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I have a client who is looking to revamp their existing mailing system (their current software is horrifyingly bad). I have no experience with contact management software on the level he is looking for--mailing lists in excess of 100,000 people--and am looking for suggestions. Would prefer something with an outright retail cost as opposed to a service with a recurring fee.
Requirements:
Must have an unlimited upward limit for number of contacts.
Must allow import of Excel, CSV, and other common spreadsheet & DB file formats.
Windows-compatible.
I'd prefer something with no bells and whistles; this software just needs to be a contact list manager. Lead tracking and other features prominent in suites like Goldmine are not necessary.
Would strongly prefer software with customizable fields - the more the better. 100% customizable fields would be optimal.
Any recommendations, esp. with links, would be greatly appreciated! Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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When you say "unlimited upward limit" and "100% customizable fields" you're moving out of the realm of software that doesn't come with an annual fee.
What's the hardware platform, and what's the budget?
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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The software will run on 3 systems, all running XP Pro. Will system specs matter?
Budget is "as cheap as possible." Knowing the client and knowing how important this is to their business, I'd shoot for less than $500.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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what's funny is that most of it falls in the area of very easy programming; but its boring programming, so there aren't lots of solutions out there (and $500 isn't enough to get someone to code a good one from scratch, particularly as I presume it would need to prepare labels for printing -- unless the printer can handle a CSV file in a particular format or somesuch).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by fugu13: what's funny is that most of it falls in the area of very easy programming; but its boring programming, so there aren't lots of solutions out there
See, from what little programming I'm still familiar with, this is what I thought, too. What's worse is that it's software a LOT of small businesses would use, but my client couldn't find anything except the horrible crap he's using now, and I can't find anything that isn't bloated with stuff he doesn't need.
quote:(and $500 isn't enough to get someone to code a good one from scratch, particularly as I presume it would need to prepare labels for printing -- unless the printer can handle a CSV file in a particular format or somesuch).
You presume correctly. Out of curiousity, what would be your ballpark estimate of what this would cost to have a programmer custom build?
Come to think of it, there are a lot of programmers on Hatrack. If anyone thinks they can do what I'm talking about in the budget I mentioned above...well, e-mail me please.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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That's the other big question: is this system going to do the printing of mailing labels and/or the sending of email? I was assuming it was.
If it is, your best bet is to find a local college student and ask him if he's willing to take on a Comp Sci project -- or finding a local consortium that's already purchased one of the larger contact management packages and asking if they'd let you piggyback on their software.
To put this into perspective, I've seen software with very few bells and whistles that does what you're looking for priced at an annual cost of $35,000. That's an extreme example, but a flat payment of $500 would barely pay for a few copies of Microsoft Outlook (and wouldn't buy you an Exchange license).
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The big problem is this: you're wanting to run it on Windows XP desktop machines, and you want "unlimited" contacts. How are you currently handling network storage?
I would code you something simple for $500 that'd do most of what you wanted -- but the hardware system requirements would have to be managed very carefully.
I'm actually wondering if you guys shouldn't consider one of the Web-based contact managers I've seen out there. Rates are fairly low, and usually priced "per user;" if there are only three users, you'll probably be able to squeak by at around $300 or so a year.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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eros, can you list the actual features you're looking for? "Contact list management" means a couple of different things to me. Do you just need "print letter X to contacts with attributes a, b, and c" plus standard add/edit/delete/import/export management features?
Also, with "unlimited" list size, do you really mean "unlimited" or are db-level limits on data file size, acceptable?
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I think my original post made this sound more complicated than it is. Explaining better would probably help, ne?
As specific as possible: my client wants to be able to compile all of his customer contact entries--which will include only basic contact information like name, business name, address, phone number, etc.--into one program for easy management: searching, label printing to standard label sizes, sorting by field. The data for import is coming from at least five different sources including Fed Ex & UPS shipping systems. All the sources can, at a minimum, export in CSV or other basic delimited formats. The software does not necessarily need to automate any of these processes.
The software does not need to do its own mailing, although it needs to be able to export a comma/other delimited format to sync with an existing mailing system. Although it will be running on up to three systems, it does not need to be networkable as the three systems will not need to share a single database.
By "unlimited upward limit for number of contacts," I mean the software should not artificially cap the number of contact entries (as in "this version offers up to 10,000 contacts! The premium version for $xxxxx more lets you have up to 50,000!"). Database file size restrictions are fine.
Last, but not least, the people who would be using this are not terribly computer literate: the software would need to be relatively user friendly to someone who has the computing ability of a 50 year old latecomer to the technology era.
If I think of more, I'll add it. If there's something I'm missing, please ask and I'll clarify if I can!
quote:I'm actually wondering if you guys shouldn't consider one of the Web-based contact managers I've seen out there. Rates are fairly low, and usually priced "per user;" if there are only three users, you'll probably be able to squeak by at around $300 or so a year.
If you could reference a couple you think would fit the bill, Tom, I'd be really grateful.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Something like that, which worked but was perhaps a little clunky, would cost $5k for a reputable coding job ( including testing! ). If you can find a capable student, you could probably get it done for around $1000; finding a capable student would be 90% of the trouble, though (its remarkably hard to winnow the very capable programmers from those who aren't, absent strong knowledge of the programming domain and a fairly good knowledge of the students' in question work habits).
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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fugu's estimate is pretty good. My rate knowledge are four years out of date, but I could put something like this together in Access (which has surprisingly robust handling for large files in the right environment) in a week or so (including testing! ).
However, I question the compatibility of "The software does not necessarily need to automate any of these processes" and "Last, but not least, the people who would be using this are not terribly computer literate: the software would need to be relatively user friendly to someone who has the computing ability of a 50 year old latecomer to the technology era."
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Here's a quick question, assuming that $500 figure is firm: how comfortable would the people in that company be with learning how to use Microsoft Access? I would be willing to hack something like this out in Access for $500, but would not be willing to support it in perpetuity -- i.e. make minor changes to reports, tweak sizes, arrange backups, etc. -- for that price.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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If you're going to use something like Access, I would recommend FileMaker instead. My Access and FileMaker experience is limited to personal use, but FileMaker is definitely the better, simpler-to-use product (just so you know this isn't blind anti-Microsoft bias).
Both are still bloated for your needs, but at least they are one-off purchases. You will of course need a database slave, lest your client spend half his working day tinkering with his emailer.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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Tom: I agree that Access would be fine for most of this, but the tag layout capabilities and the like would make it involve significantly more time. I doubt you could do better than $10-15/hr at a $500 price point, and quite possibly less. Custom programming like this is worth a lot more, and I suspect your day job is woth at least a little bit more as well .
And if anyone does do it, make certain you retain the rights (you will by default, but good to mention it explicitly in the contract), as with a couple weeks of tweaking you could have a more generally saleable product.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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You've got to be kidding, right? I wouldn't trust FileMaker to store my recipes.
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quote:I doubt you could do better than $10-15/hr at a $500 price point, and quite possibly less
Yeah, I know. I've done favors for Hatrackers before, and I'd be willing to do one here, too. I'm a bit nervous about the idea of trying to do a mail merge on 100,000 records through Microsoft Office, but.... *laugh*
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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BTW, my last post was not an offer, just a reference point. I have regained my amateur status as a programmer. Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I'm with Tom on this one, though the last version I used was one version out of date in 95 or 96.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Here's my problem: as terribly designed as his current software is, it (very clumsily) does what I've described and was $99, and this is a B2B retail product. While I can certainly appreciate that these things take time (I'm a webdesigner--not developer--which is half-ass coding, so I understand), I don't think my client is going to go for a 5k system. I'm not that good a salesman; it's hard to talk someone into a %1000+ increase in expenditure for something that seems like it should be easy.
On the other hand, you've all been very helpful in giving me a ballpark idea of the time and cost involved, and if I can illustrate the need to my client, it's possible I'll be handing someone here some business at their preferred rate.
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FileMaker has been good to me.
