Add-on Integrations... A gripe (not about c5 in particular)
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I have WAY too many cloud systems! That is a simple fact! See the list:
STORAGE
1 Google Docs (GApps, actually, but same thing)
2 Dropbox
3 Flickr/Vimeo/YouTube, etc
4 Various others, tied into those below
COLLABORATION
1 ActiveCollab
2 Google Docs
3 WHMCS
4 Various others tried, as well (e.g. Google Wave, Whiteboard apps, crappy, overpriced 37 signals stuff, etc)
PROJECT/TASK MANAGEMENT
1 Google Tasks (collaboration sucks)
2 ToodleDo (along with a vast multitude of apps tying in)
3 ActiveCollab
4 Again, crappy stuff from 37S
5 Paper and pencil (ok, not in the cloud, but more easily adopted by those I work with, though degrades badly based on lack of ubiquity, data manipulation ability and confusion!)
CRM/CONTACT MANAGEMENT
1 Google Contacts (limited functionality)
2 ActiveCollab (not meant for this, and fails miserably)
3 Zoho CRM
4 Insightly
5 Highrise (37S sucks)
6 WHMCS (again, not meant for this and cannot accomplish it well)
7 Several other apps, not necessarily in the cloud
Many others, still!
I'm wondering about any possible Integrations with current or potentially NEW addons that might accomplish either integrating all this data into ONE, USEFUL resource, or to replace them entirely. I've requested this before, but I'm increasingly frustrated, and am considering jumping ship to Drupal, which Open Atrium is based upon, plus many other great modules. I dread that, as the platform stinks! But, productivity, and sanity, is really suffering.
Help, anyone?
Sad, in Pittsburgh (aside from our upcoming 8th visit to the Superbowl),
Darren
STORAGE
1 Google Docs (GApps, actually, but same thing)
2 Dropbox
3 Flickr/Vimeo/YouTube, etc
4 Various others, tied into those below
COLLABORATION
1 ActiveCollab
2 Google Docs
3 WHMCS
4 Various others tried, as well (e.g. Google Wave, Whiteboard apps, crappy, overpriced 37 signals stuff, etc)
PROJECT/TASK MANAGEMENT
1 Google Tasks (collaboration sucks)
2 ToodleDo (along with a vast multitude of apps tying in)
3 ActiveCollab
4 Again, crappy stuff from 37S
5 Paper and pencil (ok, not in the cloud, but more easily adopted by those I work with, though degrades badly based on lack of ubiquity, data manipulation ability and confusion!)
CRM/CONTACT MANAGEMENT
1 Google Contacts (limited functionality)
2 ActiveCollab (not meant for this, and fails miserably)
3 Zoho CRM
4 Insightly
5 Highrise (37S sucks)
6 WHMCS (again, not meant for this and cannot accomplish it well)
7 Several other apps, not necessarily in the cloud
Many others, still!
I'm wondering about any possible Integrations with current or potentially NEW addons that might accomplish either integrating all this data into ONE, USEFUL resource, or to replace them entirely. I've requested this before, but I'm increasingly frustrated, and am considering jumping ship to Drupal, which Open Atrium is based upon, plus many other great modules. I dread that, as the platform stinks! But, productivity, and sanity, is really suffering.
Help, anyone?
Sad, in Pittsburgh (aside from our upcoming 8th visit to the Superbowl),
Darren
I've simply accepted all of these systems can NOT do everything.
I use ProjectPier (replace for FREE 37S on own server) to replace pretty much all of my customer project collaboration, documents, time logging, etc. PP also has some exchange capability (not tested though). You can mark time as billable or not, billed or not, etc.
If you need your own sales channel management outside of having a word to your mate at the next desk/around the corner, maybe go work corporate and let someone else have the headache of working out how to manage it.
I would think other than this a basic billing app such as WHMCS is OK. Summary billing from PP is OK - clients cna login to PP to check the times and projects, pay through WHMCS (along with their web/recurring bills).
All of your "doc/media" accounts can be managed/uploaded to from PP.
As PP has iCal and RSS feeds, you can manage your day to day from where you want - gMail or elsewhere - but at least it gives you only 3 platforms to work from - if you're lucky :)
I have everything synced up and managed on 3 windows.
1. gMail (which includes calender/appointments);
2. WHMCS for support, time-billing, billing, hosting, etc....; and,
3. ProjectPier for project management, project time recording, task lists, etc . . . then check off for billing every now and then (same as what BaseCamp does).
My local Outlook syncs with gMail and ProjectPier, as well as keeping full IMAP backups and all of my personal stuff. Once this is all synced I can of course then take it all on the road via Android/iPhone/iPad . . . with NO downtime or lack of info/contacts.
Sorry - I am talking SME and PRACTICAL solutions here. Unless you have heaps of cash or are a large business (should you be here anyway?) then the above is a really tangible, high quality and low cost solution. Don't waste HUNDREDS of hours on CRM systems. You'll never recover from the cost, time and sustainability of the system.
The system will send you broke!!