CRM UK - the official blog of Concentrix Ltd

Leicester Business Event - LBE09

Concentrix is exhibiting at the Leicester Business Event 2009 (LBE09) at The Walkers Stadium, Leicester on 1^st October 2009.

We'll be showing a good selection of our products and services, including Sage CRM and Microsoft CRM, FrontRange’s GoldMine, Sage 200 and the data visualisation and business intelligence solution Tableau software. If there are other products you'd like us to exhibit or anything in particular you would like to discuss, please get in touch and we'll have a chat over a cofee.

If you can make it to Leicester Business Event this year, it’s well worth a visit. Not only will there be a number of local businesses under one roof, there will also be some free seminar sessions which will provide you with ideas and inspiration.

If you’re not able to attend Leicester Business Event, and would like more information on any of the products or services provided by Concentrix, please contact us on 01509 410500 or email info@concentrix.co.uk.  You can also use our website to book a live, one-to-one online demonstration of the products we supply.

As a leading UK business management software, customer relationship management (CRM) software and IT solutions provider Concentrix provides a comprehensive range of products and services. We’ll be more than happy to discuss any aspect of CRM, business management software, or any related issues you may be having.

We look forward to seeing you at LBE09!

Customer Surgery - Thanks for coming!

Thank you to all those who attended our Customer Surgery on Wednesday. It was great to meet everyone again - and we had quite a few new faces. The feedback we received was excellent with every company finding the day extremely wothwhile - in fact every one stated they would recommend the event to someone else!

We look forward to the next surgery - we'll be running them every two months from now on so will be setting a date for October shortly. And if you couldn't make this one, or if it was fully booked by the time you applied, just let me know as soon as possible and we'll give you priority booking.

Meanwhile, If need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01509 410500 or email info@concentrix.co.uk.

New IT Support Structure Information Sheets

Following our recent press release about how we’ve improved our new IT support structure (New IT Support Structure from Concentrix Offers Flexibility, Choice and Outstanding Service), we’ve added the full information sheet pdf’s to the main Concentrix website. Please click:

Concentrix-Support-Services-Overview.pdf

or

Concentrix-Support-Service-levels.pdf.

Alternatively just email info@concentrix.co.uk and we'll send you them.

Don’t forget that if you're a Concentrix customer with a current support contract we'll be in touch soon anyway, but if you have any queries please contact the Support Desk or your Concentrix Account Manager.

Well Done Ruth!

Scottish Hockey's Business and Finance Manager Ruth Crawford ditched her hockey stick for a bike last week as she cycled from Edinburgh to London for sporting charity Right to Play. The ride, launched by Tour de France star Mark Cavendish, covered 534 miles across six stages with stop-offs including the Universities of Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham and Oxford.

Scottish Hockey, which uses a membership management system based on Sage CRM, is a highly regarded sporting body and long-term, valued customer of Concentrix. The event generated a great deal of interest, and Concentrix is pleased to be among the sponsors.

What started off as a personal challenge for Ruth grew in to an opportunity for Scottish Hockey to continue its partnership with British Universities & College Sports [BUCS], while raising money for charity Right to Play.

“I have lived in both capital cities most of my adult life and this seemed an ideal opportunity”, said Ruth. “I had actually considered doing it independently, but with the timing and the key partners involved, it seemed an ideal opportunity to combine it with my professional life and promote the growing levels of partnership with university hockey in all its guises.”

Right to Play are charity partners of BUCS, the official hosts of the first World University Hockey Championships, which will be held at the National Hockey Academy, Peffermill, in September 2010. The event will be delivered through a Local Organising Committee comprising BUCSs and its partners the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Universities Sport, TASS [Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme] as well as Scottish and Great Britain Hockey.

Charity Right To Play uses sport and play programmes to improve health and develop life skills for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world, under the guiding principles of inclusion and sustainability – principles also inherent in Scottish Hockey’s development activity.

“Having played university sport, led clubs and committees and run university sports leagues in London in the past, I am delighted to be working more closely with the university and colleges sports sector through Scottish Hockey. In delivering this exciting event, Scottish Hockey is part of an organisation committed to the development of university hockey – not just the players of all levels, but also technical officials, umpires, and event staff of now and the future.”

The next steps for the committee are to generate global awareness of the event, with the aim of attracting top quality participants, and the additional buy-in and investment to make this an excellent tournament, showcasing GB hockey, and Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh as an international city and sporting venue of choice.

On completing the ride, Ruth commented “What a journey, got to share the pain and adrenaline with some fantastic people... who will no doubt get me into doing something else"

Even though Ruth has successfully completed the event, you can still sponsor her charity Right To Play, at www.justgiving.com/right-to-play-ruth-crawford....”

Free Sage 200 CRM Training for Concentrix customers

If you’re a Concentrix customer using Sage 200, you will have a Sage 200 CRM licence (it was included when you originally bought the software). So why not get up and running by taking advantage of free Sage 200 CRM training?

As an integral part of the suite, Sage 200 CRM brings major benefits to your front office operations, helping streamline your sales, marketing and customer service. In fact, Sage 200 CRM is effectively the same product as Sage CRM, one of the leading ‘best-in-breed’ CRM solutions on the market.

We’ve noticed several businesses use the Sage 200 accounting modules (Sage 200 Financials and Sage 200 Project Accounting for example). However we often find they don’t use Sage 200 CRM – even though they own a free licence.

It’s a real shame to miss out on the major improvements in efficiency and business processes Sage 200 CRM can deliver. It is a powerful programme though, with a wide range of features and deep functionality. So, you will need training to be able to use it properly.

To help you get started, we’re offering you a half-days training on Sage 200 CRM – for free. To arrange a date for the training, just get in touch with your Concentrix account manager, or send an email to info@concentrix.co.uk and we’ll contact you.

We’re expecting a high uptake on this offer, so the earlier you get in touch the more likely it is that we’ll be able to secure training places for you.

New IT Support Structure for Concentrix Customers

We've improved the structure of our IT support services to make sure Concentrix customers get maximum IT support at the very best value, and take full advantage of the services available to them. The main changes are explained in the press release, below. There are also some information sheets available which will be on our website shortly, or email info@concentrix.co.uk and we'll send you them. I

If you're a Concentrix customer with a current support contract we'll be in touch in due course, but if you have any queries in the meantime please don't hesitate to contact the Support Desk or your Concentrix Account Manager.

Here's the press release:

New IT Support Structure from Concentrix Offers Flexibility, Choice and Outstanding Service

Leading UK Business Management Software and IT solutions specialist Concentrix is offering its entire customer base enhanced support levels along with improved flexibility and choice.

Concentrix has provided a variety of different software and IT system support options since the company was founded in 1999. However, the range of products and services Concentrix supplies has significantly expanded since then, along with its customer support operation.

Based at its head-office in Leicestershire, the company now has a large, dedicated in-house support team of highly skilled technical and specialist staff. By offering new support options, Concentrix aims to ensure all its customers get the very best value and make the very best use of the services it provides.

Paul Ince, Concentrix Customer Services Manager explains “The new options not only make it easier for our customers to take full advantage of all the support services they have available to them, but also mean they can choose a support type and level that’s totally in-line with their requirements. In other words, we’re making sure Concentrix customers get maximum support at the very best value”.

Concentrix provides ‘best-in-breed’ business management software. This includes CRM products such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage CRM and FrontRange’s GoldMine, along with accounting solutions and business management suites such as the Sage 200 suite and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The company also supplies hardware and IT infrastructure, such as servers, PC’s and network security products.

The new support model gives Concentrix customers a choice of software support, hardware and IT infrastructure support, or a combination of both. They also have a choice of support levels, including a new premium or ‘Gold’ standard.  This new level offers one of the most comprehensive, high-quality support packages in the industry. For example, it provides extensive pro-active system management and preventative maintenance, along with exceptionally fast, guaranteed resolution and response times.

Asked how Concentrix support works in practice, Ince replies “We have a dedicated support department with specialist staff expert in CRM, business management, accounting systems, hardware and IT infrastructure. As soon as you contact the team with a question, query or more serious issue, a structured resolution procedure begins.”

“Obviously the exact course of action depends on the situation, but typically we’ll either talk you through the problem or access your system remotely and fix it. With more serious issues we may send out an engineer or even loan you equipment. But whatever your problem, we’ll keep you up to date on its progress while getting it sorted quickly and efficiently.”

Working alongside the support team, Concentrix has a number of engineers who visit customers for preventative maintenance, system performance checking, and to respond rapidly should problems that need on-site resolution occur. Concentrix also provides online self-service support, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Background Information

Concentrix is a leading UK independent business management, customer relationship management (CRM) specialist, and IT solutions provider. Founded in 1999, Concentrix helps companies increase competitiveness, profitability and customer satisfaction by improving business processes, systems and IT.

Concentrix solutions are based on recognised, 'best-of-breed' software products. As well as providing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Concentrix also supplies the Sage 200 suite, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix, and FrontRange's GoldMine software. Concentrix has also developed a number of complementary, add-on CRM software modules, and has a dedicated team of software programmers and developers.

As well as business management software, the company supplies leading brand hardware, a comprehensive range of support, training, courses, upgrades, advice and consultancy. In other words, Concentrix provides complete solutions: software, hardware and supporting services.

Concentrix is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a fully Accredited Sage Business Partner, a FrontRange Premier Partner and HP Preferred Partner.

Concentrix is based in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire and has a satellite office in central London.

Sage CRM vs Microsoft Dynamics CRM...Sage Fights Back!

At Concentrix we take a "product agnostic" approach to CRM, finance and ERP systems. We generally don't have a preference which one we sell to whom, as long as it is the best tool for the job. Sometimes this does leave us feeling a bit like parents as we don't have favourites. However, you do feel little bit conflicted when one of your kids is doing a lot better than the others.

In recent times, Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been dominating the mid to enterprise CRM market. This has had quite an impact on Sage's offerings, especially Sage CRM and to a lesser extent SalesLogix. We provide all three, so while we are proud of Microsoft's achievements (and have a large number of high profile, complex, innovative and some really big Dynamics CRM projects in progress or recently completed) we could have started feeling a bit sorry for Sage....

...and this is why I'm very happy that Sage is fighting back!

What's the story?

Sage is obviously best known for accounts and ERP software, but they also own three genuine industry leading CRM products, all of which they have acquired (not written - so it's not CRM written for or by accountants!) and have taken pretty good care of. The three are:

 - Sage ACT! -  a contact management solution. Sage ACT! is not "real" CRM, but the best in its division. We sell it but it's not on my radar much.

- Sage CRM: browser-based, excellent mid-market to enterprise CRM. Super-configurable, customisable and integratable. We've done some very large projects with Sage CRM for the likes of Royal Mail, Parcelforce, British Gymnastics, sportscotland and Ruddle Merz. Sage CRM is ace!

- SalesLogix - all-powerful CRM from back in the day, recently upgrading so it is client-server and browser based. One of the best in the business for offline and mobile access.

And then there is Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Comparable in features, functionality and cost to Sage CRM but arguably more scaleable and enterprise-focused. It's from Microsoft, so obviously blends into Office and especially Outlook. People like it because it's very, very good; it's Microsoft-ness helps to achieve higher rates of user adoption. To coin a cliche, "nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft". The full might of the Microsoft brand and marketing machine, coupled with genuine excellence makes this CRM software on every buyer's shortlist.

Now, if you are Sage then you are a "leading supplier of business software and services to 5.7 million customers worldwide", you've got a global presence, marketing leading products and an army of eager Business Partners selling your stuff for you. You might think that you can go toe-to-toe with Microsoft when they enter your market. You might even think you can win.

What's changed?

Having suffered fierce competition from Microsoft, Sage has (in my opinion) taken a strategic view on improving their product offering, focussing on being good where Microsoft Dynamics CRM is weak(ish) and strengthening a few areas where Microsoft have been clearly ahead of the game..

Personally, I'm pleased, nay impressed that Sage is doing SOMETHING, anything. However, I'm even happier that some of these things are actually pretty cool.

While recent developments include improving some functional areas and strengthening the integration with the Sage 200 system, the exciting things from my point of view are changes to the licensing model (I'm a licensing model geek, OK?).

Sage CRM is now available (once again) in "Standard" and "Advanced" flavours. This used to be the case, but someone decided to do away with Standard, stealing Advanced's thunder and making people who wanted entry level CRM go for GoldMine or something similar.

Standard will save you a few hundred quid but cost you case management and marketing, as well as web portal licensing. I doubt many people will buy Standard, but at least it's an option. (There's a data sheet showing Sage CRM standard and advanced licencing compared in the Concentrix CRM Knowledge base)

Sage has also moved away from the frankly bonkers model of buying Sage CRM is blocks of 5 users (so if you had 11 members of staff you'd have to buy 15 users). You now pay for a server license and a license "per user" (so if you have 11 users, you buy 11 user licenses. Genius). This is the same model as Microsoft Dynamics CRM but is a bit cheaper (unless you are a charity, academic institution, government agency, big business, Microsoft Partner... Microsoft licensing is a bit complicated).

However, the best thing Sage has done is introduce proper Concurrent licensing for Sage CRM. This is something that Microsoft Dynamics CRM DOESN'T have (yet - someone in Microsoft is probably working on it right now). At the moment, it sets Sage CRM apart.

Concurrent licensing can be a big deal for some people. For example if you have 100 members of staff but only 11 of them will ever use the CRM system at the same time then you can just buy 11 licenses. I'm not an economist, but that'll save you some cash.

At the moment it's either/or for the whole CRM system, but Sage are introducing "mixed-mode" licensing soon and this will mean you can have some "named" users and some concurrent users on the same CRM. Which I think will be great.

Put that together with the other benefits of Sage CRM and the relatively low cost of such a powerful system and you've got a few extremely good reasons to take a second look at Sage CRM, instead of plumping for Microsoft Dynamics CRM because it looks like the rest of your desktop.

Where does that leave SalesLogix?

Well, SalesLogix is a different animal and will always have a top place in CRM World, even if it becomes more of a niche product for people who have specific offline or mobile needs that something like Microsoft Dynamics CRM can't meet. Sage has simplified and sanity checked the SalesLogix licensing recently, so it's a better and clearer deal.

In Summary - Sage CRM vs Microsoft Dynamics CRM

While Microsoft Dynamics CRM will continue to get better and Concentrix will continue to do bigger and more complex projects with it, Sage CRM is differentiating itself and coming back with a strong alternative.

If you want to have a closer look at which CRM is best for your organisation then please contact Concentrix, and we'll be happy to come and review your requirements, look at the options, analyse the benefits and help you make an informed choice.

John Odell - CRM Consultant

A Beginners Guide to IT Security – Free Whitepaper

Concentrix has released a new whitepaper which highlights the prominence of IT security threats and explain why organisations need to protect against them.

Developments in technology have meant that the use of the internet and email are part of the daily routine for most organisations. And although businesses have existed for hundreds of years without either of these, the vast majority would now struggle to operate if they were not there.

The internet and email have significantly enhanced the speed of communications, transactions and ultimately decisions. However they have also made organisations vulnerable to a whole new world of threats which they need to protect against.

As a result, hardware, software and network security is now one of the biggest challenges organisations face. There are several different ways in which an organisation or individual can be attacked.  Fortunately, advances in security product technology mean that they do not have to result in catastrophic consequences.

The whitepaper discusses the importance of protecting your organisation from both internal and external security threats. It provides suggestions as to how you can ensure that your organisations hardware, software and network are protected as well as providing information about different types of security products available.

To download the whitepaper in full, please click here.

For more information about Concentrix or security for CRM, accounting and business software, contact us on 01509 410500 or email info@concentrix.co.uk

How to Get Started with CRM, Free Webinar: 10th September 2009

Concentrix, in association with B2B Marketing, is delivering a free webinar called "How to Get Started with CRM”, on 10^th September 2009. The webinar will be presented by our Senior CRM Consultant, John Odell.

We’re running the seminar because we’ve found that many businesses often find the hardest part of implementing a CRM system is getting the project started. So, “How to Get Started with CRM” will provide a wealth of practical advice, tips and guidance for anyone considering, or embarking on, a CRM project.

During the webinar, John will discuss the key factors you need to take into account when planning and implementing a new CRM system. These range from setting objectives, developing KPI’s, performing a business assessment and choosing the right software, to managing the project, deployment, potential pitfalls, measuring success and much more. You’ll also have the opportunity to put questions to John, about any aspect of CRM you'd like to discuss.  

To register for the webinar, please visit the http://www.b2bm.biz/webcast/ or for further information, please contact info@concentrix.co.uk

Webinar Title: How to Get Started with CRM

Date: 10^th September 2009

Time: 3.30 pm (BST)

Duration: 60 Minutes

Registration: http://www.b2bm.biz/webcast/

Are you using Sage 200 to its full potential?

As a result of the current economic climate, many organisations are looking for methods of improving their efficiency and effectiveness. But, with tightened budgets and reduced head count this can be more difficult than anticipated. However, if you are an existing Sage 200 user, the ideal solution could lie within the software you already have.

Sage 200 consists of two foundation modules, these are:

- Sage CRM

- Sage Financials

While the majority of companies use the Sage 200 Financials modules, the CRM modules are often not given a second thought. However, implementing a CRM system does not have to be difficult and done properly CRM will bring real benefits to your organisation, especially in the current economic climate.

Through using Sage 200 CRM you will:

- Reduce duplication of effort

- Decrease errors through reduced data import

- Provide more consistent Customer Service

- Improve Management effectiveness through powerful measurement and reporting tools.

So how can you get CRM working for you?

Concentrix is currently offering existing Sage 200 customers half a day of free training on Sage 200 CRM to get them up and running.

For more information about Sage 200, Sage 200 CRM or the half day of free training on Sage 200 CRM, contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email info@concentrix.co.uk