Book Image

Implementing SugarCRM 5.x

Book Image

Implementing SugarCRM 5.x

Overview of this book

SugarCRM is a popular customer relationship management system. It is an ideal way for small-medium business to try out a CRM system without committing large sums of money. Although SugarCRM is carefully designed for ease of use, attaining measurable business gains requires careful planning and research. This book will give you all the information you need to start using this powerful CRM system. It is the definitive guide to implementing SugarCRM. Whether you are wondering exactly what benefits CRM can bring or you have already learned about CRM systems but have yet to implement one or you're working with SugarCRM already, this book will show you how to get maximum benefit from this exciting product. It demonstrates how to install SugarCRM and also how to get the most out of it by customizing it and integrating CRM into your organization as per your needs. Focused on the needs of the enterprise, this book provides a solution-driven approach for both business and IT specialists to get the most from this powerful and popular Open Source application. It begins with a general discussion about CRM. You will then learn the benefits of such systems, and then explore SugarCRM and its unique value. You will then go through the guidelines for installing and making deployment selections that are set out alongside information for identifying, planning, and applying customizations. Training guidelines and ongoing administrative tasks will be discussed as you progress further into the book. A brief overview of SugarCRM 6.0 is provided at the end of the book.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Implementing SugarCRM 5.x
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewer
Preface

Selecting a CRM development partner


If you think you can do this without external help—think again. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Have I worked through dozens of CRM implementations and gained insights into what can go wrong and why?

  • Do I have experience in data import and massaging techniques gained from years of CRM implementations?

  • Am I comfortable with my ability to interpret a business process into software workflow and screen designs?

  • Will I inspire the confidence internally that an external domain expert can?

Your first task in the process of finding the right partner is to assemble a shortlist of candidate firms. A good starting point for your list is the SugarCRM partner directory available at: http://www.sugarcrm.com/crm/partners/partnerfinder.html. Make sure that you find a partner who is focused not just on selling or hosting the software, but also on the development of custom enhancements to the standard software—as you will need some without doubt.

You will notice that...