A New Act
By: Kurt von Behrmann
 |
| ACT! version 16 from Swiftpage |
I was
first introduced to ACT! back in version 7.
At the time I was working on business project remotely and the thrust of
the work was following up with contacts and making new ones. To keep track of business, ACT! 7 was the application
in use. Although geared towards
businesses, small and medium sized ones, I found a surprising number of
features useful to me as an individual.
I also found the program was relatively easy to use, particularly in
light of the competition.
Unlike
some programs I had run into in the competitive arena of C.R.M. (Customer
Relationship Manager) software, some of which looked like “Frankstein’s
Monster, hobbled together with bits and pieces of interface here and there, ACT!
presented a unified front. Being contact
driven, the interface was centered around one contact at a time with the
essential information on the central screen and tabbed screens for more
detailed information. Simply put, the
layout made sense.
While
limited to working with one contact at a time, the limitation was less a
limitation and more an ease of function. It was simple enough to go from one
contact to the next, to link contacts and the like. After all, you can only really work
effectively with one contact at once, at least in my way of working. Over all, the program took some rather
complex functions and made them easy to use.
While
most end users tend towards, or rather have directed towards them, programs that have email functions and contact
lists built into them, the problem is that if your needs go beyond simply
maintaining a list of contacts, the limitations of such software become very
clear the moment you try to do more with them than just list names. Certainly you can attach files to contacts,
but when you need more information to connect to an individual than files, and
you want to keep track of phone calls made, information sent and random notes,
the limitations of email slash contact software designed for the average end
user has some considerable limits. Hence
the need for software that can track what you do and have done with a contact.
Flash
forward, and ACT! version 16 is out under new management and new features. While it has been changed, the essential
layout of the program has remained somewhat the same. For users or more recent versions, namely the
Sage versions like ACT 1012 and 2013, superficially little has changed. But, when you delve deeper, new features have
been added.
One of
the more obvious, as well as noteworthy changes to the application has to be
the new History Lists. Similar in
function to the Task List, one can see and filter all histories in one data
base. The possibilities offered by this
function means you have a full list of actions as well as the ability to delete
certain histories. The implementation of the feature has been executed well.
Direct
from Swiftpage are is a break down of what is new in ACT! version 16.
Link to more information on ACT! v 16 new features
Below are some highlights from Swiftpage
·
Act! Premium Mobile[1]
enhancements — As part of the mobile feature-set of Act! Premium, which is
offered at no additional charge, improvements give users access to an expanded range
of functions via their smartphone and tablet for improved productivity in the
field.
·
Streamlined company management and global
actions — Allows for the automatic consolidation of contact details and
global activity scheduling to drive informed, efficient action and increased
sales effectiveness.
- New calculated fields
— Performs calculations automatically using data from other standard or
custom fields, helping users intelligently prioritize and automate tasks,
drive sales and enhance relationships.
- New history view — Provides
an insightful look back, enabling users to easily locate, analyze, and act
on data within a dynamic view of all completed actions.
Usability and system improvements — Including global
activity rescheduling, proactive system alerts, and streamlined field and
layout configuration[2],
designed to save time and give users high confidence that their data and
systems are healthy and secure
·
Act!
Premium Mobile[3]
enhancements — As part of the mobile feature-set of Act! Premium, which is
offered at no additional charge, improvements give users access to an expanded range
of functions via their smartphone and tablet for improved productivity in the
field.
·
Streamlined company management and global
actions — Allows for the automatic consolidation of contact details and
global activity scheduling to drive informed, efficient action and increased
sales effectiveness.
- New calculated fields
— Performs calculations automatically using data from other standard or
custom fields, helping users intelligently prioritize and automate tasks,
drive sales and enhance relationships.
- New history view — Provides
an insightful look back, enabling users to easily locate, analyze, and act
on data within a dynamic view of all completed actions.
Usability and system improvements — Including global
activity rescheduling, proactive system alerts, and streamlined field and
layout configuration[4],
designed to save time and give users high confidence that their data and
systems are healthy and secure
Summation
Swiftpage has added some
considerable new features to the venerable ACT!. Version 16 does not disappoint on that
front. The best of the past has been
retained, and the program is similar enough to past iterations to be a
comfortable fit for long time users.
For all that Switpage has done, a few problems still exist.
Integration
with the powerhouse of email Outlook has been retained. The big but is that if you use the 64 bit
version of this office component, you are out of luck. Only the 32 bit version is supported. Hopefully this is an omission that will be
rectified in a future release.
While
ACT! offers a built in email client, when I attempted to set it up, I ran into
frustrations. Nothing worked. Again, hopefully in future versions ACT! will
feature an easier to use Email program.
Last on
my list of problem areas was the help menu.
When I pulled it up, the result came out with a blank browser. I did discover a work around. What worked for me was locating the help
files and opening them individually.
While this is not a true solution, it was at least something.
Factoring
in my gripes with ACT! version 16, it still remains a favorite C.R.M. program
of mine. It simply handles contacts and information so fluidly it is worth
contending with some slightly irritating short comings. When the dust clears, ACT! version 16 could
be a tough act to follow.
Link to Examiner.com Article on ACT! Version 16
Link to Examiner.com Article on ACT! Version 16
[1] Act! Premium
Mobile requires setup and configuration of Act! Premium (access via Web). Data access available via active Internet
connection from supported device browsers.
Review Act! system requirements at www.act.com/systreq. You are
responsible for all data-related charges.
[2] Act! Premium
(access via web) users only.
[3] Act! Premium
Mobile requires setup and configuration of Act! Premium (access via Web). Data access available via active Internet
connection from supported device browsers.
Review Act! system requirements at www.act.com/systreq. You are
responsible for all data-related charges.
[4] Act! Premium
(access via web) users only.
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