Sage CRM

A prospect asked me to provide them a list of all of the features in SageCRM. My first thought was ""Who in the world asks for such a thing these days?"" but my second thought was ""That's not such a crazy request."" There is no such animal in the SageCRM world. It got me to thinking - is there a comprehensive feature list for MAS somewhere? Does the question even make sense in today's day and age where systems have so many features? Is the help guide the de facto feature list?

Is there such a list for Office? Windows? QuickBooks? I'd refer them to online documentation (in this case literature). I try to avoid these typed of brain dumps. They're usually a waste of time. They remind me of prospects who state their interest level as ""if it does what we need we'll buy"" and their needs are undefined and ever changing.

Yeah. It's in the manual. Good luck finding the manual.

It's not a crazy question but as Wayne says what product has such a list these days?

Another idea might be to ask them what are the most important features to them - and help develop a list. I'd be curious if they were able to name more than one or two (and if they weren't then I'd figure they were basically shopping). Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with gathering information during the shopping stage. I'm just opposed to being the unpaid guide for situations where the explanation of features is really unpaid consulting.

Here is Epicor's answer to that question. Sage just doesn't want to invest the money into a technical writing department like other vendors.

And this solution has a ton more features than MAS90 so its a much harder project

I flipped through this. It is pretty similar to the SageCRM online help and the Accpac online help. Not sure if you can print either of those.

Here is a (somewhat) comprehensive list of what has been added by version from MAS 90 4.05 forward. But I'm also with Wayne, doesn't sound like a question that comes from the type of client you want to build your business around. http://www.sagemas.com/products/collateral

Haven't had that question in a while, but I used to view the question as more of a false hurdle thown up to prevent them from actually making a buying decision. They are looking for missing pieces as an excuse not to buy. To get past it without wasting time, I used to give them a very detailed feature list from Sheldon Needel's CTS buying guide. Few people would ever really spend the time to review this level of detail, but it overcame the false hurdle thrown up and helped qualify if they were serious. I have never seen the equivalent type of document or service in the CRM world.

You should provide them the list after they return their completed credit application to you.

Paul, the link provided is not complete as it took me to a content not found page.

Looks like they launched a new SageMAS site in the last hour. Here is the new link. http://www.sagemas.com/Resources/Brochures-and-Whitepapers

Much better. Thanks

@PeterWolf You should see the epicor actual Documentation (which is different from their robust online help that includes all field definitions based on an XML schema). They also sell a printed version for $100 that is like 8 pounds. Nothing like thudding that on a prospects desk to show them that Epicor hasn't forgotten the long lost art of printed full color manuals. I like to hand a customer something heavy when they hand me a $150k check :) vs. a sheet of paper in a fedex with nothing but an unlock key :)

Sweet!

@MarkChinsky - I remember back in early 2000s when Accpac started doing everything virtual and the box products disappeared and manuals were an upcharge item. It took awhile for everyone to adjust to getting nothing tangible for their investment. @All - This prospect is a PITA. I tried to explain the lack of a feature list several ways - including asking them if they could show me a feature list for their existing AS400 application (they couldn't) - but they kept insisting that there was one available and questioned my abilities. I referred them to the Sage Regional Sales Manager for a sanity check (my own sanity).

Looks like Sage changed things on their web site. Just got this note........ Sage ERP MAS has a New Website The new Sage ERP MAS website went live on June 20, 2011, as part of an initiative to bring all of our Sage ERP websites onto a single platform to simplify navigation, improve search capabilities, and increase Sage brand awareness with a common look and feel. We invite you to view the new site at www.SageMAS.com; and if you haven't done so already, be sure to watch the latest Sage ERP MAS overview video. Benefits of the new website include: Direct access to the latest Sage ERP articles and press releases in the Newsroom. Advanced search capabilities provide users with the ability to pinpoint the information you are looking for in seconds. A more search engine optimized (SEO) site helps increase website visibility on major search engines, such as Google. Faster availability of comprehensive product brochures, whitepapers, online demonstrations, and success stories directly from the Resources tab off the home page. Integrated Social Media allows you to stay connected to Sage ERP through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and the Business Management blog. Please remember to update your direct links to the Sage ERP MAS website. This newly launched site is one of our key initiatives to enhance our Sage ERP brand and improve your online experience. We are continuing to improve and optimize the site, so stay tuned for online updates. Here is the link given. http://www.sagemas.com/

Don't know if this info is on the other link listed but I like this list for Enhancements by Version. http://services.sagesoftware.com/mas/whatsnew/default.asp

@ToddMartin - Thanks for posting that. I knew it was out there buried somewhere.

Todd's older link is better as it gives features by product update also.