CRM Options
Opened from the Options menu, the CRM Options window enables you to set up tasks and enter pipeline information.
Task Types tab
A task type can be anything that needs to be scheduled for action. You can create a list of task types by:
Opening the CRM Options window and clicking on the Task Types tab.
Task type records can be amended by re-typing the description.
Task types cannot be deleted but can be re-used by editing the text.
If you choose to do this whilst the selected action is being used on active tasks and diary entries, the original action text will be lost from the record.
Task type records can be made Active or Inactive by ticking or clearing the Active flag alongside the description.
The CRM module contains one system task type, Note. This cannot be re-configured but can be made inactive.
There will be an existing Task Type of Note. This is a system type that cannot be re-configured but can be made inactive.
The cursor will be placed on a blank line; the window is opened in edit mode.
Enter a Description for the Task Type.
Click the tick box if this type is to be active and available in the Actions drop-down list when a task is created.
Tick the Action By Entries tick box if you require the "Action By" date and time fields to be completed when a task of this type is added.
Tab from the description field to move to another blank line if you wish to enter more types.
Click OK to save the records.
When a task is added to a CRM record, a drop down list of the active task types will be available, which are labelled as Actions. Just select the action for the task. When a Task is added to a CRM record it will also be created as a Diary entry for the User to whom the task has been assigned.
Task status tab
The Task Status list contains three predefined items: In Progress, Complete, and Outstanding.
These items cannot be amended or deleted but additional status definitions can be added.
If you choose to add additional items, these can be reordered, within the three system descriptions, using the Move Up and Move Down arrows to the right of the list.
The task status list will be used in the same way as the Status Actioned? flag in the Diary.
The task status of Complete is mapped to Actioned? in the diary.
If Actioned? is set in the diary, then the task status will be updated to Complete.
If the task status is set to Complete, then the Actioned flag in the diary will be set.
Pipeline Probability tab
Pipeline values are an indication of the likely revenue from a particular prospect or campaign. A pipeline probability is attached to the pipeline entry, this is an indication of the likelihood of the revenue being achieved. This can be amended as the pipeline value becomes more secure.
A list of percentages in 10% increments are provided and you can enter a description against each.
These percentages will provide the calculation to value the pipeline.
Pipeline Categories tab
Pipeline categories are used to group pipeline entries and would usually be a list of the products for which you are prospecting. For example: Software; Hardware; Consultancy;Data transfer; 3rd Party.
You can set up as many pipeline categories as you need.
The cursor will appear in the first empty line of the description grid.
Enter the first description.
Press the tab key to move to the next line to create additional categories.
Click OK to save the categories.
When making a pipeline entry, you can select more than one category against which to place pipeline values.
Postcode Matrix tab
Postcode Management enables you to assign your Prospects to the Customer partners, who will be looking after them, by area according to the postcode of the Prospect record.
'Assigned To' Field - You may run partnership network, whereby you have a team that find and qualify prospective customers but then pass these leads to other companies to follow up. The companies to which you assign the prospects will also be Customers within your accounts. They will support the Prospect as they become a Customer.
If you plan to use the Assigned To field, you may wish to use the postcode management feature to assign postcode areas to specific partners. Then, when a new prospect record is ready to be assigned to a partner, the prospect's postcode can be used to locate the most appropriate one. The Assigned To/Postcode combination is saved as a matrix and can be extended to include the Products that are available.
Firstly, you should select which of the sort key fields on a Customer record will be used to indicate that the Customer is permitted to be a 'Partner'.
Please note that User Sort 1 must be used for products if you wish to extend the matrix, so try to use one of the other fields if possible.
Select from the drop down list: Sort Key; User Sort 1; User Sort 2; User Sort 3.
Then you should enter the value that must be present in the selected field before Prospects can be assigned to this Customer partner.
'Assigned To' Field starts with - It is only necessary that you enter the start of the value. This enables you to use the field in other ways. For example, by entering sort key values of PTNR NORTH; PTNR SOUTH, the field can still be used for searches (contains SOUTH) and for sorting but both these values will qualify for assignment if the qualifying value is entered as PTNR.
Use Product List in Matrix - A list of the products that are to be handled by your partnership network should be entered in User Sort 1. To add the products to the postcode matrix, just tick the option.
General tab
Date Stamp Notes - This options appends each note with the date.