Are you a user of SugarCRM Community (free) Edition? Then you may be wondering if you should upgrade to the Professional Edition.

==>Click here<==   to view a detailed Feature Comparison Chart.

SugarCRM CE vs Pro – Video Review

Our partners, Accent Gold Solutions, created this video to help our readers distinguish between the Community Edition (free) and the Professional Edition (paid) of SugarCRM.

Below is a list of features that you would gain by upgrading to SugarCRM Professional:

SugarCRM REPORTING

1. Matrix Reporting. You can create powerful reports across modules with the ability to group by multiple attributes. These are powerful reports that truly help you discover your ROI.
2. Sales Trends. Sugar Reporting allows sales managers the insight needed to respond to changing business conditions. On one screen, sales managers can monitor the pipeline of sales representative by sales stage, view how many calls each rep has made over a given time period, and monitor closed and expected revenue for the quarter. Managers and reps can also take advantage of the strong reporting and charting capabilities to create personalized dashboards that update whenever information changes.
3. Business Dashboards With Sugar dashboards, you can monitor key business metrics across Marketing, Sales and Support
4. Customer Profiles. These profiles provide a better understanding of who your customers are. Reports and dashboards show customer profiles by industry, geography, company size, product assets, revenue and other important attributes. By gaining a better understanding of customers, companies can better manage existing relationships and build new ones.
5. Extended Marketing Analytics. This feature allows you to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns from the initial offer to a closed sales opportunity. Managers can asses the effectiveness of marketing campaigns relative to budget, channel, expected revenue and win rate to gain a full picture of how marketing programs impact the sales pipeline.
6. Cases and Case Reports. Monitor customer problems and how well your customer support team is solving these issues. Case Reports can be used to measure open cases by time period, support representatives, priority and entitlement. With Sugar Case Reports, managers gain a better view into the satisfaction of its customers and the performance of the support organization.

SugarCRM SALES, MARKETING, SUPPORT

1. Sales Forecasting allow sales representatives and managers the ability to generate accurate forecasts based on sales data in SugarCRM. Managers can create, assign and edit quotas for their team, roll-up forecasts across individuals and teams, and measure forecast accuracy relative to commit amounts. Sales representatives can take advantage of scenario planning tools to generate high, medium and low forecasts, utilize worksheets to develop accurate commit amounts, and track their sales progress from the Sugar homepage.
2. Plug-ins for Microsoft Office will integrate your CRM data with the Microsoft’s leading productivity tools. With a few simple clicks, Sugar users can sync email, contacts and calendar information into Sugar modules, export data into Microsoft Excel and merge CRM data in Microsoft Word.
3. Quotes & Contracts. With Sugar Quote and Contract Management, sales reps can generate accurate quotes with support for multiple line items, currencies and tax codes. Quotes and contracts can be delivered to customers via email, Word or PDF. Strong version control functionality ensures reps can more easily manage multiple versions of quotes and contracts.
4. Mobile Integration. Stay in touch while on-the-go with Sugar mobile functionality. Sugar offers wireless and PDA access that is hassle-free so you can continue to work away from the office. Sugar mobile solutions translate to less downtime and greater productivity.
5. Data Merge Options. Pull information directly from LinkedIn, Hoovers and JigSaw directly into Sugar 6.
6. Knowledge Base Feature. The Sugar Knowledgebase helps customer support and engineering teams to better manage and share structured and unstructured information. Knowledge Base allows user to create frequently asked questions (FAQs), manage files, and search and rate content – all in an easy-to-use interface.

SugarCRM DATABASE PLATFORM

1. Workflow Management. This streamlines critical business processes within your organization. Using Sugar templates, administrators can create custom business processes based on Sugar Objects. Users can also define alerts, actions and triggers to become a more responsive to customer demands.
2. Team Management This allows companies to create and manage teams based on job type, division, geography or other attributes. Once roles are assigned, administrators can assign access rights to a given role to ensure team members have access.
3. Module Administration. You can delegate administrative authority for different parts of the application.
4. Access Control. Sugar Access Control levels permit information to be shared or restricted based on user role. Administrators can determine what information that role can access at either a module, view or field level. Access Control rights include the ability to access, view, edit, import or export.
5. Data Quality Control. Insure clean data through import and de-duplication controls.
6. On-Demand or On-Site. Choose which deployment option is right for your organization.

Free Download: CRM Implementation Partner Selection Whitepaper

With this whitepaper, you will be able to understand the key factors in choosing the right implementation partner for your CRM project.

This tool addresses various CRM partner selection criteria. Topics include Pricing, Productivity, Support, Demonstrations/Presentations, Rating and Ranking the vendors, managing the RFP Process, Proof of Concept and evaluation, Negotiation with CRM partners, Vendor Scorecard and more.

With this tool, you will also be able to plug in your numbers and compare the results between various CRM implementation options. This tool was compiled by CRM experts – and is now available to our readers.

Click here to ==>download<== the whitepaper for selecting the CRM right implementation partner.

Free Download: CRM Checklist of Requirements and Needs

With this spreadsheet tool, you will be able to compare the various price factors in the Online and On-Premise CRM deployment models.

This tool addresses various CRM deployment models, including (a) Online vs On-Premise, (b) SaaS vs Licensing and (c) Hosted vs Installed CRM.

With this tool, you will also be able to plug in your numbers and compare the results between various CRM implementation options. This tool was created by CRM gold partners – and is now available to our readers.

Click here to ==>download<== the CRM Comparison Excel spreadsheet comparison tool.

Read More…

Doc Searls Weblog · vrmcrm2010 – It’s been a week since VRM+CRM 2010, and there have been many conversations on private channels (emails, face-to-face, phone-to-phone, face-to-faces), all processing, as they say. Meanwhile we also have some very interesting postings to chew on. First, Bill Wendell s RealEstateCafe wiki has a nice outline of sessions at the workshop.

git mv “permission denied” | | Academe ComputingAcademe … – Running git command line under Windows 7, I was finding that git mv to move a directory to a new location was not working. I noticed that the folders which would not move were folders where I had already changed a file and committed to git and even pushed back up to the repository server (gitgub). It turned out that something had a lock on the folders that I was trying to move.

SugarCRM Community Edition vs Professional Edition – Detailed Review is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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STEP ONE in any CRM Evaluation is to gather a checklist of CRM Requirements

If you aren’t careful, the process of gathering requirements becomes tactical and not strategic. Obviously every feature costs money. So it pays off to initially determine what you are trying to accomplish as a business.

CRM is not just Sales and Marketing

Often CRM is seen as a sales or marketing tool. At it’s heart though, CRM is a strategy and philosophy: We want our entire company to be customer-centric. Not just our sales force. We want our accounting and manufacturing to also be customer-centric.

So be clear from the very start as to whether you are implementing CRM as a strategy or simply as a sales and marketing software.

Process for Developing CRM Requirements

Typically, it is recommended to get your staff together and develop a requirements list. Normally this takes place by department.

In the vast majority of cases, this will result in a wish list that is extremely long. Often the wish list is too long and must be pared down. Typically a ballpark estimate is requested, followed by in-depth needs analysis meetings. Often, department members view this as their golden opportunity to get all of the features they’ve ever desired. But this shoots the price upward – so the list must eventually be pared down. A good partner will tell you which of the desired features are (a) useful for immediate implementation (b) should be postponed for a future phase (c) probably won’t be needed at all for various reasons.

Bringing in CRM Professionals

Often the internal staff does not know how to really assess their own needs. It can prove very valuable to pull in a partner to figure out your needs. CRM Experts can point you in the right direction and keep you on track, so that your CRM implementation doesn’t take on a life of its own.

Click here to download our CRM Requirements Template – an extensive list of questions to help you determine your requirements.

I’ve read some articles that claim all needs and requirements should be assessed before searching for a partner. We don’t agree to this at all. Although it is good to perform due diligence ahead of time, a sense of humility can be very helpful regarding your own CRM knowledge and experience limitations.

[audio:http://www.crmsolutioncomparison.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Define-Your-CRM-Requirements.mp3]

Step 1: Define your CRM Requirements is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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STEP TWO of every CRM Evaluation is to select the right CRM implementation partner.

We won’t bore you with the obvious details of due diligence. Instead, we offer a few “tricks of the trade” that will hopefully divide the sheep from the goats.

CRM Due Diligence within your CRM Implementation

First, check out the partner’s website. If it looks simple and clear, then the odds are high that your future CRM design will also be simple. But if the site is convoluted and unclear, watch out!

Research the References and Rollouts

Secondly, research their references and past implementations. If possible, take a look at some previous database designs. This should give you a good feel for the clarity and simplicity they build in to their design. This is another fantastic indicator of what you can expect.

Most Important: The Focus should be on you rather than their CRM Software

Thirdly, make sure they are interested in your business and your business processes! Watch out if they are more interested in showing you their features and their product – in contrast to grasping your business and your priorities. Let them lead you through the meetings you have. Stop talking, and start listening to how they conduct the initial meetings. Are they asking good questions? Or are they making assumptions that they already understand your business and your processes? Are they taking the time to “get” you and your goals? How ever they treat you at the beginning will likely describe what you can expect for the entire term of the relationship. True CRM Experts will make sure that the focus is on you rather than their own “fantastic” software.

Free CRM Vendor Selection Paper

To download our complete checklist of criteria, click here.

Step 2: Select a CRM Implementation Partner is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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STEP THREE of a successful CRM implementation is to select the appropriate deployment model. The Trend is toward CRM in the Cloud

It is clear that the global CRM market is becoming more and more focused on Cloud CRM, aka On-line CRM. In 2010 Cloud Computing became the number one CRM trend. Salesforce.com has been moving the marketplace in this direction for over 5 years. SugarCRM, a SaaS/Online CRM system, has become the dominant CRM in the world of open-source. And in 2010 Microsoft announced that their strategic direction will be Online CRM. Although they will continue to offer On-Premise CRM, the clearly defined strategic direction is Online CRM. More and more CRM Professionals are heading in this direction.

Pros of Cloud CRM (Hosted SaaS)

1. No long rollout time-frame. The implementation is almost immediate – because typically the vendor configures and maintains the servers.
2. No server (hardware) purchase or maintenance (staffing) is required. Neither is server software licensing required.
3. No software installation is required. There are two key exceptions: (1) a plug-in for integration with Microsoft Outlook (2) offline access via a synchronization database on the local machine.
4. No software or server upgrade is required. Upgrades and improvements are typically automatically pushed out. This can normally be easily monitored and managed by the adminitrator.

Cons of Cloud CRM (SaaS/Online CRM)

1. You are normally locked into a monthly service contract
2. In some instances, you are limited to a specific number of users
3. Database size is limited at times
4. Storage Size can be limited at times (with substantial price increases for extra storage requirements)
5. Custom Entities can be limited at times (although 200 entities is probably more than enough)
6. Custom Workflows can be limited (although 200 workflows is likely more than enough)
7. Some systems charge more when users reside outside the US or Canada
8. Some CRM solutions supported only the English language – and charge more for others

TCO considerations

To download our Excel tool for measuring and comparing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of multiple Online and On-Premise CRM systems, click here.

Step 3: Select the CRM Deployment Model (CRM Online vs CRM On Premise) is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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STEP FOUR in a successful CRM project is to select the proper CRM software system.

CRM Pricing and costs

At the end of the day, it usually comes down to price. So why not start with this obvious point. Be careful though with the free versions, because over time you will surely want to upgrade. And if you aren’t happy with your CRM, you might be required to stick with a product that doesn’t really fit your needs.

CRM Product Features

It is an absolute priority to find a CRM product that matches the feature set that you require. Don’t compromise on this point.

Can I grow with this CRM system?

It is fairly easy to figure out your current needs. But much more difficult to figure out what you will be needing in the future. We urge you to gather with your core team and develop a feature set for the future of your firm. And make sure that your CRM selection can handle those needs. If you need advice regarding how to best calculate your future needs, consult a CRM partner in your area.

CRM User adoption

Although most CRM systems can handle the basic features, they all have different user interfaces. Do yourself and take the time to sign up for a demo where you can hands-on really play with the system. Some systems have very poor activity interfaces, which could hamper you if your business is activity driven. Some systems pop-up multiple screens while others involved long scrolling. Some systems have very flexible screen layouts, while others are locked into a grid. And if you require hundreds of fields on a screen, this could truly affect you.

CRM Support Plan

There are many variations of CRM support plans – and not all are included in the price of the software. Make sure you are clear on this point before signing up.

Mobile integration

Most CRM systems offer some sort of CRM mobile integration. Be sure to understand which phones are supported (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc…). Some systems place a variation of the software directly on your phone as an app. Others simply sync with your phone’s built in contact and calendar functionality. While there are more features in the app, it is often helpful to take advantage of the built in contact features – for simplification of making and receiving calls.

CRM Accounting integration

Most CRM implementations require integration with other systems such as accounting software. Be aware of which systems easily sync or integrate with the accounting system you employ or plan on implementing in the future.

Tool for Comparing TCO for CRM

To download our Excel tool for measuring and comparing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of multiple Online and On-Premise CRM systems, click here.

Step 4: Select the CRM Software System is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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This article discusses the top 9 best practices for CRM. Especially important is increasing the adoption rate within the B2B CRM environment. 

Managing Relationships with B2B CRM

If you have to build a database and manage relationships with any number of customers one of the best ways to do this is by using B2B CRM. B2B CRM simply stands for Customer relations management in the business to business environment, thus selling to other businesses rather than end users.. This CRM often uses software that helps you keep track of everything on an automatic basis.

Using an Adoption-Oriented CRM Software

As a business you should make it a goal to always be earning new clients and customers on an on going basis. You also have to keep your current clients happy and have past clients do more business with you. This all happens at the same time in every business. So, how do you keep track of it all? That is where the CRM system comes in.

Step up your performance

A CRM software system will help you to achieve the level of performance that you desire in your business by helping you keep track of your customers and leading you toward growth. The system will help all of your employees work at an efficient level saving them time and you money. Anytime you save time and money, which means you, will have a higher profit margin.

Get your Company on the same page with your B2B CRM

The truth is that B2B CRM and its implementation does not always come inexpensive. However, getting the whole company on the same track out weights the cost of the software and CRM implementation costs. At first you will spend time and money getting the CRM system up and running but soon, it will be making you money and saving your employees time.

Top 9 CRM Adoption Best Practices

To make the CRM implementation easier for you and your company, here are a few things to keep in mind.

CRM Tip #1 Communicate Value – the value of the process of adding a CRM system will make it much easier on everyone to accept the necessary change management.

CRM Tip #2 Budget – nothing of value comes cheap. This is the same with a CRM system. It costs money, human power and time. It will also reap rewards down the road.

CRM Tip #3 Back Up Everything – You will need all of your files. Get them in order. Tell every person to make a copy of the files they need to work with. Centralize all of the data and make it easier on everyone.

CRM Tip #4 Tell every department what is going on. Let them know who this will help the sale department and how it will help make the marketing department’s job easier. Make them part of the team by telling them you need their help and asking them to get this data ready for you and the CRM system.

CRM Tip #5 Be the leader you are. When you show your staff and the departments you want to make work easier for them, it shows you care. Tell them and show them how the system will make their job much easier.

CRM Tip #6. Build Trust with your software dealer. Do business with someone who earns your trust. See a demo of their software and see if you like it.

CRM Tip #7 It is okay to go slow. Do not try and upgrade every department at the same time. Change is not something that can be dished out like fast food. CRM implementation will work better in small doses.

CRM Tip #8 Show your team the benefits of CRM and how it will be better for them and lighten their workload.

CRM Tip #9 Always be willing to make your company better even if this means getting use to the process of CRM systems.

Matrix of the Top Adoption-Oriented CRM Systems

With this spreadsheet matrix, you will be able to compare the features of the top Adoption-rated CRM systems.

You will be able to evaluate the following CRM business software systems in regards to high adoption ratings: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Infusion, Goldmine, Saleslogix, and more…

CRM evaluation topics include: Matrix of Adoption Features, CRM Licensing, Available CRM Modules such as Opportunites and Cases, Optional Network and Hardware Platforms, and more…

==>Click now to download our Matrix of the Top adoption oriented CRM systems<==

CRM Matrix includes:

1. Breakdown of CRM Features
2. Adoption Details (GUI, Lead Mgt, Roles and Security, Workflow, and much more).
3. Entities (e.g. SFA, Marketing, Service, etc)
4. Network (Microsoft, Linux, etc…)
5. Pricing (Licensing, etc..)
6. Industry/SIC/NAICS information

Free B2B CRM Comparison Tool for Hosted vs Onsite Deployment

With this B2B comparison tool, you will be able to compare the various factors in the Web-Based B2B CRM vs Self-Hosted B2B CRM deployment models.

==>Click for our B2B CRM Comparison Excel tool<==

Top 9 CRM Best Practices for Adoption and B2B is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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Having an effective customer relationship management (CRM) system means that the customer is at the heart of your business.

It is crucial to get acquainted with CRM best practices before implementing your system.

Get Everyone Involved. Having a successful CRM implementation means effective involvement of all your employees – from upper management to the newest sales rep or lead qualifier. Without such commitment to get everyone involved, we have seen that the CRM implementation not only tends to fail, but the front-line employees (i.e. sales) end up discouraging employees in other departments such as support and fulfillment.

CRM Implementation – Top 3 Best Practices

Build Team. One of the most important CRM best practices is to build a solid CRM requirements and testing team prior to implementing any software or new marketing strategy. Combining management, accounting, and your customer service center with your technical (rollout) team allows you to maximize the potential for the CRM implementation.

Define Requirements. Once everyone is on the same page, the business objectives and strategy must be clearly defined such that all key players understand and agree. One starting point is the need to identify the customer base and sales potential. Large companies that offer a variety of products and services may have some trouble identifying a typical customer profile. But finding out what each type of customer needs is an good starting point for designing a CRM system.

Business Processes and Customer Interaction. Next, your business will want to understand how your customers prefer to be comunicated with and what their expectations are.

Identify which of your current business processes affect the customer service experience and then look to see how they can be improved. You will want to start with areas that provide the biggest impact and greatest results.

Free TCO Pricing Calculator for CRM Implementations

Click to get this Free CRM TCO Cost Calculator Tool – based on Gartner.

With this tool, you will be able to view the crucial TCO factors that are important for any CRM implementation. We have also included data for evaluating CRM software systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Siebel, SAP, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix and more. You will be able to view the 5 Year Total Cost of Ownership for both SaaS and Licensed pricing models.

Pricing Items discussed:

• Annual Subscription
• User price
• Service
• Hardware (incl. Users)
• Rollout
• Staff
• Mobile
• and much more.

==>Click HERE to Download the CRM calculation tool<==

Best Practices for a CRM Implementation is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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In this review we cover the benefits of using SugarCRM. Business can be sweet when you understand the benefits of using the right CRM in your business. Customer relationship management has been around for a long time and it is being used to help many companies reach their business goals and expand their growth.

If you are not sure which brands of CRM to use for your company, you owe it to yourself to check into using SugarCRM. Our detailed reviews have place SugarCRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Salesforce.com at the top of the CRM mountain.

Sugar compares nicely with Salesforce as a CRM

Sugar is easy to setup! 

SugarCRM is one brand of customer relationship management software that is easy to use and can help your company reach its fullest potential when it comes to your sales and marketing goals. Time to get up and running can be anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week. No installation is required. And it is immediately available on all browsers including mobile devices.

Sugar is a respected name in the CRM world.

SugarCRM is a trusted brand for companies like Chevy, Avis, Coca Cola and many more. Do not think that you have to be as large as these corporate giants to use this helpful tool. SugarCRM can help your business regardless of your current size. Even IBM has selected SugarCRM to replace Siebel for its 70,000 users worldwide.

Check out this slideshare describing the ==>IBM integration<==

Sugar CRM is built for maximizing the Sales Pipeline

Using customer relationship management is a great way to streamline your business and manage your sales pipeline ahead at rapid pace. By organizing important customer information, improving your customer service and effective communication you can become the leader of your industry very quickly. A CRM system like Sugar will be right there to help you and your team manage these important tasks.

SugarCRM Costs – affordable for all types of budgets

SugarCRM is super easy to use and very affordable. As a web-based solution, it is easy to adjust to the needs of each company on an individual level.  Being able to adjust the customer relationship management system as your company grows is a big plus when it comes to selecting a CRM system. The most popular version of Sugar is the $30 per user version – SugarCRM Professional.

Sugar CRM built in marketing features

Using SugarCRM will help you to increase your marketing reach and gain measurable results. Important tasks like collecting and management of leads, proposals and sales become much easier with the use of CRM. SugarCRM is a great choice for a business just like your business. Take the time to contact your CRM provider with any questions you might have about SugarCRM and how it relates to your business.

Sugar’s built in marketing features include things such as Web-to-lead forms, Campaign management, URL tracking, Target List management, Constant Contact integration, Open reports, Click reports, Opt-Out and much more.

Free Download: CRM TCO Calculator

With this excel tool, you will be able to compare the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of more than 10 of the top CRM systems.

The comparison calculator includes the following CRM software systems: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Saleslogix, Sage CRM, Sage ACT, and more…

You will be able to plug in your numbers and compare the results between various CRM systems. This tool was created by CRM professionals – and is now available to our readers.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key TCO line items that are relevant for any CRM implementation. We have also included data for comparing CRM software systems such as Microsoft CRM, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix and more. You will be able to view the 3 Year and 5 Year Total Cost of Ownership for both SaaS (Online/On-Demand) and Licensed (On-premise) pricing models.

==>Click HERE to Access the CRM calculation tool<==

TCO line items include:

1. Staffing
2. Mobile
3. Licensing
4. User price
5. Network
6. Rollout/Implementation
7. Support
8. Hardware (incl. Server and Users)
9. and more…

Download Now: Free CRM Pricing Comparison Tool for Online vs On-Premise

With this excel tool, you will be able to compare the various price factors in the Online and On-Premise CRM deployment models.

This tool addresses various CRM deployment models, including (a) Online vs On-Premise, (b) SaaS vs Licensing and (c) Hosted vs Installed CRM.

==>Click HERE to Accessthe CRM Pricing Comparison Excel tool<==

With this tool, you will also be able to plug in your numbers and compare the results between various CRM implementation options. This tool was created by CRM gold partners – and is now available to our readers.

Download Now: Free CRM Implementation Partner Selection Whitepaper

With this white paper, you will be able to understand the key factors in choosing the right implementation partner for your CRM project.

This tool addresses various CRM partner selection criteria. Topics include Pricing, Productivity, Support, Demonstrations/Presentations, Rating and Ranking the vendors, managing the RFP Process, Proof of Concept and evaluation, Negotiation with CRM partners, Vendor Scorecard and more.

==>Click HERE to Download the whitepaper<==

With this tool, you will also be able to plug in your numbers and compare the results between various CRM implementation options. This tool was compiled by CRM experts – and is now available to our readers.

Comparison Video: Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs Salesforce.com

This comparison between Salesforce.com and Microsoft Dynamics CRM will assist you in your CRM evaluation. To view the on-demand webinar, click the image below.

SugarCRM Review – Based on personal implementation is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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Marketing on the move is becoming a recognized way to perform business activities and the iPad is rapidly becoming a leading player in this new CRM revolution. Mobile computers are now an essential part of any business man’s armory, and with the ever increasing popularity of the iPad CRM, companies are beginning to release applications that allow marketers to track support, sales and marketing services in real time.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM for iPad

One such application to hit the market is Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In any business, customer relations are important and this new software ticks all the right boxes. It allows the sales force of large companies to remain fully updated on order processes, allowing them to take on board potential problems and resolve them with greater efficiency.  IEnterprises, who are providers of Mobile Edge solutions, have taken the Microsoft application on board and offer it as a wireless solution for companies to keep their sales force completely abreast of customer relations management. This enables greater productivity and efficiency. The mobile application from Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been conceived to fit onto the smaller screens of mobile devices. This allows users to call up any information that they need wherever they may be in the field and can be accessed offline as well as online.

SugarCRM for iPad

Another company that has released an excellent iPad CRM application is Sugar CRM, which is touted as an open source software solution for CRM. The application is customizable and will fit the demands of all kinds of business using features that are standard to prioritize meetings, opportunities for business and important contacts. The Sugar CRM software can be synchronized with the iPad in real time 24/7 so that the latest data is always available for the end user. Getting information on the road has become a whole lot easier now that this application has come into the mobile market.

For businesses looking to maximize their product sales, these two new products from Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SugarCRM will give them a competitive edge over their rivals. Using CRM software with the iPad will give sales and support staff a valuable tool that is powerful and has many benefits. As these applications gain popularity, it will not be unreasonable to expect more CRM companies to introduce mobile applications as existing programs continue to be upgraded to include even more features that enhance their applications within the market today.

SugarCRM Free Trial Account

It can be truly useful to test-drive a free demo of a software product before making your purchase. Click here to access this free Trial of SugarCRM in the latest version of Sugar:

==>http://bit.ly/SugarCRMfreeTrial<==

What users can expect with this SugarCRM Free Trial Download:

• SugarCRM Security Access
• Administrator Options
• iPad Login for Sugar
• Social Media Access (Twitter integration)
• Test Data for readers to view SugarCRM Manager Reports
• Workflow samples within the Sugar Admin section

Free 30-Day Trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Are you considering Microsoft Dynamics CRM? You can try it before you purchase!

This no-cost no-obligation 30 day free trial below allows you to jumpstart your Dynamics CRM evaluation and test drive Microsoft’s award winning CRM product – free for 30 days.

This trial account includes the complete edition feature set – so feel free to take it for a spin! Microsoft CRM is simple to get started – just register below.

==>Register for 30 day Trial of Microsoft CRM<==

Comparison CRM for iPad – Microsoft vs. Sugar is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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STEP FIVE in a successful CRM project strategy is having an adoption-oriented CRM Implementation.

User Adoption: The Key Ingredient in CRM Project Implementations

Keystone Strategy penned an excellent paper on the value of end-user productivity and usability in ERP software implementations. They note that an AMR Research study has shown that merely 15% of employees are licensed to use their company’s ERP software system and that 46% of the licensed users are not actually logging in and using the system. These results are absolutely astounding! It is shocking that such a costly investment can be virtually wasted by almost half of the targeted users.

The Keystone CRM implementation strategy and guide also points to another study by Forrester, which concludes that “poorly designed user interfaces can profoundly affect the bottom line. The expenses associated with a bad UI, over the course of the application’s lifetime, may end up being many times the cost of the application itself.” Forrester also shows how a poor User Interface affects CRM usability and thus requires unusually high training times.

CRM Implementation Best Practices: Be aware of the 6 Categories of CRM Business Productivity

1. Usability measures the user’s perception of how easy the system is to use on a daily basis. As one of the chief CRM implementation challenges, the are of usability includes the user’s command of the application and the users employment (actual usage) of the system. High usability scores drive the adoption level of the system and thus the ROI. High scores also reveal how much users are willing to explore the application in order to discover hew functions and features – thus empowering the user to also receive more value from the system.
2. Familiarity measures the user’s perception of how intuitive the system is. This includes the ease of learning the software, the intuitiveness of the application, and the user’s confort level with the application. User adoption is greatly improved when the system feels intuitive. The more familiar the screen and application, the higher the probability that the user will want to implement it. For example, since Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint are the most commonly used business applications, the more that a CRM application integrates or functions like these MS Office products, the greater the probability of user adoption.
3. Collaboration measures how the system helps users to better work with their co-workers. This includes the ease of collaboration with other users, the ease and efficiency of workflow within the system, and the ease of communication with outside partners such as suppliers, vendors and customers.
4. Business Insight measures how well the CRM system empowers the user to extract the data quickly and easily in a user friendly format. This includes the ease of comprehensive reporting and dashboards, real-time access to data, and visibility across all users and all departments. This is often the main downfall of CRM systems.
5. Flexibility measures how the user’s difficulty level of accomplishing uncommon or ad hoc tasks. This includes agility in handling unexpected issues, the ease of completing atypical or infrequent tasks, and ease of system adaptibility towards growing business requirements. This also includes the ability to customize the CRM business software for future requirements. Please note that a lack of flexibility typically results in future CRM implementation costs.
6. Transactional Efficiency attempts to measure the user’s perception of how effectively they can perform day-to-day tasks. This includes the user’s effectiveness in being able to execute repetitive tasks, the efficiency of the GUI (graphical user interface), and the reliability and performance speed of the software system. Keystone has found that this is one of the weakest predictive factors in determining overall ROI and TCO of a CRM implementation.

Two Key Findings regarding CRM User Adoption

1. User Adoption is frequently a secondary priority in CRM purchasing decisions – and should be highlighted much more. Consult a local CRM implementation partner for more specific direction on how to maximize user adoption in your rollout.
2. User Adoption is not just a matter of improving the User Interface. It is related to multiple factors such as Usability, Familiarity, Collaboration, Flexibility, Business Insight and Transactional Efficiency.

Tool for Comparing Features of CRM Systems

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Read More…

Six Ways to Increase CRM User Adoption | Soffront Blog – CRM user adoption is simply the number of people in your company who are actually using and benefiting from your CRM system. And to what extent they are benefiting from it. It is not the number of licenses your company is …

Optimizing the CRM Adoption Curve « SugarCRM Corporate Blog – Implementing a CRM system will turn your sales organization into a smooth-running sales machine, jump start your marketing campaigns and help you drive down your customer support backlog. But achieving CRM success takes organizational focus and an understanding of what to expect while putting your company on the path to that success. We’ve covered previously the first three steps in the CRM Adoption Curve.

Step 5: Adoption-Oriented CRM Implementation (Best Practices and Strategy Guide) is a post from: Compare CRM Software Systems, Features, Prices and Costs

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