CRM UK - the official blog of the CRM specialists at TSG

Tableau Demonstration Videos Now Available

Concentrix has produced two demonstration videos about Tableau. The first is a ten minute overview of Tableau, and the second looks at Tableau’s maps functionality.

Being CRM and business management software specialists means Concentrix spends a lot of time working with business data. This is why we’re so keen on Tableau, as it offers powerful, fast and easy visual data analysis and business intelligence. There’s nothing else available to match it. We’re configuring it to work with all our key products, such as Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix, the Sage 200 suite of products, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Goldmine Premium Edition.

Think about software that everyone knows about and nearly everyone uses. Software applications that have really influenced the workplace, such as Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Excel.  Applications like these tend to have a great idea behind them, plus they are easy to use and provide significant benefits for little effort.

We believe Tableau has a big chance of changing the way people work, which is why Concentrix is keen to deliver it to the UK market. In fact, Tableau could well become ubiquitous in the worlds of CRM, Accounts, and business management software.

Coming back to the demonstration videos, the overview of Tableau, gives a general idea of how the software works, how powerful Tableau is and how easy it is to use. The Tableau Maps demonstration shows how you can use the software to present and overlay data on geographical maps, from an international scale right down to UK post-code level.

To take a look at the videos, or to find out more about Tableau, visit the Tableau section of our website, or feel free to contact Concentrix. Note the Tableau demo’s are free to download – there’s no registration needed and we don’t ask for your details.

Concentrix provides leading brand hardware.

As a result of their recent acquisition of Taylor Made Technology, Concentrix are now a one-stop-shop for CRM, accounting, business management and supporting IT. Additionally, Concentrix can now provide you with hardware solutions.

Concentrix can source any brand of hardware required by their clients. However, they pride themselves on their close working relationships with their key suppliers. They believe that the relationships they have enable them to provide their customers with the best products in class as well as an unrivalled level of knowledge from their support team. Concentrix have excellent relationships with the following suppliers: Hewlett Packard, Sony and LG.

All of these suppliers are big players in the industry in which they operate. Hewlett Packard delivers vital technology for business and life. Sony has an exceptional reputation worldwide for quality and value and LG is a global leader for its innovative digital products. Concentrix believes that the correct hardware coupled with their knowledge and customer service, will provide their customers with an experience unrivalled within the industry.

For more information about any of the hardware solutions provided by Concentrix, please contact us on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]

Concentrix Distributes Groundbreaking Data Analysis Tool in UK

UK business management software specialist Concentrix Ltd is distributing Tableau, a powerful visual data analysis and business intelligence solution.

Originally developed at Stanford University in the US, Tableau is being used by a wide variety of business decision makers, helping them to reach decisions up to 20 times quicker.

Concentrix believes Tableau will bring significant benefits to their existing customer base, as well as new customers. The software can work with an almost unrestricted amount of data from nearly any source, such as information held in CRM, Accounts or ERP systems. Tableau also allows non-technical staff to display complex data in easily understandable forms, and because it displays data in ways the human brain prefers data to be displayed, Tableau provides a clear, quickly comprehensible in-depth analysis of what’s happening within a business.

Concentrix is distributing Tableau, because it fits in well with their portfolio of CRM and business management solutions because it can link directly to the data held within them. Tableau is also a major breakthrough in its own right - you don’t need any high level technical skills or have to go on a lengthy course to use it, and the results it provides are outstanding.

Because Tableau can look at multiple data sources in many different perspectives, it can uncover meaningful relationships which would otherwise have remained hidden. But a variety of other Business Intelligence (BI) and data analysis solutions have been around for a while now, and have by no means achieved widespread adoption.

The problem with many BI and data tools is that they’re hard work - difficult to use, interpret, and cost far too much. But Tableau is quick to set up, extremely cost-effective, and anyone who can use Excel can quickly get to grips with Tableau. The software itself is also intelligent, and actually helps users display data in the most appropriate form for the brain to comprehend.

Tableau is available from Concentrix as a stand-alone application or as a web-based server version. There’s also Tableau Reader, which is a free application to enable anyone to look at Tableau results.

Background Information

Today, Concentrix is a one-stop-shop for CRM, accounting, business management and supporting IT. So, as well as CRM and Sage software, Concentrix also supplies leading brand hardware and IT solutions. These include products from Hewlett Packard, Sony and LG Electronics. Plus, Concentrix provides a comprehensive range of support services, CRM and Sage software training, courses, upgrades, advice and consultancy. In other words, Concentrix provides complete solutions: software, hardware and supporting services.

For more information about Tableau, contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected].

GoldMine Upgrades

The latest upgrades for Goldmine Corporate Edition and Goldmine Premium Edition are now available from Concentrix. As long as you have a valid maintenance agreement with FrontRange Solutions, the upgrades are free.

·         If you’re a Concentrix GoldMine Corporate Edition customer you can now download GoldMine Corporate Edition version 7.5.1.

·         If you’re a  Concentrix Goldmine Premium Edition customer, you can download GoldMine Premium Edition version 8.0.3.

You can download the setup files through the NetUpdate facility.  For more information, please contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]

Important information for Sage 50 Construction customers

Concentrix has received an announcement from Sage about Sage 50 Construction compatibility with Sage 50 Accounts 2009. It applies to any existing Sage 50 Construction customer who is considering upgrading to either Sage 50 Accounts 2009 or Sage 50 Payroll 2009.  It also applies any customer who purchases Sage 50 Construction new and wishes to use it with Sage 50 Accounts 2009.

Sage has announced that in order to ensure continued compatibility with the annual release of Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50 Payroll, they will be releasing a new version of Sage 50 Construction (version 11.53).  However, due to integration requirements with Sage 50 Payroll 2009, this new version of Sage 50 Construction will not be dispatched until after the Sage 50 Payroll 2009 has been released (which is due early November 2008).

This new version of Sage 50 Construction, version 11.53, will be released in November 2008.  In the meantime existing customers will need to ensure that they do not upgrade the existing Sage 50 Accounts installation to Sage 50 Accounts 2009, as this will result in a number of technical issues affecting their Sage 50 Construction product.  In addition any customer purchasing Sage 50 Construction for the first time should not install this with Sage 50 Accounts 2009 until this new version of Construction is released.

Please note if this announcement is relevant to you, you will receive full details direct from Sage. However if you are a current Concentrix customer or former Taylor Made Technology (TMT) customer and feel this applies to you, please don’t hesitate to contact Concentrix if you have any queries.

GoldMine Premium Edition and Goldmine Corporate Edition Upgrades

FrontRange Solutions, the manufacturers of the GoldMine suite of CRM software, has announced that upgrades are now available for GoldMine Premium Edition and Goldmine Corporate Edition.

For Concentrix customers running Goldmine Premium Edition, as long as you have a valid maintenance agreement with FrontRange Solutions, you can upgrade to GoldMine Premium Edition version 8.0.3, which is available for free download.

Similarly for  Concentrix customers running Goldmine Corporate Edition, as long as you have a valid maintenance agreement with FrontRange Solutions, an upgrade to GoldMine Corporate Edition version 7.5.1 is now available for free download.

You can download this latest setup file through the Concentrix NetUpdate facility.  Or, you can request a direct link from the Concentrix support team. Or of course if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Concentrix support.

Tableau software will revolutionise your decision making process

Concentrix can now provide you with data analysis software which can enable your decision makers to reach decisions, up to 20 times quicker than they could previously.

As a provider of CRM and business management software, Concentrix know how it can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your business. However, difficulties in analysing the data held within the software often prevent individuals developing a true understanding of their business.

However, Concentrix are now able to provide you with a new software which can change the way your business, uses, looks at and analyses data. Tableau software is a unique data analysis software which will change your decision making process. This groundbreaking software is easy to use, cost effective and intelligent – it can help you to display data in the best way and work out the answers which you need.

Concentrix believe that the Tableau software is a highly complementary product with a powerful synergy which will significantly enhance their current offering.

There are several significant advantages of implementing Tableau including:

·         The software can display information from multiple sources in various ways – enabling you to display the data in a way which you understand.

·         Tableau enables you to gain answers to a series of questions using interactive visual analysis – thus subsequently reduces decision making time.

·         It can enable you to quickly comprehend what is happening within your business.

Tableau will revolutionise the decision making process within your organisation, as individuals will be able to reach decisions up to twenty times quicker than previously.    

Concentrix can connect Tableau to the live data within your existing CRM or Business Management Solution, this will provide you with visual data analysis and business intelligence, direct from your system, subsequently it is customised to your needs. The software will also reduce the need for information duplication as it is automatically transferred from your system. When it has been integrated with your CRM, Accounts or Business Management Software, Tableau can be used by anyone in your organisation – if you can use Excel, you can use Tableau. Due to the fact that there is such a wide spectrum of people who can use Tableau, there are two main versions of the product available to suite your requirements: Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server.

As an experienced CRM, Accounts and Business Solutions provider, located in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, Concentrix is the perfect company to implement Tableau for your business.

For more information about Tableau, contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected].

GoldMine Corporate Edition 7.5, where good becomes great.

GoldMine 7.5 Corporate Edition has all the features of previous versions of GoldMine such as the ability to shorten sales cycles, drive revenues and improve marketing effectiveness however, it has additional benefits which will positively impact on your organisation.

This edition of GoldMine has simplified integration with outside data sources; it can also extend your access to mission critical data.  The design of GoldMine 7.5 has also been reconfigured which has significantly enhanced usability.

GoldMine 7.5 benefits from improved workflow, which is a powerful tool that enables you to stay in close contact with both your prospects and customers. This will substantially improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your organisation, helping you to improve your bottom line. Within the enhanced workflow, Goldmines’ contact search centre has added action shortcuts which enable you to schedule activities, send email messages, initiate mail mergers and append information into contact groups or distribution lists.

Additionally reporting is made easier with this version of GoldMine, as it can integrate with Microsoft SQL reporting services. This integration tool enables you to run and deliver reports at designated dates and times, ensuring that the right reports are run at the right times and delivered to the right people – it is therefore an extremely powerful tool which can have significant impacts within your business. 

GoldMine 7.5 enables integration with latest versions of Microsoft Office 2007, as well as Microsoft Vista. The integration of GoldMine has been made easier by the additional Plug Ins which have been made available. GoldMine has added to the Plug Ins available to provide custom menu options which allow you to easily and seamlessly embed custom applications into GoldMine.

This version of GoldMine benefits from enhanced performance, which has been facilitated by many changes, including: the redesign of the database configuration. As part of the re-design, FrontRange have decided to remove the Borland Database Engine, and replace it with the Firebird engine. However, Microsoft SQL is still an available option. As a result of the redesign, version 7.5 has improved ease of program use; faster programme speed and also reduced memory overhead, which will all positively impact on your organisation. There have also been over 200 database and performance enhancements as well as synchronisation. Another change is that FrontRange have removed the 2GB limitation for synchronisation transfer seta which subsequently results in a one-button synchronisation. Additionally there have been numerous improvements within the email functionality which have substantially improved security.

It is therefore evident that there have been a variety of improvements to GoldMine 7.5. We believe that the improvements will enhance usability and continue to help customers reduce costs, improve efficiency and gain better management oversight at minimal cost of ownership.

For more information about GoldMine 7.5 Corporate Edition or GoldMine Premium Edition, please contact Concentrix on 01509 410500 or email [email protected]

Do you struggle with analysing your data?

Having CRM and business management software is something which is key to ensuring your organisation runs efficiently and effectively. However, being able to analyse the data held within databases is something which many companies struggle with.

Concentrix can now provide you with a solution which will change the way you use, look at and analyse data. Tableau software is a unique business intelligence and visual data analysis software application, which will enable your decision makers to work faster. Tableau is easy to use and intelligent, making it different from other business intelligence solutions. However, perhaps the biggest differentiators are that Tableau is extremely cost-effective and easy to use.

The benefits of Tableau software, among others include:

·         It enables you to ascertain an in-depth understanding of what is happening within your business.

·         It also displays information from multiple sources and perspectives, within seconds.

·         The software can quickly and easily create and share data with anyone.

For more information about the benefits of Tableau, please click here.

Concentrix can connect Tableau to the live data in your CRM, accounts or business management solution. Subsequently, you will be able to access advanced visual data, directly from your system. Tableau is ideal for decision makers at all levels as it requires minimal technical expertise – if you can use Excel, you can use Tableau.

To download a 10 minute video demonstration of how tableau works, please click here.

For more information about Tableau, or to speak to one of our Tableau experts, please contact Concentrix on: 01509 410500, or email [email protected]

Customer Surgery - October 2008

Concentrix will be holding a Customer Surgery on Wednesday 1^st October. If you are an existing Customer, this is your opportunity to spend an hour with one of our CRM or business solutions experts in our head office in Mountsorrel completely free of charge. As usual, we will have experts available to cover Sage CRM, SalesLogix, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and GoldMine Premium Edition. We will also have staff available to discuss any business solutions issues.

If you would like to attend the surgery on 1^st October, please book your appointment before Monday 22^nd September. Also, please let us know if you have any particular topics you wish to discuss.

To book your place either email [email protected] or call 01509 410500.