Hi folks. > > I do not think that we are leaving the scope of the discussion. As far as I can tell from the recent postings, there are differences regarding the meaning of the leads and opportunities module and I can relate to some postings describing the complexity that must/should be covered.
Further, most businesses today work with just in time productions. This means that any lead always has a very close coordination with purchase in order to collect the information required to quote. Collecting this information is probably the most important work when trying to get a potential client to issue an order for a product or service. Having a leads and opportunity module that cannot cover this crucial and decisive step will make it miss the business requirements. Let me have a try at the vocabulary: Lead Potential client sends/communicates an enquiry and/or a problem. Opportunity Collecting the information required that must fit client's expectations (various quotes, lead times, availability, successor models, alternatives, etc. all within the submission window declared by the potential client). During this phase you will have a lot of communication going on and will be exchanging data sheets and configurations etc. It is important to keep track of this flowing information. Quote Sending a quote in time to the potential client is the most important step of all. There may be several quotes for alternatives. One quote for quick delivery with few items, one quote for the entire package at a longer lead time, etc. The client will expect us to offer different options fitting his expectations and requirements. This is the crucial difference between leads and regular catalogue sales. In catalogue sales with discounts on list prices, the client knows exactly what he wants and needs price and lead time at best. In leads and opportunities, the client or potential client has a problem and our job is to offer a solution by being creative and understanding his/her needs by engaging in a lot of communication and different scenarios. The rest that follows is the regular process already mainly covered in Tryton. My main concern is that the difference between catalogue sales and lead sales is not well understood. The catalogue sales is tends to have a B2C character. The lead sales have a B2B character. I would be very pleased to offer my inputs from the commercial perspective to the discussion and the development. Looking forward to reading your comments. Kind regards, Denis
