Contact management (simple crm)

Because of the nature of our work we really need a shared contact management system. We need this to keep track of recruiting (for user research, group sessions, usability) general supplier and client information including who the point contact is, last communication, project involvement, etc...

The problem is that such software doesn’t seem to exist, or if it does it may be rather obscure (ok, there are some commercial offers out there) 37signals.com is supposedly coming out with a CRM (We currently use basecamp, and we like it)... I Think that the lack of simple, flexible software in this area is an opportunity for Modx (current open source CRM offers seem to complex, like Modx competitors (sugarcms is widely mentioned but is to complex - I just want contact management)

I am actually surprised that no one (that I know of) has come up with a slick solution for this (in general, and more so in communities such as this), I think that this is also a common headache for several members of this community.

I know I could be wrong and there might be something available within the community -but I couldn’t find it, if it’s there it needs more exposure, I strongly believe that a simple flexible solution here would be a major decision factor in choosing Modx -a marketing opportunity.

Thoughts, ideas?

cheers people...

I’m also a Basecamp user, and love most everything about it, except that it’s not an open source application you can run on your own host...but anyway

That said, and with 37signals as a constant source of inspiration, CRM is definitely on my list of things to do; it would directly benefit me and several of my clients as well, who currently pay a lot of money for CRM. However, I’ve been holding off until I have completed some, IMO, very important architectural changes to MODx (via a complete core rewrite) to begin work on a modular CRM solution, and some other vertical-market packages that could be installed separately, or as part of a turnkey MODx vertical-market solution (e.g. MODx core distro + a CRM package with sample site using the various CRM components = MODx CRM). These core changes that are sometimes referred to as MODx 1.0 (or sometimes Tattoo) are focused on improving the extensibility, scalability, and usability of MODx, reducing redundancy in and the overall amount of core code, further reducing the need for core hacking via tried and tested design patterns, and making MODx a true Content Management Framework that’s just as attractive to serious PHP developers as it is currently to a growing number of traditional web designers (which means greater quantity and improved quality of add-ons); and all this without sacrificing the simplicity that is the MODx approach to Content Management.

Hopefully, those of us contributing to the community can find the right funding at the right time, to make serious MODx-powered CRM offerings a reality.

Cheers

I very much agree with you most web applications have too wide a scope (sugarcms or vtiger fall into that category), that’s particularly true or collaborative tools and CRM applications. 37 signals is leading the pack with their simple yet "to-the-point" web applications. BaseCamp is a great example of this. People are overworked, overinformed and want clear, simple tools to do the job. If you apply Pareto’s law to web applications, 20% of the features are 80% of the real needs.

[edit]some redundant answer that I wrote before Jason posted[/edit]

@Jason : I’d love helping funding that project and work on a MODx powered CRM offering

Although I do not have the skills to offer to develop something like this I can offer design, research, etc...

... It seems (and I know I am jumping ahead here) that others might agree with this line of thinking (as well as having a real need)

One thing I have been talking about time and again is group potential funders to help developping a project. I don’t have a client requesting this at the time but if it ever comes up, I’ll undoubtedly try to make a case to convince him to fund the project. If several of us have the same need, we could help build a feature list add our share to the funding...

I have a couple ideas to make those things easier, e.g coordinate things to make this happen...

I wouldn’t be able to offer much in terms of funding but I would certainly like to be involved in the development of a MODx-based CRM solution.

If David can help organize the funding and someone (betoh?) can start organizing the detailed CRM features list whilst I work with the team post-0.9.5 release, to prepare 1.0 for release, I bet we can get this rolling and completed shortly after that, to showcase the vertical-distribution idea, though having a Blog vertical-offering with the release as the first example is my existing goal.

In the meantime, any takers on helping organize efforts to help fund completion of 1.0, xPDO, and the ability to easily create and manage these vertical solutions? As I think without some of the things in the pipeline, we will be severely limiting what we can achieve with any attempt at vertical distribution packages or building a serious CRM offering. I hate to keep mentioning funding, but, without it, the greatest of plans are at the mercy of whatever client projects the MODx team members are getting funding for, and though we always contribute as much as we can from any project back into MODx, it would be nice to realize funding specifically for getting the next generation MODx completed in something other than our spare time. IMO, the core is the most important component we have, and our ability to keep MODx evolving at a viable pace depends on this.

Quote from: OpenGeek at Aug 26, 2006, 07:32 PM

In the meantime, any takers on helping organize efforts to help fund completion of 1.0, xPDO, and the ability to easily create and manage these vertical solutions? (...) I hate to keep mentioning funding, but, without it, the greatest of plans are at the mercy of whatever client projects the MODx team members are getting funding for, and though we always contribute as much as we can from any project back into MODx, it would be nice to realize funding specifically for getting the next generation MODx completed in something other than our spare time. IMO, the core is the most important component we have, and our ability to keep MODx evolving at a viable pace depends on this.

I very much agree with what you say. Funding will be key to a sustainable model for MODx, and I have been thinking about that a lot lately...
I’ll start a discussion about this soon. I think we have to organize the different "channel" for funding :

• Client funding is one key element I’d like webdesigners working with MODx to help build. One thing I can do is centralize needs, maybe a specific forum where project funding request or offer could be posted would be a way to do this. The other thing I can help do is build a marketing kit of some kind to help freelance or agency’s web designers to advocate opensource project funding to their client. Last but not least, I have to think a bit about incentives for webdesigners themselves (early access program to Betas ? MODx certified professionnal label for designers who have proven their skills building MODx powered website... or this kind of stuff).
• Web professionnals funding : Sure donating is not a business model, but I think for those of us who sell MODx based services, it’s only natural to give back a share of what we earn thanks to MODx. I intended to give back a share for every project I cash money for, as I have started doing recently. What I can do to help here is increase our web professionnals user’s base, with a webdesigners/webdeveloppers oriented MODx marketing kit, plus advocate that funding the tool you use gives you a better tool to further sell services.
• Commercial extensions : While I am not that much in favor of this kind of business model, which often breaks community dynamics, I think something like CRM could be made a commercial extension to MODx, if no other way is found.
• MODx based paid services : The team has discussed this time and again, selling paid premium support, building an early access program, custom development services, building a network of MODx certified professionnals... those could be ideas worth looking into.
• Many other ideas that I haven’t thought of... TBD

A nice read about funding open source project :
http://kris.koehntopp.de/artikel/oss_funding/

Client/project-based funding of development is difficult, if not impossible, if:
1. you do not have a reliable list of features
2. you do not have a reliable time-frame

And funding existing stuff (as the basis for future development) is also not easy:
Due to the enormous competition the prices/rates for freelancing webdesigners and small agencies (the main user base for MODx, I guess) you cannot charge "backwards", so to speak, without competitive disadvantages

I’m quite confident that things will look a lot different with the appearance of 1.0 and MODx becoming a real CMF, hopefully with some data-integration and interoperability features.

I’m a basecamp-user too. And, after the first year of using it - and my clients loving it - I feel more and more restricted: You cannot backup/restore your data (this XML-export is a joke, IMHO), you cannot extend the system, nor can you integrate it with other solutions or data-sources. For new projects, I will not use it any more (I’m currently examining an OS-solution named "streber", which looks promising).
I just mention that here because it might contain some hints concerning future MODx-competition factors.

SideNote : About Streber, yeah looks promising but I somewhat would favor activeCollab

Quote from: silent at Aug 27, 2006, 11:14 AM

Client/project-based funding of development is difficult, if not impossible, if:
1. you do not have a reliable list of features
2. you do not have a reliable time-frame

True, that’s why if we are to coordinate efforts to build feature list and establish time-frames, we have to build a tool to do so, efficiently...

Quote from: silent

And funding existing stuff (as the basis for future development) is also not easy: Due to the enormous competition the prices/rates for freelancing webdesigners and small agencies (the main user base for MODx, I guess) you cannot charge "backwards", so to speak, without competitive disadvantages.

True there is a fierce competition on the market, but I think there is a competitive advantage for apps like MODx. I have had some success from small (3000 $ -> Won against SPIP) to medium (12 000$ -> Won against Drupal and Joomla) projects establishing a competitive advantage. I have not had a project requiring custom development yet, but the more we (designers) sell MODx corporate websites, the more we help establishing its position as a great tool for small to medium companies, further increasing the chance to get funding at some point.

I am not saying this will be easy but it’s doable. It’s even more doable if you mutualize needs and organize coordination with the dev team, which can be done with low cost thanks to the web.

Quote from: silent

I’m quite confident that things will look a lot different with the appearance of 1.0 and MODx becoming a real CMF, hopefully with some data-integration and interoperability features.

It sure will boost things, but we can already start try out to fund projects, at the top of the list, MODx 1.0 / Tattoo. You’re not the only one thinking it will be a major step up from 0.9.x, and a worthy competitor even for well established CMF... On top of things, like Jason said, 1.0 will help attract coders and developpers which in turn will allow for a greater number of devs who’ll be able to answer to contract bids for custom development, and hopefully stimulate funding of projects.

Anyway, giving this a shot certainly won’t hurt, and even if it’s not a huge success we could learn valuable things in the process