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Simon Gantley

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Consultant, Self Employed

256 points

Worked for Fortune 100 companies and start-ups as a consultant, helping with technology evaluation, deployment and maintenance.

Over the past few years, most of the work has been in CRM or Helpdesk system evaluations and deployment, but prior to that ...

Worked for Fortune 100 companies and start-ups as a consultant, helping with technology evaluation, deployment and maintenance.

Over the past few years, most of the work has been in CRM or Helpdesk system evaluations and deployment, but prior to that it was in the creation of custom systems for general business process automation.

I decided to form my own company when I kept being pulled into help sort out disasters that could have been entirely avoided if management had been just a little less trusting of vendors to start with.

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Simon Gantley recommends this answer by Gary Bramhall

Sept. 25, 2011

Since IT professionals tend to be very busy, what's the best way to capture their attention?

Be succinct - straight to the point - no long winded introductions - we do not need to know a presenters resume!
Wow them straight away with new functionality / benefits / gadgets or 'bells and whistles'
Whats in it for them / us - how it ... more

Information Technology

Simon Gantley and 15 other people answered this question

July 18, 2011

If a cloud service provider goes out of business, what happens to your data?

I applaud your cynicism and agree with much of what you say. For example, I am in full agreement that you want the data, I am just saying that you also want the application itself.
The fact that the company is going belly-up can actually help ... more

Information Technology

Cloud Computing

Cloud Service Providers

Simon Gantley and 8 other people answered this question

April 6, 2011

What are the top 3 questions to ask before purchasing a CRM solution?

The three questions that you must ask are:
1) Can the vendor demonstrate the system executing YOUR processes (not just a generic sales demo). Of course this requires that you take the time to specify them in sufficient detail before the demo; but you will have ... more

Customer Service

Simon Gantley and 3 other people answered this question

Feb. 22, 2011

How is Microsoft trying to gain traction in the CRM market? Will they ever be the leader?

They will remain a significant player, but I do not see how they can become dominant.
Their strength has always been integration with their other desktop products and the Windows OS, basically their ability to exploit an existing monopoly position.
But this monopoly has been fractured ... more

Customer Service

Simon Gantley answered this question

Feb. 1, 2011

Who are RightNow's major competitors?

Their major competitors are listed in this white paper, http://www.focus.com/briefs/crm/how-pick-right-crm-helpdesk-bpm-vendor:
NetSuite: http://www.netsuite.com
SalesForce: http://www.SalesForce.com
EnterpriseWizard: http://www.enterprisewizard.com
SugarCRM: http://www.sugarcrm.com
Microsoft: http://crm.dynamics.com
Siebel: http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/siebel/index.htm
SAP: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/index.epx
Since writing the paper, Zoho (http://www.zoho.com) has come a long way and I would probably add them to the list. It is true that they are more focussed on ... more

Rightnow Technologies

Simon Gantley and 3 other people answered this question

Jan. 19, 2011

What are the top CRM solutions for seamlessly integrating with disparate legacy systems?

Pretty much any system that provides Web Services and/or REST API's can integrate with existing systems and http://www.focus.com/ugr/research/crm/how-pick-right-crm-helpdesk-bpm-vendor/ includes the following list of well established systems:
NetSuite: http://www.netsuite.com
SalesForce: http://www.SalesForce.com
EnterpriseWizard: http://www.enterprisewizard.com
SugarCRM: http://www.sugarcrm.com
Microsoft: http://crm.dynamics.com
Siebel: http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/siebel/index.htm
Right Now Technologies: http://www.rightnow.com
SAP: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/index.epx
They all have adequate API's, so in principal any ... more

Simon Gantley and 5 other people answered this question

Jan. 10, 2011

Who are the true thought leaders in CRM space?

The vendors with the clearest differentiators are listed below. This is not quite the same as thought leadership, but it is closely related and easier to define:
NetSuite: Most tightly integrated accounting functionality. Broad functionality.
SalesForce: Most extensive SFA functionality. Huge mind share
EnterpriseWizard: Most deeply configurable without ... more

Customer Service

Customer Relationship Management Strategy

Simon Gantley and 9 other people answered this question

Nov. 12, 2010

What are the key questions to ask when gathering CRM requirements?

William hit the nail on the head. By far the most valuable thing you can do is to describe your desired sales process and related processes, such as Marketing, Support, Contract Renewals and Consulting Services/Billing in as much detail as possible.
Do not just ask whether ... more

Simon Gantley and 2 other people answered this question

Nov. 5, 2010

What are the most important items you include in an RFP or RFQ for a CRM?

The greatest single key to success with CRM is to describe exactly what you want the system to do before sending out an initial RFP. The exact questions in this RFP depend on your needs but should include:
Can you implement all of the business processes ... more

Customer Service

Information Technology

Business Intelligence

Simon Gantley and 1 other person answered this question

Oct. 21, 2010

What are the most important items you include in an RFP or RFQ for a CRM?

The exact questions depend on your needs but should include:
1) Can you implement all of the business processes that are described in the initial mini-RFP? Note: It should describe your most unique or difficult process in detail.
2) How much will it cost over the next ... more

Request for Proposal

Simon Gantley and 5 other people answered this question

Oct. 20, 2010

Which vendors will survive in the CRM market?

The vendors who survive will be those with a really clear value proposition/differentiator. I would include the following in this list:
NetSuite: Most tightly integrated accounting functionality
SalesForce: Most extensive SFA functionality and huge mind share
EnterpriseWizard: Most deeply configurable without programming
SugarCRM: Greatest mind share among open-source ... more

Customer Service

Crm Consulting and Sales

Simon Gantley and 6 other people answered this question

Oct. 15, 2010

As a small business owner, what are the top things I should consider before purchasing a CRM?

The main considerations for a small business is the same as that for a large business:
How can you find a system that will support the business processes that you need, both now and in the future?
How can you ensure that the implementation/maintenance costs are reasonable? ... more

Customer Relationship

Simon Gantley and 2 other people answered this question

Oct. 7, 2010

What are some other CRM systems aside from Salesforce?

SalesForce and MS Dynamics are both good systems, but they are expensive and are not the best fit for all companies.
Here is a partial list of other CRM vendors to which you may want to consider. Additional vendors may be found at sites such ... more

Customer Relationship Management Software

Simon Gantley and 7 other people answered this question

Sept. 21, 2010

What CRM vendors offer the most seamless Microsoft Outlook integration/plugins?

Sage, SalesForce, SugarCRM and EnterpriseWizard all have Outlook plugins, as do most of the other companies listed in http://www.focus.com/ugr/research/crm/how-pick-right-crm-helpdesk-bpm-vendor/
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, the question really depends upon what you mean by "best". Most configurable? Easiest to use? Do you want direct server-side integration with Exchange ... more

Simon Gantley commented on a brief

Sept. 17, 2010

10 Steps to Getting the CRM Solution You Need

Excellent article Jennifer! I especially liked your emphasis on gathering business requirements early in the process.
For some additional information and suggestions on how to avoid common pitfalls, see http://www.focus.com/ugr/research/crm/how-pick-right-crm-helpdesk-bpm-vendor/ more

Information Technology

Simon Gantley and 2 other people answered this question

Sept. 17, 2010

SaaS CRM or not: What is the main reason you do not use a SaaS based CRM?

There are several valid reasons why a company may not choose a SaaS product:
They need to store highly sensitive information and are concerned that SaaS providers might be socially engineered. See http://www.zdnet.com/blog/berlind/phishing-based-breach-of-salesforcecom-cust...
Further, if they have operations in Europe, the Patriot act may mean that they ... more

Simon Gantley and 1 other person answered this question

Sept. 16, 2010

Where do you start when building an outward facing knowledge base system?

You start by thinking about the process by which the system is populated and kept up to date with the correct information.
Since most customer issue are addressed by your support department, this probably means that the system should be an integral part of your Helpdesk ... more

Customer Service

Contact Center Software

Contact Centers

Simon Gantley and 18 other people answered this question

Sept. 14, 2010

What is the number 1 reason why business intelligence projects fail?

They often fail because no one does the work up front to figure out what is needed and to ensure that the software is up to the job. Instead, they simply whatever product has been advertising the most or getting the most press.
If you are ... more

Information Technology

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence Software

Business Intelligence System

Simon Gantley and 6 other people answered this question

Sept. 14, 2010

Are "open source CRM" systems really open source?

Most companies that claim to be open source have two product lines, one that is open source and another that is proprietary.
In general, the open source product is much less functional and is less well maintained or supported than the proprietary product.
The goal of ... more

Open Source Technologies

Open-source CRM

Simon Gantley and 2 other people answered this question

Sept. 14, 2010

What questions does one need to have answered before meeting with a CRM vendor?

The one question that you really must answer before spending time on a CRM vendor is this: Will their product fully and reliably support your business processes at a reasonable cost?
There are certainly checklists that will help you answer this question. For an example, see ... more

Simon Gantley published a brief

June 9, 2010

How to Pick the Right CRM, Helpdesk or BPM Vendor

Simon Gantley published a brief

May 24, 2010

How to Measure the ROI on a CRM Purchase

Information Technology

Simon Gantley and 9 other people answered this question

April 16, 2010

What do you think is the best web based CRM system?

CRM systems address such a wide variety of needs that asking which system is "best", is a bit like asking which novel is best.
It depends upon what you need, so the best system is the one that will implement your required processes at the ... more

Simon Gantley and 2 other people answered this question

March 10, 2010

Focus Research Insight: Ideas for new CRM features?

If a system can be fully customized to your needs, it will also be easy to use and productive, so here is a brief checklist for whether or not the system can be fully customized:
Ask the vendor to create, in response to your live input, ... more

Focus Research Insight

Simon Gantley recommends this answer by Caty Kobe

Feb. 17, 2010

Sales management software for SFA and customer support?

Hi Charlie,
Which SFA system are you currently using? There are some, "bolt on," applications available that can help boost the functionality of your existing system. If that option proves too expensive, or not effective, then you also might want to look into possibly implementing a ... more

General Management

Information Technology

Customer Support

Simon Gantley and 1 other person answered this question

Feb. 17, 2010

What is the best webinar tool you've used?

www.gotomeeting.com is reliable, inexpensive and easy to use, or www.gotowebinar.com if you have more than 15 attendees more

Information Technology

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