Email. We live in it, well at least I do. Being able to do more work within my email system is a good thing. Acumatica now lets you do just that. With the new Outlook Plug-In, you can:
- Look up a sender
- See history with a sender
- Create new contacts
- Mark leads & opportunities
All without ever leaving Outlook. On the other hand, Acumatica also can be set up to do all the Outlook synchronizing, behind the scenes, requiring no end-use intervention. So which should you use?
Acumatica options to work with Microsoft Outlook
It’s your choice – you can use the Outlook Plug-In, implement the Exchange Sync, or use both.
What should I use?
Here are the nitty gritty details so you can decide what’s best for your business.
First, let’s get the cost out of the way:
- The Acumatica Outlook Plug-In is included with the Acumatica CRM module. All you need to do is a little configuration.
- The Acumatica Exchange Sync costs around a few thousand dollars depending on your licensing version.
Second, we need to look at the features of each. Even though the plug-in is less expensive, there is no automatic synchronizing going on in the background. For example, to create a contact the user must manually click on that option; whereas, the Exchange Sync will happen automatically in the background and for all contacts, tasks, and events.
The biggest difference I see is with the Outlook Plug-in, you have to click, but you get that friendly right-side column. The Exchange Sync just happens in the background. There is no user intervention needed.
I guess it comes down to your business and how you work.
Examples of the Outlook Plug-In
From any email, click on the Acumatica button on the top toolbar. This brings up a right side column with easy, 1-click actions that are instantly saved into your Acumatica database. For example, if the email sender is not found in Acumatica, you can create a lead or contact within Outlook.
If the sender is already in the system, you have options to view information, create a case, or new opportunity.
Want more information?
Here’s a 2 minute video on the Outlook Plug-In. Or send us an email at Sales@Crestwood.com and we can give you more specifics to help you decide what’s right for your business.
