SugarCRM Vs VTiger

[Guest]

Al - do you know if this works for merging to a single contact? It looks like to do this you need the Microsoft Office plug in which is not available on the community edition.

Also, what is the benefit of backing up, or storing docs to mobileme versus using google docs?

Thanks,

Bill

I don't understand "merging to a single contact."

As for backing up... I don't think there is any advantage to MobileMe as opposed to any of the other zillion services out there... except Google is free (right?)

Free or not, you want to make sure that if you are backing up your database file that you choose a service that will let you do an automated backup via a (bash) script. I have a rather simple "bash" script file on my server that does a "dump" of the whole database, zips it, and send it via cadaver (you might use FTP protocol on Google... Mobile uses the webdav protocol instead) to MobileMe every hour... totally automated. If your storage location won't allow this, then you might want to choose another. My bet is that you can do that with Google. I wrote my own script but I'm told there are many of them out there.

For storing docs, well that's a different story. With MobileMe you can store docs in a "public area" where anyone can go and see all your docs. I don't use it much. But what you can also do is store them in another folder and MobileMe will assign you a link to the file that you can give people... like this:

https://files.me.com/acanton77/irdw0k

which is a 3-page info piece on HSA accounts.

I do with with quotes and illustrations instead of sending them as attached email files because often they are large files and clients have hotmail or aol which tend to "eat" large attachments.

HTH, YMMV.

 

[wilkin]

Al,

What I meant by merging to a single contact was can you store standard letters as templates and then with one or two clicks merge a client's name and address to easily send them saving the time of typing each name and address.

I like the way you can have MobileMe assign a link to a document and send it rather than using attachments. That's pretty cool.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

For SugarCRM, I think you mean the template function. I've never done it but I think you want to look at these:

» How to create an alert email template for workflows | Blog Archive | SugarCRM Knowledge Base

» email templates | SugarCRM Knowledge Base

Al
You can find me here.

 

[Norwayguy]

Okay you Sugar experts, I have a question....I do a lot of annuities and Life and most of my clients have multiple products with me...I really would like an easy way to look at the contact and be able to see the list of products and product names...Right now I enter the product as a note and it gets listed with all the other notes and I would have to search through all the notes to find what products the client has...Is there anyway to have certain notes always remain at the top of the que o is there another module out there that would be better to track this for me?

 

[Josh]

A little late on this, but I think the answer to your question is not really. One thing you can do is add an additional field and have drop downs for what products they have. That may not be the perfect solution, but that is probably closer to a work around for what you want to do than paying someone to write more code.

 

[ksigmtsu]

Okay you Sugar experts, I have a question....I do a lot of annuities and Life and most of my clients have multiple products with me...I really would like an easy way to look at the contact and be able to see the list of products and product names...Right now I enter the product as a note and it gets listed with all the other notes and I would have to search through all the notes to find what products the client has...Is there anyway to have certain notes always remain at the top of the que o is there another module out there that would be better to track this for me?

The correct method for this is to make each policy an opportunity, attach the opportunity to the account, which is in turn attached to the contact, and when you bring up the account screen all of the opportunities attached to the client file will then be attached there, so you can read right thru them all.

You can have as many policies as you want this way, with as many closing dates, mature dates, etc as you want attached to a single account.

leads become accounts and contacts, accounts can have cases, opportunities. Thats the hierarchy.

Now if you're using a version older than 6.1 i dont know for sure, thats the version I'm the most familiar with.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
notes are really the wrong way to do this, if you ever wanted to do anything with the database data, such as automate maturity notices on annuities, it wouldn't be prudent to do from the notes subsystem.

 

[goldthroat]

Take a look at Zoho CRM. It's free and it's good.

 

[samson]

Do you guys use these systems instead of a "traditional" management system such as 360, etc?

I am just now beginning to consider a management system for our paper-based office, including document storage. We don't want to pay 360-type prices, and I have a IT background, so I was hoping to homebrew something that works well for us.

Right now we have Google Apps for email and some doc storage, but I'd like to build a customer database that we could use to start entering data for new business, and one that would allow us to generate things like form letters and other mailouts.

Thanks.

We use AgencyIQ in our office for CRM & email. The system connects all the notes, emails, reminders together in one place for easy & quick action. The email function has their best practices loaded into the system, but you can modify it to suit your needs & branding. We can turn it on and let it go with no worries.

We also got a call about their new auto dialer that contacts your new leads immediately. They have information on their website and I think they have videos on YouTube.

Leads360 was just too expensive for us!

 

[csi_patrick]

I use Vtigercrm, mostly just the Leads Module though currently. Trying to get the management of the firm on board.

What I like most is - being able to create Workflows.

Right now I have a lead capture form - on multiple sites.

When they click on it - I've updated it so it will go to whatever 'thank you page' link is in the action="url?page=http://...thankyou/".

Also I have it so that it automatically emails the leads manager.
It also automatically emails the user - and sends them a different email based on hidden fields (Lead Type - currently broker, consumer, and ma- medicare advantage cus we're running a special for agents who sign up to sell ma by Oct. 1st.)

It took me a bit of work to get it all setup and searching for the code to get the workflows to work well. But it's pretty sleek.

 

[ksigmtsu]

Vtiger is slick, its better than Sugar when you have to deal with large datasets, but for smaller, like insurance agencies or companies, sugar is probably better out of the package.