SugarCRM is the world’s leading open source customer relationship management system. A team of consultants and developers work together to create a system of software codes that will give your company the tools you need to create and personalize your own system of tracking customer information and offering superior customer service. The expertise behind the development and support of the product is meets and exceeds that of any licensed proprietary software package.
Because it is an open source product, there is no licensing fee, and codes are made available for consumers to change and improve as needed. Consumers are encouraged to post their changes for various products on a forum so that all other consumers may benefit. This is the ideal example of the benefits of using an open source software product because it promotes creative and effective uses, and an exchange of ideas about what works, what does not work, and what others may wish to try.
Features offered with the original SugarCRM product include contact, customer service, and account management; sales forecasting, management of leads, projects, activities, and documents; email management and calendar. In addition, over the years, the SugarCRM community has added a wide variety of features, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Outlook Integration, workflow, data segregation teams, cross module reporting, and wireless/pda access. The community consists of technicians and developers who support the software but were not part of its initial development.
While there are a wide range of open source software systems available, there are many advantages of using SugarCRM. First, it can be run on an in-house server, or it can be used as a web-based service; you control how you utilize the product. There are new codes and uses being developed constantly, so, even if you, yourself, do not develop a new capability, you may find ideas or suggestions that others have used that may work for you as well.
One of the most important features of SugarCRM is the fact that it has been downloaded more than 9,000 times. What this means to you as a consumer is that the bugs have been worked out, and developers continue to work to make the product run smoothly and without any kinks or bugs. After 9,000 downloads, you can be certain that the product will work for you and operate with your current operating system with no detrimental surprises.
When implementing any new customer relationship management software system, remember that there are a few key points to remember in order to be successful. It is absolutely necessary that you have the buy-in of every employee of the company, including all areas of management and administration. Additionally, training and support are necessary to ensure that everyone understands how to use the product correctly and uses it consistently to ensure that all pertinent client information from every step in the sales/customer service/billing cycle is carried out with outstanding customer relationship management. This will prove paramount in improving your client retention and overall company profits and success.
