SugarCRM: CRM Made Simple

Sugar 6

SugarCRM, supplier company of open source software and the developer of the CRM system SugarCRM, announced in August, 2011 a release of the new version of Sugar 6: CRM Made Simple. The company also submitted two new offers of a subscription to a system. The developed according to requirements of quickly growing customer and partner base, new subscription features will provide to clients and partners a broad spectrum of flexible, intuitive and open CRM solutions worldwide.

SugarCRM offers deeper mix of solutions and services, with considerably expanded set of functions and opportunities of the version of Sugar 6, four options on a subscription, it is much more additional applications, opportunities and levels of support. Expanding a range of subscription options, the company ideally positions itself for satisfaction of constantly growing requests of the customer and partner base.

In addition to offers on a subscription for versions of Sugar Professional and Enterprise, SugarCRM entered options on a subscription for versions of Corporate and Ultimate. The version of Sugar Corporate is intended for business which wants to provide the distant employees with the flexible, easy configured, mobile CRM solution. It includes all functionality of Sugar Professional, plus a new service package of Sugar Mobile which gives the chance to users to work in a standalone mode (so-called "offline"), with automatic synchronization of data when the mobile device is disconnected from network.

The version of Sugar Ultimate meets comprehensive requirements of large business. Having all functionality offered in the version of Sugar Enterprise, the option on a subscription of the version of Ultimate includes more memory, "sandboxes" (specially selected isolated environments in which it is possible to test and execute quietly the dangerous applets which are potentially received from Network), server connections and the high level of technical support. Each subscription gives to clients the chance of setup of additional functions and options of support in the selective mode.

The functionality and new packet of options of the version of Sugar 6 promote increase in the existing product positions as leading global platform for mobile and social CRM.

Sugar 6.6

So, from version 6.6 several improvements of a system, including the optimized self-service portal which received simpler and user-friendly interface and expanded means of information search became available to users at once. Administrators will be able quicker to manage and configure appearance and the maintenance of a self-service portal now, creating a comfortable environment for clients.

At the same time, there was an opportunity to create templates for any object of the CRM system using the built-in PDF manager. This opportunity is available both to standard modules, and to modules which are created under the order. Any data object in SugarCRM can be presented in the form of a form or the document available to printing in a required form now.

In turn, the built-in generator of templates is equipped with means of a grammar check (spell-checker). In total 26 languages, including Russian are supported.

Sugar 6.7

The optimized management tool sales forecasts became the main feature of version 6.7. According to developers, the module of forecasts supports model of approval of the plan "From top to down" and now "From below up". The head sets sales plans and sends them to subordinates for verification and confirmation, then collects the modified data and claims in the final plan. In turn, the managing director of sales will be able flexibly to specify now criteria of transactions which should go to offset of the plan and estimate at once optimistic and pessimistic scenarios of succession of events.

Changes concerned also functionality for the mobile client of CRM. In particular, function of full-text search for the text on all database is available also on the smartphone now. The user will be able to find any object from one search query. It became even simpler to fix calls from the smartphone — enough after a call simply to specify the comment on a call, and it will be written in base at once in a binding to an object from which the call was performed.

At the same time a set of functional modules which became available in the mobile client of the SugarCRM system extended. Now at any time on the smartphone or the tablet will be available: partners, contacts, preliminary contacts (leads), transactions, meetings, tasks, notes, reports (so far only in the row and column format), requests for service, accounts and orders, employees and base of documents.

2013: Sugar 7

On November 19, 2013 it became known of the planned release of the version of Sugar 7 localized into Russian from SugarCRM company.

SugarCRM selected Integros company as the partner in localization of the new version of the CRM of the Sugar 7 platform into Russian. By November 19, 2013 more than 80% of a product are localized, the company reported, and in December, 2013 the solution will get a full support of Russian.

Significant changes underwent: user interface, means of its setup by users. All important updates on the client, are available to contact, sale, a request, a lead or other object through a news feed by analogy with social networks now. On this object it is possible to analyst and part to configure under the taste by means of a local panel now.

Means of collective work improved. Users will have an opportunity to quickly discuss any change directly from a news feed that it is essential to raise an information exchange rate and quality of team work.

The new menu of navigation allows "in one click" to get access to the most demanded functions and specific subjects of information. Interface response speed increased, work from the tablet or the smartphone became more comfortable.

2014: Integration of the Customer Relationship Management System of Sugar and Cognos BI

The SugarCRM company announced in the spring of 2014 expansion of opportunities of the Customer Relationship Management System Sugar using the solution of IBM - Cognos Business Intelligence which provides a deep business intelligence along with functions of creation of reports, summary dashboards, tables and diagrams of indicators. New opportunities of the Customer Relationship Management System, first of all, are focused on medium and large business.

To understand whether such functionality of your company is necessary, answer for yourself the following questions:

• What segment of the market purchases my products / services and what profitability of this segment?
• At what category of consumers to me to aim marketing campaigns?
• How did the processing speed of leads on specific category of interests in products change?
• How many clients are necessary for the sales manager to implement the plan?
• In what aspects of work do sellers prove is more best?
• What sales volume at me in comparison with last year by products/regions/divisions?
• How many resources and for what problems spends service division in combination with sales volumes of the same products?

Integration of the Customer Relationship Management System of Sugar and Cognos BI opens new opportunities for users from all functional clusters: finance, sales, marketing, production, customer support, strategic management.

The analytical charts and the tables KPI created in Cognos BI can be presented in the form of dashlet now on a desktop of the user of the Customer Relationship Management System so all important information will be near at hand. Users will be able quickly and easily to study information, to analyze key indicators of success and also quickly to interact in the company for review of collective solutions.

2015: There was a release of the version of SugarCRM 7.6

On April 23, 2015 the SugarCRM company announced release of release of the version of the flagship product^[1].

The visual designer of processes, the mechanism of notifications and ready basic flows of works is added to a product. According to developers, the module Business Rules Builder gives to users the chance of creation of difficult rules without writing any code.

SugarCRM promised not expensive process automation of routing and transfer on instances of addresses, the adoptions of contracts, input of customers and the affairs serving in a rate - as a result of the entered changes into the system.

Users of mobile devices had an opportunity to interact with the help of a tape of activity and to create the personalized dashboards. The convenience of work with a system to all specialists who are responsible for customer interaction is increased, the developer company reported. The display modes corresponding to different user roles are improved and owing to integration with statistical services Dunn & Bradstreet a system helps to obtain the additional information about customers. In the USA CRM 7.6 costs from $40 a month counting on one user.

Representation of CRM, 2015

Notes