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

Summary


In this chapter we have looked at a number of popular add-ons for SugarCRM Community Edition. Each of them extends the system in a direction that enhances the value of the SugarCRM system to your business by adapting it to your growing needs, simplifying user adoption, and system customization.

  • SugarForge.org is the primary source of free enhancements and modules, while SugarExchange.com is the primary source of commercial enhancements or modules.

  • The Google calendar and contact connectors extend your SugarCRM data to Google services and non-SugarCRM users. It also offers an easy-to-use mechanism for synchronizing data with mobile devices for offline access.

  • Microsoft Outlook integration improves user adoption by allowing users to continue using their e-mail client of preference.

  • Integration with Microsoft Office can be easily leveraged to generate personalized letters or direct mail pieces for your marketing efforts.

  • The enhanced search module adds important capabilities to the advanced...