Pierre,
OFBiz ML (and Apache at large) don't let attachment get through.
Fortunately I received an email copy with the screen copy.
It looks good to me, I suggest that you create a Jira, attache the screen
copy and a patch, but what did you do with the payment method screenlet ?
Jacques
----- Original Message -----
From: Pierre Smits
To: [email protected] ; Jacques Le Roux
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:41 AM
Subject: Re: Requests and Quotes & SFA Manager
For my own purposes I have rearranged the layout of the Account Profile a
bit. See attached image.
If this is liked and should be included in the application I can create
patched and upload them.
Regards,
Pierre
2009/10/21 Pierre Smits <[email protected]>
Keeping it simple often works.
I agree that clear requierements should be outlined before we start
heading of in any direction.
With regards to SugarCRM: they have kept it simple visavis their
overviews and actions. Having looked at openCRX (as Abdullah mentioned it
earlier) I would say that it looks a lot like SugarCRM (with some
complexities like OfBIZ).
So yeah. Bringing overviews of details together on the profile of an
account should be easy to do and enhance the workability for an SFA-officer.
I would like to see that the 'create new'-functions to a nemu section on
each SFA-screen (we already have quick add for contacts and leads). But
adding new accounts, opportunities and forecasts requires going to their
respective overviews.
I will look at the business process library.
Regards,
Pierre
2009/10/21 Jacques Le Roux <[email protected]>
Hi Pierre,
At this stage I wonder if we should not begin by providing clear
requirements using stories as it's done at
http://docs.ofbiz.org/display/OFBREQDES/Universal+Business+Process+Library+Index.
At least having a look there should not hurt...
On the other hand, a simpler way would be to simply mimic SugarCRM UI.
I have done a quick analysis for such a work, it seems not
hard to do. IIRW, the only really missing things are the ticket
feature and graphics. Most of the work is about linking things together.
For instance tasks (workefforts), other accounts associated to an
account (we have already related contacts). Or tasks, contacts relates to an
opportunity (we have already lead but only one it seems), etc.
Of course with its daslet feature SugarCRM is a bit easier to use than
our portlets, but it's not so far.
Also SugarCRM has some convenient lookups and actions on each screen.
For instance I found their information icon showing address, telephone
number, etc. on each line of a lookup result, interesting...
My 2 cts
Jacques
From: "Pierre Smits" <[email protected]>
Hi Jacques,
You are on the money there. I think that the ecommerce solution in
OfBIZ can
be regarded as Best in Class. And with a little effort the CRM/SFA
module
can be the same. Most of the functionalities, as you pointed out,
are
already in place. It is just bringing it together. Having that it
will drive
the acceptance of a good CRM/SFA solution for customers and can/will
lead to
having a better acceptance of OfBIZ as a whole (both from customer
and
developer (SI) point of view).
Therefore I would also advice to split up the Marketing module in a
MARCOM
application (which is more about marketing and communication - with
their
own business processes) and a CRM application (which is by most
perceived as
SFA).
In my opinion the CRM/SFA should be the starting point for getting
all the
info of an account/prospect/customer regarding:
Opportunities,
Request
Orders
Contacts
etc.
When the page of an account is shown the focus should also be on how
to
contact the account (contact mechs) and the associated contacts
(showing
phone and email contact mechs).
The SFA officials should be able to create, read, update and delete
from
there.
But also security solutions should be up to specs.
I also think that the starterpage of SFA should have some charts
showing the
pipeline of all account opportunities (maybe that is some
BI-functionality).
This functionality could then also be shown on the profile of the
account.,
including showing total value of sales of YtD, and last year.
It's the simple things that make it (life also) better to bear.
Regards,
Pierre
PS Could you (and others) also comment on my email regarding Market
Segment
& Sales Segment?
2009/10/20 Jacques Le Roux <[email protected]>
Hi Pierre,
Yes it sounds like a reasonnable requirement to me. Some of the
problems we
get when trying to convince prospects to use OFBiz is
that they want something like SugarCRM. Almost all is there, but
not as
easy as in SugarCRM...
I guess that's why Opentaps was created in the 1st place, because
Si
quickly identified the need and filled it. BTW, I think we miss
after sales features in OFBiz (like tokens in SugarCRM). This
could
certainly be implemented using what exists already in OFBiz (ie
we don't need much changes in the data model if any, using
workeffort for
instance) but has still to be done at the UI level.
A prospective customer (French international enterprise of middle
size)
told me recently that he would prefer to have an easier to use
SFA/CRM than an accounting module, because he has already his own
accouting
system and do not want to change.
Also he wondered how much changes would be implied if ever he
would like to
change, because he think the accouting module is
formated to US practices. I don't think so (I think it's general
enough and
may be quickly adapted) but as I have not worked much
with the OFBiz accouting system yet, I had not much arguments to
expose,
and was not even quite sure of them. So I ask accouting
specialists : what
is your point of view on this aspect ?
My 2cts
Jacques
From: "Pierre Smits" <[email protected]>
Hi All,
Shouldn't requests, quotes and the like be visible from the SFA
Manager?
And
should users be also able to create new requests, quotes e.a.
from there?
Regards,
Pierre
