The local office of ACCPAC International , ACCPAC Africa, has announced the next version of its ACCPAC eCRM - a Web and wireless customer relationship management (CRM) solution for the mid-market that offers tighter back-office integration, enhanced PDA support and improved reporting and analysis.
According to Jeremy Waterman, MD of ACCPAC Africa, ACCPAC eCRM 5.0 provides the most advanced integration of front- and back-office functions on the market, allowing full access to back-office accounting functions via the eCRM interface. "Integration to ACCPAC Advantage Series order entry, inventory control, accounts receivable and accounts payable back office accounting modules is provided out-of-the-box," he says.
The integration is transparent to users, offering access to order entry or inquiry, detailed item inquiry, quotation processing, customer credit information, and other functionality - all from within ACCPAC eCRM.
"This allows businesses to deploy ACCPAC eCRM fully integrated with the back-office in a matter of days rather than months, providing a lower overall investment and a much faster return on that investment," adds Waterman.
However, this improved integration is not restricted to the ACCPAC Advanced Series suite of back-office applications. "The open architecture allows access to any ODBC compliant database and third-party software a business may be using," he explains.
As far as the enhanced PDA support is concerned, Waterman says ACCPAC eCRM 5.0 has extended WAP support for wireless connectivity to personal digital assistant (PDA) devices using the Palm or Windows CE operating systems. "PDA users such as field sales reps can be connected online for real-time access or can operate offline when direct Internet access is not available," he says.
The full range of functions is accessible, enabling staff to view reports, update contacts and sales opportunities, qualify leads, track customer issues and manage tasks and calendars. Online PDA users get real-time interaction with the system, while offline workers can easily synchronise the PDA and the central eCRM system at any time. Supported PDAs include Compaq iPAQ, Casio Cassiopeia, HP Jordana, Palm V or above as well as any device with a browser that supports WML 1.1.
Waterman adds that the ACCPAC eCRM reporting module has been enhanced to support reports written from an ASP page or an external applications and then displayed on a Palm OS or Windows CE-based PDA. In addition, graphical pipeline analysis has been added, enabling users to see a graphical representation of their sales pipelines and to drill down for details relating to individual stages of the pipeline.
Furthermore, ACCPAC eCRM provides new usability features to further simplify set-up and navigation. "Workflow designers are now provided a graphical workflow tool that allows administrators to set up the flow of business processes with simple drag and drop icons," he notes.
"Users of ACCPAC eCRM can now also create a personalised 'My Home Page' to centrally display information most relevant to them in managing their daily business.
The new version has impressed analysts and customers alike. Dr Katherine Jones, Managing Director, Enterprise Applications, Aberdeen Group: "ACCPAC's approach is the way CRM should be offered - it encompasses the real-world needs of customer-focused users, seamless access to all the front and back-end business functions, simple set-up for the IS team and the rapid ROI that business managers demand."
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ACCPAC eCRM helps businesses provide better customer service, shorten sales cycles, produce more efficient marketing and ultimately run a more profitable company. It employs a true thin-client architecture designed for Web and wireless devices. Vital customer, partner and operational information may be accessed over the Internet or via mobile devices.
Information is fully integrated with the ACCPAC Advantage Series back office accounting software. This anywhere, any time access enables companies to manage all facets of their business via e-mail, the Internet, fax, or mobile devices.
Companies can deploy ACCPAC eCRM internally or access it via ACCPAC Online (www.accpaconline.co.za) as a hosted service. It is available through authorised ACCPAC Solution Providers in more than 100 countries. For more information or to locate an ACCPAC Solution Provider, call 800-945-8007.
ACCPAC
ACCPAC International, Inc, a subsidiary of Computer Associates, empowers medium-sized enterprises through a broad range of end-to-end e-business solutions designed to enhance competitive advantage and increase profitability. Award-winning product lines include ACCPAC Advantage Series (Enterprise Edition, Corporate Edition, Small Business Edition and Discovery Edition), ACCPAC Business Analysis Suite, ACCPAC eTransact, ACCPAC eCRM, ACCPAC Warehouse Management System, Simply Accounting, FAXserve and Simply BitWare.
Based in Pleasanton, California, USA, with offices in Asia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Middle East, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, ACCPAC has more than 500 000 registered clients and 5 000 business partners in over a 100 countries worldwide. Visit ACCPAC at www.accpac.co.za or www.accpaconline.co.za.
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