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Mellow
Premium Member
join:2001-11-16
Salisbury, MD

1 edit

Mellow

Premium Member

Sales Force vs. Microsoft Dynamics

Got a small sales force and we currently use Act, the higher ups are looking for something more robust and feature laden (ie keep an eye on activity), I am looking for something that will not have me pulling my hair out having to learn to help support, these were the top 2 I have found, open to other suggestions, looking to keep it within $35-$50 / month per user.

Also looking at Sugar as a possible solution.

hairspring
join:2007-11-23
Oakville, ON

hairspring

Member

How much customization will you be doing? If it's significant and will involve coding, you might steer clear of Salesforce.com. We had quite a time figuring out their ORM, and even harder time dealing with 'governor limits'. Also, SF's customization platform is "java-like" and "SQL-like", but different enough from both that you'll probably get sucked into hiring consultants.

At least with Microsoft/Sugar, existing staff can leverage existing skills. With Salesforce.com, it didn't work out that way for us.

Mellow
Premium Member
join:2001-11-16
Salisbury, MD

Mellow

Premium Member

Thanks for the reply, not looking to do any coding for CRM, looking for something that will run what we need it to do, basic CRM, off the shelf. Did not have to customize Act, just used what was built into it for reporting and sales pipeline stuff.

You know how it is, the management goes to a show and comes back with why can't our software do this kind of deal. So now I am stuck with having to find a solution.

PToN
Premium Member
join:2001-10-04
Houston, TX

PToN to Mellow

Premium Member

to Mellow
There is always gonna be customization. These software will give you a generic base on how to do business, but each company does the same thing in very different ways. This is where your customization come in.

It may not be a requirement now, but it will become one. Being able to easily access the source-code and change it or add new custom code/programs is something to keep on mind.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall to Mellow

MVM

to Mellow
I have experience with CRM and it is very nice, but it requires a little massaging to use. It sounds like you want something to just drop in and go, and I can tell you that CRM covers the basics on this but it won't hold up for the future. With CRM, you will be customizing it for sure. This is going to be the case with just about any CRM related software out there though.

Mellow
Premium Member
join:2001-11-16
Salisbury, MD

Mellow

Premium Member

We currently use ACT for our CRM, I do not want to do any coding and it seems that I can get away with no coding with drop in apps from 3rd party vendors.

hairspring
join:2007-11-23
Oakville, ON

hairspring to Mellow

Member

to Mellow
Ok, so if you're just looking at the application as is, I can comment on Salesforce.com.

Pros
• reasonably good contact/account manager.
• decent product/pricebook/opportunity workflow.
• easy to administer
• easy to customize (up to a point, see my previous comments)

Cons
• reporting looks good on the surface, but is very limited by what data you can work into a particular report. You can only work with a maximum of 3 objects, and they have to be in some master-detail relationship with each other. No arbitrary joins allowed. Otherwise, the report designer is decent.
• a lot of the bells and whistles that impress management won't be included unless you buy extra licencing or buy a higher addition. Carefully assess what you are getting when you choose an edition.
• a lot of the bells and whistles that impress management don't work particularly well. Salesforce Mobile, frankly, sucks. As does 'Salesforce for Outlook', which might have the worst synchronization capabilities I've ever witnessed.
• Salesforce 'Chatter' - ugh

StepR
Code Warrior
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Elgin, IL

StepR to Mellow

Premium Member

to Mellow
It appears that Salesforce cannot handle mail mergers without MS Word 2003 or 2007 even though it says it supports Google Docs. I am looking for a CRM that will handle mail merges.

Mellow
Premium Member
join:2001-11-16
Salisbury, MD

Mellow

Premium Member

I guess I have come full circle, looks like we will be upgrading to Act 2013 premium with network team sharing.

Btw Act does mail merges very well, well atleast I can say act 2010 does, will find out if 2013 is as good.