Accelerator User Guide
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Accelerator is the advanced integration with MS Outlook. We use Accelerator in almost all our projects. It has a massive impact on user adoption as it makes using Sage CRM much easier.
Accelerator supports current versions of Sage CRM and Outlook 2016, 2019 (both 32 and 64 bit) and 365.
Demonstrations of Accelerator can be provided on request and an extensive user guide can be downloaded from the link below.
Features:
Benefits:
The success of any CRM initiative is heavily dependent on the user experience. And nothing makes the user experience better than making Sage CRM quick and easy to use from the context of Outlook. The sections below walk you through the functionality available to the user through the Accelerator interface to Sage CRM.
As we sort through our email, the Accelerator panel will refresh to the correct record. Once that record is up, we can filter though the CRM data.
If a record does not exist yet in Sage CRM, we can easily create it. This includes Companies, People, Cases (jobs), or Opportunities – and of course communications.
Generally, we manually file emails. When filing an email, we can decide where we want to file it. We can change the subject line, remove some of the email content – AND, if the email has a document attached, we can label the document properly for CRM (example = Signed PO).
You can set up Accelerator to automatically file emails if you wish. There are several options for automatic saving. One example would be if you ‘tagged’ an email. You can also set Accelerator to autosave all emails, but we do not typically recommend enabling that feature.
When we send out emails, we can choose to file these against a record in CRM. We can also pull from our Sage CRM email templates.
Using templates not only makes it quicker to formulate a response, but also ensure a consistent ‘branded’ response. These templates can include attachments and merge in data from Sage CRM too.
Users can insert references (Tags) in emails to connect the email thread to something specific such as a Customer service issue or an Opportunity. These tags can display in either the email subject or in the body of the email.
When a outbound email that has a tag is filed, it will file against the proper record.
When an inbound email comes back with that tag, then the proper record in the Accelerator panel will automatically display. Additionally, you may choose to have tagged emails automatically file into CRM (Advanced setting).
When using Outlook’s calendaring feature, you can connect an appointment to the correct Sage CRM record.
The record will then also display within Sage CRM.
Within Sage CRM itself, there are additional features related to Accelerator.
There are many optional features within Accelerator. Under the advanced setting users can elect to modify certain features strictly for their instance.
The video does not cover all of these advanced settings. You can download the user guide at the bottom of this page for a full listing and description of the advanced features.
Common customizations to Accelerator include:
Why do I need this tool? Using Accelerator means that users collect more data and have a easier time adopting Sage CRM.
What is the cost? Accelerator is sold as an annual subscription at a rate of US $140/user/year or CDN $160/user/year.
Do I need to get a license for each user? No, the number of licenses for Accelerator do not need to match up with your total Sage CRM user count. For example, your CRM system might allow for 20 users, but you are ok to get Accelerator for just 10 users.
Can emails automatically load into Sage CRM without users having to do anything? Yes, but only if the email has a ‘tag’. Refer to tagging emails above.
Do cases (jobs) or opportunities link to our existing workflow(s)? Yes, this is a common customization (minor).
Are calendar items bi-directional? Calendar items (tasks and appointments) created in the Outlook calendar do sync to Sage CRM.
Does it support custom entities? Yes.
What are the requirements? Outlook 2016 or above including 365.
Doesn’t Sage have a built-in ‘free’ Outlook Plugin, why can’t we use that? Sage does have a free Outlook Plugin that allows you to file emails. It has a very limited feature set, but more significantly, it is technically prone to support issues and support mysteries. In August of 2018, My CRM Manager changed our policies to no longer support the free plugin. It was too frustrating for us and counter productive to the success of a client’s CRM strategy. Accelerator is just far superior and clients are much better off with it. You are welcome to try Sage’s free plugin, but we will not be able to assist you with support issues. If you have any issues, you will need to log a support query directly with the Sage support team.
Does Accelerator work when Outlook is accessed via Terminal Server? Yes.
Can we see it? Yes, demonstrations of Accelerator can be provided on request and you can download a brochure from this link. An extensive user guide can be downloaded from the link below.
CRM Together is a leading development partner for Sage CRM. They publish 4 products that we use all the time, including: (1) Accelerator, (2) MobileX, (3) Crystal Manager, and (4) 365 (for client portals).
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