1CRM

The best CRM solution we've found

Kommentare: We are a small company selling our email marketing service, smartmessages.net, and we are also the UK 1CRM partner. We started out using SalesForce, but quickly realised it was very limited and very expensive if we wanted to add the features we needed. We then turned to SugarCRM which solved most of the cost issue, but found it similarly restrictive, and also proved extremely unreliable. 1CRM was just what we wanted, providing all the features for a great price and without the unreliability, so we now use it for all our CRM needs. It worked so well for us that we became the UK partner for 1CRM in 2006, and so we use it to manage our 1CRM customers too! We are especially keen on the invoicing and lead/opportunity pipeline, and make extensive use of the google apps integrations (we're all Mac & Linux based). The features introduced in the 1CRM Enterprise Edition have made it much more powerful and adaptable for our customers' needs. It's shown itself to be scalable too - we have installations ranging from 2 users to 80 without any performance problems. We have written a 1CRM extension to link it to Xero (an online accounting service), so we have an effective accounting integration too.

Vorteile:

Everything's included - we've not needed to buy anything else Self-hosting (we provide hosting for customers, so we prefer this route) Fast Reliable Mobile sync Joomla portal integration Great support

Nachteile:

Email marketing setup is quite complicated (though we are biased!) More documentation needed More integrations would be good

Great software, great support

Kommentare: We have been using 1CRM at Ultreia Comunicaciones for a long time, sice it was called info@hand. We find it to be an invaluable help to help us deploy a workflow and stablish internal procedures. Although we do not use all of its features, the ones we use are strong and work flawlessly. 1CRM Corp, the people behind the software, have always given support and insight. Any important bug that happens is corrected in hours, and new versions are relased from time to time with more features, speed improvements and better look.

Vorteile:

Feature complete. Most companies will be able to automatize their workflows using 1CRM. It is extremely customizable, both in views and the data schema. Graphics help to get the best information in a glimpse. Reports give you insight about your data. Everything is connected: a contact is linked to the account and the quote you sent... you can stick notes into any object (accounts, opportunities, quotes, invoices), so all your information will be available to any operator. There is an extraordinary permission system that allows you to clearly sepparate roles in the company and block access to restricted areas depending on the role. Last, but not least, you can now sync all your information with your smartphone, without having to rely on third party solutions, so your information is yours, and you can keep it away from search engines' eyes.

Nachteile:

Project management is not the best module of this software. It is usable, but not as confortable as it could. A good insight in CRM deployment is recommended to get the best out of this fantastic software. You can do without it, but you will have to refine your deployment a lot of times.

Security certificate warning, basic lists inaccurate, clunky documents, HORRIBLE SUPPORT!

Kommentare: None. A net negative experience.

Vorteile:

It was meant to be a SaaS all-in-one (financial, inventory, crm, etc), but had fundamental flaws and was essential unworkable - and support are rude and unhelpful.

Nachteile:

We abandoned this software when we got a warning in our browser that the site was not safe. This is where we keep our critical business data, remember. Support? Ignore the warning and proceed. Really? That gives you an idea of how amateurish this software is, and how disdainful the company is, both their US hq and their German partner, Visual4 GmbH. Simple things like a list of countries, that you cannot add to, leaves off essentials like the UK and any variant (Britain, England, etc. Doesn't exist). The forms (orders, invoices, etc) were from the 80s and could not embed a logo properly (support didn't care - "try a square one". Um ... my logo is rectangular, even if your software doesn't like that), You can edit the forms, but the tool to do so is out of the 70s in terms of friendliness, and anyway there was only very limited functionality included anyway - all at an additional fee!!!

Excellent business management app for the SMB segment

Kommentare: We, at ALLOcloud.com, have been using 1CRM (was Info@hand when we started) for the last 8 years. We thoroughly benchmarked several web-based solutions (incl Sugar and SalesForce) and finally chose 1CRM. The main decision criteria were:
- 360° view of our business
- easy yet powerful customization
- possibilities to integrate with third party applications (telephony, accounting, portal, billing...)
- good support
We've been happy customers since. Just for reference, we host the product on our own servers

Vorteile:

- 360° view of our business - easy yet powerful customization - possibilities to integrate with third party applications (telephony, accounting, portal, billing...) - good support

Nachteile:

- portal uses Joomla which we find quite old-fashion (would prefer Drupal)

Beyond pure CRM!

Kommentare: I have used the cloud offering of 1CRM personally in my management consulting business. It is a great way of managing all the usual CRM kind of activities. Of greater testimony to this solution is its rollout at one of my clients. Initially implemented in Sales & Marketing for CRM functions it has proven so effective they have adopted 1CRM as their primary corporate information management system and are in the process rolling out most of its other functionality - it truly is a complete "small business management" system.

Vorteile:

Comprehensive solution for virtually all aspects of a small/medium business Ability to tailor modules without programming (Studio features) Workflow & notifications capabilities provides excellent process control