2] The software is more like J. D. Edwards application. So, it may be a good fit for a sales department or manufacture, but not a CRM system for customer service, such as call-center.

我也有这个看法，好像是给销售公司用，不能给一般的企业做客户关系管理

The beauty of software is on its engineering side. That is why I like programming so much, and ended up as an engineer. Let’s stay away from general topic about CRM, and do a case analysis/brain storm. This may bring us closer.

I have search word of CRM in http://www.baidu.com tonight, and I saw tons of CRM application available for sale. By looking at demo in few websites. I have a feeling that most of those software are used by salesman for pre-sales activity, and there is no emphasize on post-sales which happen to be the main focus of CRM [CustomerRelationshipManagement] application in the West.

Let's take SuperCRM3.5 [http://www.huaertek.com/huaertek/chinese/crm4.asp] as an example. By a careful review of its 基本功能 , I saw it focus on the 销售自动化包括客户档案管理，联系人管理，商机管理，商业活动管理，向导式的自动报价系统，合同生成和管理系统，订单处理系统，费用管理，员工绩效，统计分析系统等模块组成。 Indeed, this is a basically 销售自动化 software application. [How is my copy&paste skill?! Hahaha... say something good! … wink wink]

The modern business world is characterized by its strong emphasis on post-sales service. This is why when IT industry flourished due to the rapid development of computer science, the service oriented CRM application has being embraced by the business community immediately.

Now, case study:
Let's assume Mr. Wang owns a utility company that sells natural gas to residential area in a major city. Is it possible for him to use SuperCRM3.5 ? No, he will not use this software even it is for free! As we know that most utility companies often have monopoly due to the heavy investment in infrastructure. So, Mr. Wang's business model is not selling merchandise, but providing service. Selling is not the focal point. Customizing a sales oriented application into a service oriented application may end up with a hefty price tag that no one is willing to pay for. [Nowadays, IT consulting fee is not cheap in the West, $200-$300 per hour is a normal charge]

Now, Mr. Wang made a smart move to search for an application fit his business model. The following listed features of a CRM application can provide good service to residents who buy gas:

It should contain:
[1]user info
[2]customer info
[3]company product
[4]vendor info
Sounds simple? Yes, it is indeed!

Now, let's see if city resident Mrs. Zhang bought an apartment that has gas stove. She picked up the phone ordering the service. Ms. XX001, the customer Representative from Mr. Wang’s company, answered the phone call while logging into the SugarCRM application[Background action#1]. Ms. XX001 key in the following information of Mrs. Zhang: address [Background action#2], last name, first name, and ID number [Background action#3]. The preferred billing method [Background action#4]. Since Mrs. Zhang wants to order a special cook top, Ms. XX001 also selected the item from the company product name list [Background action#5]. If everything is smooth, she completes the transaction, and gives Mr. Zhang the confirmation number for the order [Background action#6].

OK, let's see what SugarCRM has been doing in the background:
[action#1] The radius server is working on validation, it check to see if XX001 has privilege to log into SugarCRM, and verify if XX001 has power to process new orders.
[action#2] search engine runs against mapping database to see if company pipeline reaches Mrs. Zhang's address.
[action#3] Credit checking program runs against customer database to see if Mrs. Zhang has a delinquent account history. Or check with 3rd party database for bad credit history
[action#4] If billing method is credit card, it will verify the card number and charge for initial setup fee through secure server that connected to Credit Card Company.
[action#5] send out shipping notice to the product inventory department or 3rd party vendor
[action#6] trigger the provisioning system that will send notice to service department to do field work [install gas meter, etc..]

Assuming in the next day, the product department dropped the shipment in the post office, and entered the info into the SugarCRM. Then, system automatically generated email/mail to Mrs. Zhang. And few days later, the service department installed the equipment, and turned on the switch. Of course, this information also gets into SugarCRM. And exactly one month after Mrs. Zhang has her gas pipeline turned on, she will receive a monthly bill. That means billing engine working and posted the charge on her account. If city construction work disrupts the pipeline, field workers will do inspection/repair, and give a feedback to the SugarCRM. Then, system will send out apology letter to the customers in the neighborhood. If Mrs. Zhang has questions about her bill, Customer Rep will be able to open her account in SugarCRM and explain the billing history to her, or make the adjustment.

To the front-end user, all those transaction/operation is nice and easy! However, the back-end program is much more complicated. CRM has to hook up with Billing system, Order management system, service provisioning system, etc… without access those info in real time, the quality of service will be compromised. Some features seem not CRM related, such as secure connection with 3rd party company. But we have to take it into consideration while designing the system architecture. While… Let’s take the action#1 as an example. One may say "why do we need a radius server? We only have 50 employees". While.. .. While .. .. How long does a utility company stay in business? 10 years? 20 years? In todays free labor market, nobody can expect 50 employees will all stay on the same job for more than 5 years. Should we delete all those inactive employee accounts, realistic answer is NO! Within 5 years time frame a 50 employees company may ends up with 500 user account, active and inactive. An architect must be able to predict or forecast the system load 5 years down the road. Also, how about if company wants to launch online service to customers? so that, customers can access his/her account through web, instead of calling customer Rep .. .. And how about those complicated privilege, role, permission, etc.. .. It is better to have a separate module.

……

[it is getting late….. ]

周末休息，用家里的电脑给你发送一些信息.
Peoplesoft的CRM在被Oracle兼并前其最稳定的软件版本号为peopleTool8.43和CRM8.8. 目前的最新版本为peopleTool8.47, 年底前Oracle大概会推出popleTool8.48. 以下是CRM8.8的指导手册名单。请注意! 每一个手册都是一本厚厚的书：

Welcome to the PeopleBooks Library
Choose a PeopleBook:

Using PeopleSoft Applications
About These PeopleBooks
Crystal Reports for PeopleSoft
PS/nVision
PeopleCode Developer's Guide
PeopleCode Reference
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Advisor PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Application Fundamentals PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Automation and Configuration Tools PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Call Center Applications PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Collaborative Selling PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM FieldService PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Marketing Applications PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Mobile Applications PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Multichannel Applications PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Portal Pack PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Quality Management PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Services Foundation PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM for Communications PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM for Energy PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM for Financial Services PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM for Government PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM for Insurance PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Catalog Management PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Common Partner Registration PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Configurator for CRM PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Data Transformer PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Enterprise Components PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Enterprise Pricer PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 Online Marketing Administration Guide
PeopleSoft 8.8 Online Marketing Integration Guide
PeopleSoft 8.8 Online Marketing User's Guide
PeopleSoft Administration Tools
PeopleSoft Application Designer
PeopleSoft Application Engine
PeopleSoft Component Interfaces
PeopleSoft Cube Manager
PeopleSoft Integration Broker
PeopleSoft Integration Tools and Utilities
PeopleSoft Multichannel Framework
PeopleSoft Optimization Framework Guide
PeopleSoft Process Scheduler
PeopleSoft Query
PeopleSoft Server Tools Administration
PeopleSoft Tree Manager
PeopleSoft Upgrade Assistant
PeopleSoft Workflow
PeopleTools Global Technology
PeopleTools Internet Technology
PeopleTools Mobile Agent PeopleBook
PeopleTools Security
SQR for PeopleSoft Developer's Guide
SQR for PeopleSoft Language Reference
Supported Integration Technologies

************************************************
因为你们的软件偏重于销售.
在此我以PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales PeopleBook 为例，
以下是其内容目录
*************************************************
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales PeopleBook

PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales PeopleBook
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales Preface
PeopleSoft 8.8 CRM Sales Preface
PeopleSoft Application Fundamentals
PeopleSoft CRM Automation and Configuration Tools
About These PeopleBooks
Part 1: Setting Up PeopleSoft Sales
Part 1: Setting Up PeopleSoft Sales
Getting Started With PeopleSoft Sales
Getting Started With PeopleSoft Sales
PeopleSoft Sales Overview
PeopleSoft Sales Business Processes
PeopleSoft Sales Integrations
PeopleSoft Sales Implementation
Setting Up Sales Business Units
Setting Up Sales Business Units
Setting Up Sales Business Units
Setting Up Sales Security and Personalization
Setting Up Sales Security and Personalization
Understanding Sales Users
Setting Up Sales Access Profiles
Setting Up Account Access Profiles
Setting Up Sales Users
Setting Up Sales Teams
Setting Up Sales Leads and Opportunities
Setting Up Sales Leads and Opportunities
Setting Up Your Sales Process
Setting Up Component Field Default Values
Setting Up Lead Ratings
Setting Up Assignment Weights
Setting Up Lead Reject and Turnback Reasons
Setting Up Sales Contacts
Setting Up Sales Partners
Setting Up Sales Competitors
Setting Up Buying Criteria
Setting Up Lead Sources
Setting Up Fallout Reasons
Setting Up Pipeline Segments
Setting Up Sales Lead Import Templates
Setting Up Sales Forecasts
Setting Up Sales Forecasts
Defining Forecast Elements
Setting Up Sales Events
Setting Up Sales Events
Setting Up Sales Event Handlers
Part 2: Working With Territories
Part 2: Working With Territories
Understanding Sales Territory Trees
Understanding Sales Territory Trees
Understanding Sales Trees
Understanding Territories
Understanding Configurable Assignment Criteria
Creating Territory Trees
Creating Territory Trees
Using the Territory Management Home Page
Configuring Assignment Criteria
Creating Sales Access Profiles
Creating Sales Users
Creating a Territory Tree
Granting Visibility
Running the Sales Access Update Process
Reorganizing or Deleting a Territory Tree
Reorganizing or Deleting a Territory Tree
Understanding Tree Reorganization, Reassignment, and Deletion
Reorganizing a Territory Tree
Deleting Trees or Tree Nodes
Part 3: Managing Sales Leads and Opportunities
Part 3: Managing Sales Leads and Opportunities
Understanding Sales Leads and Opportunities
Understanding Sales Leads and Opportunities
Understanding Leads and Opportunities
Working With List Pages and Details Components
Working With Opportunities
Working With Opportunities
Understanding the Difference Between Leads and Opportunities
Managing Opportunities
Creating Sales Leads and Opportunities
Creating Sales Leads and Opportunities
Creating a Sales Lead or Opportunity
Importing Sales Leads Data
Identifying a Sales Lead or Opportunity
Identifying a Sales Lead or Opportunity
Identifying a Sales Lead
Identifying a Sales Opportunity
Identifying the Customer for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying Customer Contacts for a Lead or Opportunity
Assigning a Lead or Opportunity
Assigning a Lead or Opportunity
Assigning Sales Representatives to a Lead or Opportunity
Assigning the Sales Team for a Lead or Opportunity
Accepting, Rejecting, or Turning Back a Lead
Associating or Assigning Partners to a Lead or Opportunity
Reassigning a Sales Representative's Leads and Opportunities
Qualifying a Lead or Opportunity
Qualifying a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying the Source Campaign for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying the Sales Survey for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying the Competition for a Lead or Opportunity
Developing the Proposal for a Lead or Opportunity
Developing the Proposal for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying Products and Prices for the Proposal
Identifying the Customer's Buying Criteria for a Lead or Opportunity
Including Opportunity Items in Forecasts
Viewing Quotes and Orders Generated for a Lead or Opportunity
Emailing a Proposal Package to a Contact
Identifying Sales Tasks for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying Sales Tasks for a Lead or Opportunity
Identifying and Assigning Sales Tasks
Viewing Tasks
Adding Notes and Viewing History and Attributes for a Lead or Opportunity
Adding Notes and Viewing History and Attributes for a Lead or Opportunity
Adding Notes and Attachments
Viewing History for a Lead or Opportunity
Viewing Attributes
Sending Sales Emails and Other Correspondence
Sending Sales Emails and Other Correspondence
Generating Ad Hoc Email Notifications
Generating Letters and Enclosures
Viewing the Opportunity Pipeline
Viewing the Opportunity Pipeline
Understanding the Opportunity Pipeline
Common Elements Used for the Opportunity Pipeline
Viewing the Opportunity Pipeline
Part 4: Using Forecasts
Part 4: Using Forecasts
Understanding Sales Forecasts
Understanding Sales Forecasts
Understanding Forecasts
Understanding Revenue and Shadow Forecasts
Understanding Rollup Forecasts
Using Forecasts
Using Forecasts
Working With Revenue and Shadow Forecast Lists
Selecting a New Revenue or Shadow Forecast to Generate
Generating a Revenue or Shadow Forecast
Auto Generating Revenue or Shadow Forecasts
Generating a Revenue or Shadow Rollup Forecast
Viewing Forecast Summaries
Inactivating and Locking Forecasts
Archiving and Restoring Forecasts
Part 5: Working With Customer Accounts
Part 5: Working With Customer Accounts
Working With Customer Sales Accounts
Working With Customer Sales Accounts
Working With Customer Accounts
Understanding PeopleSoft Sales Smart Views
Understanding PeopleSoft Sales Smart Views
Understanding Smart Views
Launching and Working With Forecast Smart Views
PeopleSoft Sales Reports
PeopleSoft Sales Reports
Report Description
Report Samples

*****************************************
结束语:
I am not trying to discourage you, instead, I am just trying to prove what I told you last time: During the past 15 years the software for CRM has gone too far already. There is no future for any home-grown generic CRM application. Take peoplesoft application as an example here. The CRM is only one module of peoplesoft application, a majority of clients use Human Resource module called peoplesoft HR, and banks use peoplesoft Finance, etc…. each of these modules has millions of lines of code, and covers every aspect of business practice. How can a new startup to catch up with those giant corporations?! We heard about story of 2-3 geeks [while dressed in shorts and sandals, sitting in their garage ,and talking to their pals over the phone] had written[invented] an application, and then, became millionaires. But those stories are history now…… So, you have to go for specialized area to avoid direct competition with big boys like Oracle/SAP/Microsoft. As an entrepreneur, you may want to put yourself into a bigger picture…. While… while… the whole world become smaller and smaller every day, especially in the technology field, there is no isolated island or oasis for any one those days.

I have read chiction对中小企业需求的总结 several times over the weekend. Due to the fact that I have been living here for the past 16 years, I guess I am completely off in touch of reality with IT industry of China .. And the worst of all, I was not in IT field when I was back at home, so, I never had chance to talk to anyone in IT industry when I went home last year .. ..