Setting Up the Advanced Outlook Integration in QuoteWerks

Setting up the Advanced Outlook Integration is very similar to setting up any other contact managers in QuoteWerks.  The manual has step by step directions detailing how to setup the integration.

To locate the manual in QuoteWerks, open QuoteWerks and click Help-> View Manual.  This will bring up a Word doc that can be saved to your desktop or somewhere else where it can be easily accessed.

Below are the setup instructions for the Outlook Integration.

Open QuoteWerks and select the Contacts | Setup Contact Manager menu to choose your contact manager.  Choose the Outlook option on the left hand side, then click the Outlook Setup button.

General tab

Here you will have the option to use the “Default Personal Contacts folder” or the “specified Contacts folder”.  This option tells QuoteWerks where to look for Outlook contacts.

The “Default Personal Contacts folder” is located locally on your computer and is used only by you. It is typically located in the \Personal Folders\Contacts” folder.

The “Use specified Contacts folder” is used to specify a particular folder.  This can be used to choose a local folder other than the “\Personal Folders\Contacts” folder, or it can be used to choose a public shared folder typically located on an exchange server and shared by more than one user.  You can click on the button to browse the list of personal and public folders.

Note: The default shared public contacts folder in Exchange is ‘\Public Folders\All Public Folders’.  If you want to link to a Contacts folder on an Exchange server, and your public contacts folder is not called “Public Contacts”, you can browse for this folder from this window.  If you are using Outlook Business Contact Manager (BCM) locally, you will use the “Use specified Contacts folder” option to choose a local contacts folder other than the default Personal Contacts folder such as “\Business Contact Manager\Business Contacts”

Address type(s) to use

Outlook stores both business and home addresses. When searching the Outlook database for contacts to use, QuoteWerks can return the Business address, Home address, or both.  Some users only use the business addresses, in which case their search results are cluttered with double the results (business and home) while most of the home address data being empty. This option lets you tailor the results to your needs.

Default Address type

Clicking on the button next to the Sold to, Ship to, or Bill to fields in a quote brings in the currently displayed Outlook contact address information into the quote.  Since Outlook stores both home and business addresses, this option lets you control which address is retrieved when the card button is selected.

Leave Country blank if country is

Whenever you enter a new contact into Outlook and do not specify a country, Outlook will set the country to the country that you are in.  This “Leave country blank if the country is:” option enables you to enter in the country name that you do not want to have pulled into QuoteWerks when you select the contact for use in the quote.  For example, if you live in the “United States of America” you might not need to pull the country for the contact since you are in the same country as they are.

Advanced tab

Enable Advanced Integration

Check this option to Enable the Advanced Integration, which activates the DataLink, Linked Document, and Follow up call features.

Where to create and look for Linked Document attachments

Here you will have the option to use the “Default Personal Journal folder” or the “specified Journal folder”.  This option tells QuoteWerks where to create and look for Linked Documents. QuoteWerks creates linked documents in Outlook as Journal type items.

The “Default Personal Journal folder” is located locally on your computer and is used only by you. It is typically located in the \Personal Folders\Journal” folder.

The “Use specified Journal folder” is used to specify a particular folder.  This can be used to choose a local folder other than the “\Personal Folders\Journal” folder, or it can be used to choose a public shared folder typically located on an exchange server and shared by more than one user.

Where to create and look for Follow up calls

Here you will have the option to use the “Default Personal Calendar folder” or the “specified Calendar folder”.  This option tells QuoteWerks where to create and look for Follow up Calls.  QuoteWerks creates a follow up call in Outlook as a Calendar type item.

The “Default Personal Calendar folder” is located locally on your computer and is used only by you. It is typically located in the \Personal Folders\Calendar” folder.

The “Use specified Calendar folder” is used to specify a particular folder.  This can be used to choose a local folder other than the “\Personal Folders\Calendar” folder, or it can be used to choose a public shared folder typically located on an exchange server and shared by more than one user.

DataLink Setup

QuoteWerks has a DataLink feature that allows you to pull additional information from fields in your contact manager when retrieving the contact information from your contact manager.  This data from your contact manager can be used to complete fields in the QuoteWerks quote such as customer profile, tax rate, terms, custom fields, etc for the customer.  Clicking on the [DataLink Setup] button will display the DataLink setup window.  See the Contact Manager DataLink Setup section in this Chapter for details on the DataLink.

Is Your Sales Quoting Tool The Right Solution for Today’s Economy

As the current recession lingers, companies in all sectors are under increasing pressure to execute consistently and efficiently across their sales, procurement, and back office operations. Yet many businesses fail to consider the negative effects that their ineffective sales quoting system has on the firm’s bottom line.

Understanding the anatomy of your sales quoting process and how your existing quoting method supports the process can reveal critical areas of underperformance which should be addressed through the adoption of more advanced quoting solutions. When diagnosing the health of your quoting process and tool, consider the following five components of an effective quoting system:

Identification of the customer: Does your current quoting solution integrate with your in-house CRM system, allowing you to automatically pull information (including terms, customer tax rate, and customer profile) into your quote? Can your quoting tool support separate contact details for multiple parties including the purchaser, their billing contact, and the party who will receive the products?

Accessing product data: When it comes to selecting the appropriate products and services for your customer, you need to have access to accurate product data. Are you quoting from your current/live product list, or from a copy that has to be updated frequently? For companies who purchase from multiple manufacturers or distributors, can you quickly and easily access real-time price and availability data without having to call your account executive?

CRM integration: Once a quote is created for the customer, the data should be reflected in your CRM system so that appropriate sales follow-up calls can be scheduled and executed, thus improving your sales closure rate. Does your quoting solution automatically create or update the sales opportunity within your CRM application; close opportunities and create completed sales records; establish a link to the quote from the customer’s record for quick quote recall?

Solution oriented: Unless you are using a quoting solution specifically developed for you, chances are your tool does not deliver all the functionality you require “out of the box.” Does your quoting application allow you to extend its functionality and reach into your business systems through an API?

Ease of use: Are you experiencing issues with sales reps who refuse to use your quoting tool, resulting in them creating their own ad hoc quotes outside the system? Your sales quoting application should be intuitive and provide ample user support and training to ensure that your entire sales team will adopt it. Without their acceptance, the implementation will linger, exposing your business to the same inefficiencies and errors you are seeking to avoid.

QuoteWerks delivers unmatched value for companies whose current quoting solution underperforms in any of the above areas. Instead of accessing multiple applications, Web sites, and documents, sales reps have a single work environment for all steps in the sales process: researching products, creating quotes, sourcing, pricing, determining availability, and confirming orders.

QuoteWerks’ out-of-the-box compatibility with such leading CRM applications as ACT!, GoldMine, Maximizer, MS Dynamics CRM, Outlook, salesforce.com, and SalesLogix ensures that organizations can quickly deploy QuoteWerks, adding it into their CRM environment, leveraging their existing CRM investment.

With over 50,000 users in 101 countries, QuoteWerks delivers immediate benefits for its users in several main areas including:

• Reduced quote creation time ensuring sales teams can focus the majority of their time on active selling efforts and not on paperwork.
• Improved product support through the ability to create bundles and a product configuration tool that is standard within QuoteWerks.
• Improved margins resulting from better access to pricing histories and comparative prices amongst suppliers.
• Reduced return and error handling costs related to quoting discontinued or out of stock products. QuoteWerks provides sales reps with complete and current product information ensuring quotes are accurate.
• Risk mitigation for exposure to the company and the customer from erroneous pricing and other material errors associated with manual quoting processes.
• Rapid ROI payback through our concurrent user licensing model, volume discounts beginning with two licenses, non-recurring licensing fees, and free support minutes included with each initial purchase.
• Free online training resources.

Given today’s volatile business landscape, organizations must now address the challenges with their ineffective quoting systems and for many including 3M, Canon Medical Systems, Dell, GE Healthcare, Instron, Mettler-Toledo, and Sony, QuoteWerks has proven to be the quoting solution of choice. To learn more or to access our guide to selecting sales quoting software, visit www.quotewerks.com.

Bell Micro Latest Addition to QuoteWerks Real Time Module

QuoteWerks has added distributor Bell Micro to the QuoteWerks Real Time Data Module.  Current QuoteWerks users will be able to access real time pricing and availability from Bell Micro.The QuoteWerks real time pricing module helps businesses improve their quoting operation by streamlining the sales process and reducing the quote creation time even further.  Users benefit from the quoting capabilities of QuoteWerks and are able to take advantage of real time product pricing and availability data from select distributors and manufacturers.  QuoteWerks’ continued evolution of adding distributors, such as Bell Micro, to the Real Time Data Module is yet another resource companies can utilize to increase sales and reduce costs.

The real time pricing and availability module is supported by the Professional and Corporate Editions of QuoteWerks.  Users who wish to obtain access to real-time pricing and availability with Bell Micro will need to purchase the Real-Time Module if they currently do not already have it.  Additionally, QuoteWerks users will also need to be current on their update maintenance plan (UMP) and also have a current relationship with Bell Micro.

To learn more about becoming a Bell Micro customer visit their website or call (800) 291-2070.

For information on about QuoteWerks please visit the QuoteWerks website.  For more information regarding the real time data module please visit here.

QuoteWerks Adds Arbitech To Real Time Module

Today QuoteWerks announced that Arbitech has been added to the list of distributors and manufacturers available with the QuoteWerks Real Time Data Module.  Current QuoteWerks users will be able to access real time pricing and availability from Arbitech.

The real time data module for Arbitech supports their entire product line and includes companies such as 3Com, IBM, Cisco, Lexmark, and more.

The QuoteWerks real time pricing module was designed to help improve the quoting operation for businesses even further by streamlining the sales process and reducing the quote creation time.  Users benefit from the quoting capabilities of QuoteWerks and are able to take advantage of real time product pricing and availability data from select distributors and manufacturers.  QuoteWerks’ continued evolution of adding distributors, such as Arbitech, to the Real Time Data Module is yet another resource companies can utilize to increase sales and reduce costs.

The real time pricing and availability module is supported by the Professional and Corporate Editions of QuoteWerks.  Users who wish to obtain access to real-time pricing and availability with Arbitech will need to purchase the Real-Time Module if they currently do not already have it.  Additionally, QuoteWerks users will also need to be current on their update maintenance plan (UMP) and also have a current relationship with Arbitech.

To learn more about becoming an Arbitech customer, companies should call 1-949-376-6650.

For information on about QuoteWerks please visit the QuoteWerks website.  For more information regarding the real time data module please visit here.

QuoteWerks Online Ordering Capabilities Expanded to Include Ingram Micro and Synnex

QuoteWerks extends support for IT channel resellers by adding second and third largest distributors of IT related products to its online ordering module.

ORLANDO, FL (Vocus/PRWEB) Aspire Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of sales quoting software solutions for the global small and mid-markets, announced today the expansion of the QuoteWerks Online Ordering Module to include two more IT product distributors, Ingram Micro (USA and Canada) and Synnex (USA and Canada). The Online Ordering Module, which continues to support Tech Data, now enables users to place online orders with three of the largest IT related product distributors.

The Online Ordering module can place online orders with Ingram Micro (USA and Canada) and Synnex (USA and Canada) from within QuoteWerks (requires Real-time and Online Ordering modules). Users can order items from a single QuoteWerks order, or combine items from multiple QuoteWerks orders into a single Ingram Micro or Synnex order. This will save QuoteWerks users the time and hassle of calling their  Ingram Micro or Synnex sales rep and reading each part number, quantity, and price to him/her. Another benefit is that the order date and distributor sales order number will automatically be stored with the QuoteWerks order for reference. When placing online orders electronically through QuoteWerks, there is an option that will let the sales rep place the order on hold. This will afford users an opportunity to review their orders with the distributor and negotiate pricing without the time consuming process of reading to the distributor rep all the part numbers, quantities, ship to location, etc. No more calling the distributor sales rep only to reach voice mail (understandable – sales reps can’t be on the phone with more than one customer at a time) and then have to remember try again later in the day to place the order – or wait for a call back! This is truly the best of both worlds – automation with sales rep service!

Additionally, Online Ordering for Ingram Micro and Synnex both support government and educational pricing and the ability to drop or blind ship ordered products to the end user.

“Adding Ingram Micro and Synnex to the Online Ordering Module is a great example of QuoteWerks continuing to evolve as a product.  We are constantly adding new features and upgrades to the software to help companies streamline their sales operations even further, enabling them to prosper from the QuoteWerks advantage”, says Brian Laufer, Vice President of Operations for Aspire Technologies, Inc.

The QuoteWerks Online Ordering Module is an annual subscription site license that provides access to all three IT distributors (Tech Data, Ingram Micro and Synnex).  The Online Ordering Module requires use of at least one Real Time Data Module license and users must have the Professional or Corporate edition of QuoteWerks.  Ingram Micro and Synnex online ordering is only supported in build 45 and higher.  Users must be current on their maintenance to download the latest build which can be downloaded from the QuoteWerks website at http://www.quotewerks.com/updates/UpdateAgent.asp.

Figure 1: Displays the Online Ordering Form for users placing Ingram Micro orders.

Figure 2: On this form the user can verify the pricing and availability of the products.

Figure 3: Once the pricing and availability is confirmed additional columns will display the Real time information of the products.  Validating the order ensures that all information is entered needed to place the order.

Figure 4: Once the order is placed the Purchase and Sales order numbers and order date will appear in their respective columns in the QuoteWerks Document Items tab as well as the updated unit pricing.

About Aspire Technologies and QuoteWerks^®

Aspire Technologies, the creators of the award winning QuoteWerks^® sales quoting software, is the leading provider of sales quoting software with its award winning QuoteWerks^® application deployed to thousands of businesses and enterprises worldwide. QuoteWerks® integrates with all major and leading CRM packages including ACT!^TM, Goldmine^®, Maximizer^®, MS CRM, Outlook^®, TeleMagic^®, salesforce.com^® and SalesLogix^® , and IT distributors , D&H, Ingram Micro, SYNNEX, and Tech Data, enabling businesses in all industries to integrate QuoteWerks^® seamlessly into their existing environments.  Aspire Technologies is headquartered in Orlando, Florida and is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Sage Software Gold Level Development Partner, and an HP DSP Partner.  For more information please visit www.quotewerks.com.

QuoteWerks is a trademark of Aspire Technologies, Inc.  Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

Build 46 Features Video Now Available

QuoteWerks has released the features video for build 46.  The new video will cover all the new features including the latest companies to be  added to the Real Time Module.  These companies include Accutech, Arbitech, Bell Micro, and Digitek.

QuoteWerks will also now resize the price comparison window plus remember the last size (per user).  Additionally, QuoteWerks added a new security option that will inhibit users from changing the doc status when converting a document. This is useful for preventing a user from changing the DocStatus to a value other than the default value specified in the setup.

To see a list of the new features click here.

The video can be viewed by clicking here.