Vantage CRM Feedback

Hi Ken,

I'll chime in again with about the same. We looked at CRM and determined that it just isn't viable as a true replacement for something such as ACT or SalesForce. However, with some (possibly massive) customizations it could work I think but it would probably require some service connect stuff at least for us. I haven't looked at the Outlook integration but I haven't heard good reviews either.

Cheeers,

-Ramsey

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Sioux Steam <siouxsteam@...> wrote:
>
> Happy New Year to Vantage/Yahoo User Group
> ÂÂ
> I would like your input on Epicor’s CRM (Customer Relations Management) capabilities.
> ÂÂ
> We have been using Vantage since 2002 and are currently on version 8.03.305H. We are planning to upgrade to Epicor 9 sometime in the future.ÂÂ
> ÂÂ
> In 2010 our goal is to set-up and start using CRM. We are in the early stages of investigating Epicor’s Vantage CRM capabilities versus purchasing a CRM software package from ACT, Microsoft, or Goldmine or SalesForce. We have done some preliminary review of the outside alternatives but our goal is to use Epicor-Vantage’s CRM if it works well enough, to avoid maintaining two separate systems, which we would like to avoid.ÂÂ
> ÂÂ
> This is where I can use your help. We need to know who is using this software and how well it works. Please email me your feedback on the Excel survey form that is attached to this email. Your feedback is really appreciated. If you would like to receive a copy of the results, indicate that and I will send you a copy.ÂÂ
> ÂÂ
> Thank-You Very Much For Your Input.
> ÂÂ
> Ken Ausdemore
> Controller/IT/HR -- Sioux Corporation
> Email: kausdemore@...
> Direct #:  605-763-4033  ÂÂ
> Fax #:      605-763-3334
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Happy New Year to Vantage/Yahoo User Group
Â
I would like your input on Epicor’s CRM (Customer Relations Management) capabilities.
Â
We have been using Vantage since 2002 and are currently on version 8.03.305H. We are planning to upgrade to Epicor 9 sometime in the future.Â
Â
In 2010 our goal is to set-up and start using CRM. We are in the early stages of investigating Epicor’s Vantage CRM capabilities versus purchasing a CRM software package from ACT, Microsoft, or Goldmine or SalesForce. We have done some preliminary review of the outside alternatives but our goal is to use Epicor-Vantage’s CRM if it works well enough, to avoid maintaining two separate systems, which we would like to avoid.Â
Â
This is where I can use your help. We need to know who is using this software and how well it works. Please email me your feedback on the Excel survey form that is attached to this email. Your feedback is really appreciated. If you would like to receive a copy of the results, indicate that and I will send you a copy.Â
Â
Thank-You Very Much For Your Input.
Â
Ken Ausdemore
Controller/IT/HR -- Sioux Corporation
Email: kausdemore@...
Direct #:Â Â 605-763-4033Â Â Â
Fax #:Â Â Â Â Â Â 605-763-3334




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We have CRM for 8.03 and unfortunately it doesn't do what we need it to do. The problem for us is that we are a manufacture and sell through distributors and retailers who mostly drop ships to the end user, but we advertise and market to the end user. CRM has to have a customer set up in Vantage and all our customers are the distributors/retailers. What we wanted was a CRM that could track the end user but not have to set them up as a customer in Vantage. Otherwise, CRM seems to be a fine product. It just didn't meet the needs of our somewhat unique circumstance.




________________________________
From: Sioux Steam <siouxsteam@...>
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, January 3, 2010 11:56:16 AM
Subject: [Vantage] Vantage CRM Feedback

Â
Happy New Year to Vantage/Yahoo User Group
Â
I would like your input on Epicor’s CRM (Customer Relations Management) capabilities.
Â
We have been using Vantage since 2002 and are currently on version 8.03.305H. We are planning to upgrade to Epicor 9 sometime in the future.Â
Â
In 2010 our goal is to set-up and start using CRM. We are in the early stages of investigating Epicor’s Vantage CRM capabilities versus purchasing a CRM software package from ACT, Microsoft, or Goldmine or SalesForce. We have done some preliminary review of the outside alternatives but our goal is to use Epicor-Vantage’s CRM if it works well enough, to avoid maintaining two separate systems, which we would like to avoid.Â
Â
This is where I can use your help. We need to know who is using this software and how well it works. Please email me your feedback on the Excel survey form that is attached to this email. Your feedback is really appreciated. If you would like to receive a copy of the results, indicate that and I will send you a copy.Â
Â
Thank-You Very Much For Your Input.
Â
Ken Ausdemore
Controller/IT/ HR -- Sioux Corporation
Email: kausdemore@sioux. com
Direct #:Â Â 605-763-4033Â Â Â
Fax #:Â Â Â Â Â Â 605-763-3334

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ok, my CAM will not be happy with me emailing about this…sorry Eric.

Anyways, what type of a sales force do you have? Are they engineers? Traditional sales? Do they need to quote “make to order”/engineered items? Or are your products pretty standard?

What does your marketing department want to get out of a CRM package? What type of reporting are you looking for? What is your number one goal with a CRM package?

If you have traditional salesmen and you sell standard items, I would not recommend Vantage CRM.

If you plan to track industries, campaigns, etc. I would not recommend Vantage.

However, if you are creating custom products each time and your salesmen are already used to using Vantage, I would definitely recommend their package because it is integrated, plus it has all the existing BOM information and previous job information.

We used to use Vantage CRM in version 6 and dropped it after a year because it was so “cumbersome” for our sales staff to use. We then switched to SalesLogix and our sales force is extremely happy with it and they actually use it ☺.

We have done a lot of integration between the two programs, but mostly we bring data from Vantage into SalesLogix.

If you want more information please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

Michelle de la Vega
Business Applications Manager
Cold Jet, LLC
455 Wards Corner Road
Loveland, Ohio 45140
USA
+1 513-716-6400 (office)
+1 513-382-3281 (mobile)
+1 513-831-1209 (fax)
www.coldjet.com<http://www.coldjet.com>
[cid:image001.jpg@...329F30]

From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Steven Gotschall
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 8:54 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage CRM Feedback



We have CRM for 8.03 and unfortunately it doesn't do what we need it to do. The problem for us is that we are a manufacture and sell through distributors and retailers who mostly drop ships to the end user, but we advertise and market to the end user. CRM has to have a customer set up in Vantage and all our customers are the distributors/retailers. What we wanted was a CRM that could track the end user but not have to set them up as a customer in Vantage. Otherwise, CRM seems to be a fine product. It just didn't meet the needs of our somewhat unique circumstance.

________________________________
From: Sioux Steam <siouxsteam@...<mailto:siouxsteam%40yahoo.com>>
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, January 3, 2010 11:56:16 AM
Subject: [Vantage] Vantage CRM Feedback


Happy New Year to Vantage/Yahoo User Group

I would like your input on Epicor’s CRM (Customer Relations Management) capabilities.

We have been using Vantage since 2002 and are currently on version 8.03.305H. We are planning to upgrade to Epicor 9 sometime in the future.

In 2010 our goal is to set-up and start using CRM. We are in the early stages of investigating Epicor’s Vantage CRM capabilities versus purchasing a CRM software package from ACT, Microsoft, or Goldmine or SalesForce. We have done some preliminary review of the outside alternatives but our goal is to use Epicor-Vantage’s CRM if it works well enough, to avoid maintaining two separate systems, which we would like to avoid.

This is where I can use your help. We need to know who is using this software and how well it works. Please email me your feedback on the Excel survey form that is attached to this email. Your feedback is really appreciated. If you would like to receive a copy of the results, indicate that and I will send you a copy.

Thank-You Very Much For Your Input.

Ken Ausdemore
Controller/IT/ HR -- Sioux Corporation
Email: kausdemore@sioux. com
Direct #: 605-763-4033
Fax #: 605-763-3334

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
For tracking calls, appointments, reminders and email activity and reporting on any of it I'd say Epicor CRM isn't a viable solution.

For tracking marketing objectives and initiatives or tasks for quotes, it's marginal.

My wish would be that Epicor would realize this and instead integrate Vantage or create partnerships with other companies that do this well.

We continue to use ACT 2010 for tracking customer contacts and activity leading up to quote/order and beyond. Because it can attach a full email from Outlook with any attachments to the contact for historical purposes it's integral for other reps to review the history of what went on and what was said.

Our only complaint is that often customer information/contacts are correct on one side and not the other.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Michelle de la Vega <mdelavega@...> wrote:
>
> Ok, my CAM will not be happy with me emailing about this…sorry Eric.
>
> Anyways, what type of a sales force do you have? Are they engineers? Traditional sales? Do they need to quote “make to order”/engineered items? Or are your products pretty standard?
>
> What does your marketing department want to get out of a CRM package? What type of reporting are you looking for? What is your number one goal with a CRM package?
>
> If you have traditional salesmen and you sell standard items, I would not recommend Vantage CRM.
>
> If you plan to track industries, campaigns, etc. I would not recommend Vantage.
>
> However, if you are creating custom products each time and your salesmen are already used to using Vantage, I would definitely recommend their package because it is integrated, plus it has all the existing BOM information and previous job information.
>
> We used to use Vantage CRM in version 6 and dropped it after a year because it was so “cumbersome” for our sales staff to use. We then switched to SalesLogix and our sales force is extremely happy with it and they actually use it ☺.
>
> We have done a lot of integration between the two programs, but mostly we bring data from Vantage into SalesLogix.
>
> If you want more information please feel free to contact me.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michelle de la Vega
> Business Applications Manager
> Cold Jet, LLC
> 455 Wards Corner Road
> Loveland, Ohio 45140
> USA
> +1 513-716-6400 (office)
> +1 513-382-3281 (mobile)
> +1 513-831-1209 (fax)
> www.coldjet.com<http://www.coldjet.com>
> [cid:image001.jpg@...]
>
> From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Steven Gotschall
> Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 8:54 AM
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Vantage] Vantage CRM Feedback
>
>
>
> We have CRM for 8.03 and unfortunately it doesn't do what we need it to do. The problem for us is that we are a manufacture and sell through distributors and retailers who mostly drop ships to the end user, but we advertise and market to the end user. CRM has to have a customer set up in Vantage and all our customers are the distributors/retailers. What we wanted was a CRM that could track the end user but not have to set them up as a customer in Vantage. Otherwise, CRM seems to be a fine product. It just didn't meet the needs of our somewhat unique circumstance.
>
> ________________________________
> From: Sioux Steam <siouxsteam@...<mailto:siouxsteam%40yahoo.com>>
> To: vantage@yahoogroups.com<mailto:vantage%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sun, January 3, 2010 11:56:16 AM
> Subject: [Vantage] Vantage CRM Feedback
>
>
> Happy New Year to Vantage/Yahoo User Group
>
> I would like your input on Epicor’s CRM (Customer Relations Management) capabilities.
>
> We have been using Vantage since 2002 and are currently on version 8.03.305H. We are planning to upgrade to Epicor 9 sometime in the future.
>
> In 2010 our goal is to set-up and start using CRM. We are in the early stages of investigating Epicor’s Vantage CRM capabilities versus purchasing a CRM software package from ACT, Microsoft, or Goldmine or SalesForce. We have done some preliminary review of the outside alternatives but our goal is to use Epicor-Vantage’s CRM if it works well enough, to avoid maintaining two separate systems, which we would like to avoid.
>
> This is where I can use your help. We need to know who is using this software and how well it works. Please email me your feedback on the Excel survey form that is attached to this email. Your feedback is really appreciated. If you would like to receive a copy of the results, indicate that and I will send you a copy.
>
> Thank-You Very Much For Your Input.
>
> Ken Ausdemore
> Controller/IT/ HR -- Sioux Corporation
> Email: kausdemore@sioux. com
> Direct #: 605-763-4033
> Fax #: 605-763-3334
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>