a script that runs each hour to "dump" the database and store the file. Each night I download the dump file and in the morning I re-load the local database (replace) it with most current data by using the dump (I use a free utility called phpMyAdmin to do this.)
If the internet goes down I can still work on my local copy. Yeah, I might be a few hours behind but that's not critical in my operation. 95% of what I use Sugar for is to keep a log on each client and prospect.
Before you delve into all of this, play with the demo... and also look at the FreeCRM product I noted earlier.
Hope this helps.
Al
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency
- Thread starter
- #13
- 1,328
It looks to have some options that would possibly suit me better than ACT.
Thanks for the head's up!
Thanks for the head's up!
The thing with any crm system, like Al said, is to find one that fits you. You really need to start with a list of what you want to accomplish, and then find one that comes close.
Everyone has good things, everyone has things that will drive you bonkers.
One of the most powerful CRM systems out there is salesforce.com. Beats virtually everything out there in what it is capable of doing. What you'll find out though, is it takes a programmer to get it to do some basic stuff, like send out birthday emails automatically on someones birthday.
Every CRM system will require a certain amount of customization / extension to get it to do what you need. The ability to do this, within your budget, is what will make you happy with your decision. Trying to use a CRM system that is missing major things you need, simply because it fits your budget, is useless, a waste of both time and money.
For me, I needed something that will automate my customer process. When I have a new client, I have a check list of things I do over the first few days, a 30 day followup, and a 90 day followup. I needed this as automated as possible. I ended up with ACT with an automation extension, but if I priced ACT alone, I would have been significantly short of functionality. I did have to upgrade my computers (more memory, 2 gig minimum for act), but I have a good, functional system.
Again, it all depends what you want. I started with Sugar, tried salesforce, about a dozen others, and still not 100% happy with what I have, but it works.
Any CRM discussion should be about what you need it to do, not what works for others.
Dan
Everyone has good things, everyone has things that will drive you bonkers.
One of the most powerful CRM systems out there is salesforce.com. Beats virtually everything out there in what it is capable of doing. What you'll find out though, is it takes a programmer to get it to do some basic stuff, like send out birthday emails automatically on someones birthday.
Every CRM system will require a certain amount of customization / extension to get it to do what you need. The ability to do this, within your budget, is what will make you happy with your decision. Trying to use a CRM system that is missing major things you need, simply because it fits your budget, is useless, a waste of both time and money.
For me, I needed something that will automate my customer process. When I have a new client, I have a check list of things I do over the first few days, a 30 day followup, and a 90 day followup. I needed this as automated as possible. I ended up with ACT with an automation extension, but if I priced ACT alone, I would have been significantly short of functionality. I did have to upgrade my computers (more memory, 2 gig minimum for act), but I have a good, functional system.
Again, it all depends what you want. I started with Sugar, tried salesforce, about a dozen others, and still not 100% happy with what I have, but it works.
Any CRM discussion should be about what you need it to do, not what works for others.
Dan
- 608
We use ACT for Web for field agents and the desktop version in the office. After a lot of modifications and add-ons we found it can do perhaps 85-90% of what we want from a CRM.
- 2,370
I have used salesforce.com and I liked it, but I use ACT 2000.
It took me a bit to get ACT the way I wanted it, but I like it.
The main reasons that I use ACT:
1. I got a copy of it for free (Thanks Renee)
2. ACT 2000 is a smaller program compared to other versions. I have an older desktop so that was a concern of mine.
3. I also have it on my laptop so I can access it anywhere, but I do not travel that much where I would need an online CRM.
4. Prior to act I was using spread sheets and it was easy to merge the information.
I have also seen YIO and I can say that is a good program as well. I just spent so much time learning ACT that I did not want to switch.
It took me a bit to get ACT the way I wanted it, but I like it.
The main reasons that I use ACT:
1. I got a copy of it for free (Thanks Renee)
2. ACT 2000 is a smaller program compared to other versions. I have an older desktop so that was a concern of mine.
3. I also have it on my laptop so I can access it anywhere, but I do not travel that much where I would need an online CRM.
4. Prior to act I was using spread sheets and it was easy to merge the information.
I have also seen YIO and I can say that is a good program as well. I just spent so much time learning ACT that I did not want to switch.
