Synapsis CRManager Information Page

We are currently about half way to the beta release of CRManager, SK Enterprises' Customer Relationship Management application. Because we had planned a release at the beginning of the year, we thought we would let everyone know what is happening.

First, what's the delay? Initially we had planned a modest first release with a limited feature set - nothing spectacular. However, after we started the project, we quickly identified several features that really needed to be included. Right now, as of early May 2004, we are about 50 percent finished, which, we realize, isn't particularly helpful to our users. But we hope you'll understand after you see what's coming.

What features will CRManager include? Well, here's a list:

Module Feature
Admin
  • Used to manage and control the application.
  • Create the details for the organization.
  • Create user accounts and create access permissions for various CRManager modules.
  • Create groups of users for special projects for easier management.
  • Create automated tasks.
Accounting
  • A full featured, integrated, double entry accounting module.
  • Use this module to perform all necessary accounting functions, create a chart of accounts, create records, post transactions, etc.
Marketing
  • This module is used to assist your marketing department.
  • Create and manage your product list, combine products into product groups, create and manage price lists, and track inventory based upon sales and orders.
  • Create, store, manage, maintain, and make available all of your marketing literature in a central, easily accessible location.
  • Use the Resource sub-tab to guide you in creating a marketing plan, or several marketing plans. Establish, record, and track your sales and marketing objectives for your products, pricing, promotions and distribution mechanisms.
  • Use the Campaign Manager to turn your marketing plan into a marketing campaign. Set up your plans/strategies as tasks, and, or define sub-tasks associated with those plans/strategies. You will also be able to assign resources to work on those tasks, and set up a campaign calendar that will alow you to track and record the progress of the marketing campaign.
  • Track your competition. Keep track of each competitor, their organization, leadership, products, pricing, promotional activities, and distribution details.
Sales
  • Use this module to easily manage your sales efforts.
  • Create and manage customer accounts, assign them to sales areas or special groups. Set-up and maintain a list of action items associated with each account to insure that everyone who needs to know what's going on has access to all current and relevant information regarding the account.
  • Easily and quickly check calendars, set appointments, create action items, send faxes, and compose letters regarding an account. Provides a simple and easy to use mechanism for accomplishing business communication tasks.
  • Set up sales territories and add users to territories.
  • Quickly enter sales leads. Assign the person responsible for managing the lead. Assign the lead to a territory or user group. Quickly create a new account from a lead, and, or upgrade the lead and create a proposal.
  • Easily view and manage proposals. Change the proposal manager, assign the proposal to a new group or territory. Integrated with the product and pricing lists to allow you to quickly and easily create or modify proposal specifics. Conveniently use the proposal to create a Sales Quote.
  • Quickly customize a quote and e-mail or fax the quote with the click of a button. Add discounts, shipping costs, etc.
  • It's also simple to use the current quote to create an Order. Just click "Generate Order" where you still have the option to edit and make changes, or use the existing quote. Once again, you can customize and send the Order via fax or e-mail with the click of a button, or print the Order for mailing.
  • Once you have an order, it's just as simple to create the invoice, which you can send immediately by fax or e-mail, or print for mailing.
  • Finally, use the "Notes" section to share information during the sales cycle from lead to invoice.
Service
  • Use the Service area to provide service and support for your customers.
  • Create, edit and manage service events. Identify the customer, service agreement, order and/or invoice number, and product involved as well as the contact and source information. Keep tracking notes, note and assign actions that need to be taken. Keep track of the service event status as well as monitor the outome.
  • Create, maintain and manage a library of useful information related to your company and its products. CRManager KBase allows users to create, edit, and submit information indexed by subject, title and keyword. Managers can then further edit and add the information to the KBase, which can then be searched by keyword, or alphabetically by title.
  • Create and keep track of service agreements. The integrated service agreement tracking module allows you to automatically link service events to their associated service agreement, which can be constrained by the number of events, a specific time period, or the amount of service time available. Agreements can also restrict the particular day of week, or time of day an event can be added. Finally, you can keep notes regarding a specific agreement.
Reports
  • This is where you go to generate most of your CRManager reports.
  • Pre-defined reports cover many of the various pieces of information collected and stored in the other modules. These reports can be printed from the screen, or outputted in a comma delimited format for eay importation into any spreadsheet application.
  • You can also design your own reports. Choose the information as well as the format and present the information specific to your needs.
Data
  • The Data module serves two important functions that makes CRManager even more robust and easy to use.
  • The Data module is where you go to easily import your existing data without having to enter each existing data record one-by -one. Just create a comma delimited (CSV) text file in the appropriate format and the import wizard will automatically create the necessary records allowing you to migrate your existing data with a minimum of effort.
  • The Data module also allows you to create and use your own data tables for generating reports and performing analysis. Just use the data wizard to create a table and input the data in a comma separated (CSV) text file. It's that simple.
Analysis
  • The final module is used to analyze all the data you have been collecting. There are two features to the Analysis module.
  • The first feature is an OLAP capability. OLAP (OnLine Analytical Processing) provides a convenient graphical method for engaging in data mining.
  • The second feature provides statistical analysis capabilities. Choose from a variety of statisitcal functions to summarize and compare your data, or create and estimate statistical models to explore relationships within your data.

Wow! As you can see, it takes awhile to even give a high-level summary of the features we're including in CRManager. So, we hope that you'll understand the delayed release and continue to be patient. As always, we welcome and invite any comments or questions regarding CRManager (or any other Synapsis module) directed to our Info Team.

Thanks again!