Wow! Is it same configuration or you made any changes? 
Nothing new is required, I have a thread about a couple of bug fixes required. They probably will never get patched, but simply changing a couple of lines makes it work.
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Hi everyone, Iāve found this thread very interesting, and I think itās also very useful for anyone who is looking for a CRM solution and considering SuiteCRM as an optionā¦
Iām still in the early stages of getting familiar with SuiteCRM. After my first contact with it, Iāve had the impression that, in some respects, it feels a bit outdated, as if it belongs to another era.
Some functionalities seem difficult to configure (for example, Iām still struggling to enable IMAP email accounts with XOauth2 authentication and Iām still not sure whether my users will be able to configure their own mailboxes or if they will need assistance from an administrator user).
My first impression (probably unfair) is that SuiteCRM is just a CMS with a set of additional features - such as workflows or email campaign sending - but that none of them stand out as particularly great and often extra systems and plugins have to be added to cover what they lack. For example, no built-in integration with Outlook Calendar (and no good plugins seem to exist -or I was not able to find them).
Iām sure this perception is due to my limited experience with SuiteCRM so far, and that Iām likely missing many nuances (the fact that there are many people here actively participating must mean that SuiteCRM is worthwhile).
After these days in contact with SuiteCRM, the following questions have come up to me:
- what would you highlight as the advantages of SuiteCRM compared to commercial alternatives?
- do you consider it truly powerful, or do you feel that itās a limited solution only suitable for basic scenarios?
- how long did it take you to get familiar with the system and start being productive?
Thank you for reading. Kind regards.
Open Source, no (or little) vendor lock-in, data sovereignity and depending on your project very important: no (API) limits / scalability.
Flexibility - especially when youāre building up your CRM system for the digitilization of a wider range of business processes. Itās amazing to see how companies develop into great structures and processes over time.
I think, itās worldwide the open source CRM system with the widest feature selection out of the box.
Since Iām with SuiteCRM since ābefore Suite / the sugar daysā already, I can only talk about my customers projects. Usually it takes around 1 - 3 months for a small case / company and 3 - 6 months for a āstandardā case / project to āsettleā in the day to day processes.
There have been deviations for special projects with a larger scope or specific integrations.
Without me / a professional consultant, Iāve got the impression that it takes twice to three times as long and those projects are usually āstoppingā at 40 - 70% of the potential. Sometimes, the data architecture is āwrongā and the situation is even worse, when customers finally decide to seek out help.
If you are using Outlook (especially if you are using Office365), try this:
For just the calendar itself, individual users have an ical link in their profile that can be subscribed to in Outlook.
I have reviewed and worked with a number of clients with various different CRM systems (and there is a big difference between a CMS and a CRM). Suite has a number of benefits:
- Cost - no Iām not going to say its free, but the costs are definitely advantageous especially at the starter level, you can install it on a fairly basic server and only when you are using it heavily will you need to pay more for the server itself, it wonāt be about per user licences at its basic level.
- Adaptability - its open source nature makes it very good for multiple uses, it can be integrated into most external systems with good APIās due to its open source nature.
- I have been brought on board for some very complex systems and used and expanded properly its very powerful, however saying that to get the most power out of it you would need the proper development and integration resources.
- How long to get productive - That will depend on viewpoint, from a users perspective its quite easy, unlike most systems Suite is very ārepetitiveā once you have a handle on how objects āfit togetherā the entire system just repeats so training is more about how your scenario is set up rather than Suite itself, as Suite 8 develops I am hoping that a lot of the harder to use and quirky parts (for a user anyway) things will improve and be āfixedā.
Regards
Mark
Thank you for your replies @BastianHammer and @markbond. I really appreciate them!
I can use SuiteCRM for freeā¦ so it hard for me to send money without a specific return or knowing how it will be put to use.
Should I donate? Sure.
Will I? Probably not, or at least not significantly.
I just donāt think asking for donations is going to change much, and conversely, making a small donation is not going to change much.
That said, I happy to send $10,000ā¦ with a catchā¦
There are a few of bugs that cause me pain. Iād be willing to pay for them to be fixed.
There are a few features Iād like added. Iād be willing to pay for that.
I donāt understand Github, PRās, etc.
Iād like to see a board (maybe the existing āDevelopment Helpā) where I can post: I need xx bug fixed.
SA (or anyone) responds: I can fix it for $500
I respond: Great ā fix it and roll it into the main code.
I have a small business, and Iād be willing to pay $10,000 to have MY pain-points fixed. Iām guessing many other companies feel similarly.
Get 100 (1,000?) companies to invest $10k and now you have some money to start fixing bugs and move the process forward.
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What you describe is the ābountyā model. I think it generally makes sense and I have played with that idea in the past.
I think there is a deterrent for SuiteCRM Inc, which has prevented them from trying that in the past, which is that it if you do it on the internet (there are many websites that manage those interactions), you tend to get a lot of noise, you spend time doing analysis and budgeting for proposals, and then they flop or generate small business, or de-satisfaction due to something that is not quite as expected.
I think the most obvious way to get what you describe is to simply hire SuiteCRM Inc to do that work for you and specify that the results should be put into the generic core product, free and open-source for everyone. They welcome that requirement, and itās not unusual to hire them that way, I know of other cases of companies who specifically wanted that.
So what it left to negotiate and evaluate is if the price is right - are those 10.000 enough for what you want and need, according to their pricing? I donāt know, but you can always try to talk this over with them.
Thanks for the helpful reply.
I can appreciate there would be a lot of ānoiseā in the system I suggested. Perhaps it is easier if we just discuss bugs for now.
Bug xxx: Iām willing to pay $500. This is not enough for SuiteCRM Inc to fix it. So the suggestion that I āhireā SuiteCRM Inc doesnāt work. BUT, if 10 of us are willing to pay $500, then maybe it makes sense.
I understand there is a list of bugs people can up-vote. Thatās fine, but it doesnāt financially help SuiteCRM Inc. Letās change it from a vote to a bid. SuiteCRM Inc lists a cost to fix each bug. Bug xxx will cost $5,000 to fix. Bug yyy will cost $20,000. Bug zzz will cost $800.
Iām willing to pay $500 to fix Bug xxx. 20 people are willing to pay $100. 3 people are willing to pay $1000. Weāve reached $5000, so SuiteCRM fixes the bug and then we all pay what we bid. (yes there will be some deadbeats that donāt pay, but I think the number of them will somewhat low and the risk is relatively low. Maybe you need to be a member for over a year to bid, and you get kicked off if you donāt pay).
FYI: My ācup of coffeeā sponsorship expired when I changed credit cards. Itās fixed now.
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