Comments on: Zen Cart + Sugar CRM + Quickbooks = Heaven! http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven Open Source Tools For Businesses Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:02:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Mary http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-5230 Mary Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:52:02 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-5230 I chuckled when I came across this while researching something else. Our company (that my husband and I own) integrated ZenCart, Sugar CRM, and Quickbooks together for a client of ours back in mid 2007. We wrote a script (PHP) that grabbed e-mail addresses from a subscription form that was added to an EZ-Page in Zen Cart and automatically inserts them into a pre-defined Target List (that we created in Sugar CRM prior to implementing the EZ-Page). Our client runs several different Zen Cart stores, and all the different e-mail addresses get collected and inserted into their respective Target Lists, all into one Sugar CRM instance. We also just recently (June 08) integrated this with WordPress 2.5 as well. We've had no errors or complaints since we implemented this feature for them. As for QuickBooks, there's a mod for the open source version of Sugar CRM that allows QuickBooks integration. We had to modify the code a bit though I believe to get it work how we wanted it to because it was a little buggy. If anyone is interested, our company website is http://businessopus.com - Mary I chuckled when I came across this while researching something else. Our company (that my husband and I own) integrated ZenCart, Sugar CRM, and Quickbooks together for a client of ours back in mid 2007. We wrote a script (PHP) that grabbed e-mail addresses from a subscription form that was added to an EZ-Page in Zen Cart and automatically inserts them into a pre-defined Target List (that we created in Sugar CRM prior to implementing the EZ-Page). Our client runs several different Zen Cart stores, and all the different e-mail addresses get collected and inserted into their respective Target Lists, all into one Sugar CRM instance. We also just recently (June 08) integrated this with WordPress 2.5 as well. We’ve had no errors or complaints since we implemented this feature for them. As for QuickBooks, there’s a mod for the open source version of Sugar CRM that allows QuickBooks integration. We had to modify the code a bit though I believe to get it work how we wanted it to because it was a little buggy.

If anyone is interested, our company website is http://businessopus.com

- Mary

]]> By: Jim http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-4730 Jim Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:02:07 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-4730 I'm a bit late to the party, but you might want to look at NolaPro. The accounting side of things is as solid as Quickbooks: there are articles online comparing the two. Multiple company, multi-currency etc. In addition it appears to have a web shopping portal built in, so if you're exposing it to the internet (probably not so smart, but there may be ways of doing it securely) then you can use that as a ZenCart alternative. It also has a sort of Extranet capability where your clients can check their invoices etc. Nice piece of software. Its free, but closed source - the code is obscured by Zend. I’m a bit late to the party, but you might want to look at NolaPro.

The accounting side of things is as solid as Quickbooks: there are articles online comparing the two. Multiple company, multi-currency etc. In addition it appears to have a web shopping portal built in, so if you’re exposing it to the internet (probably not so smart, but there may be ways of doing it securely) then you can use that as a ZenCart alternative. It also has a sort of Extranet capability where your clients can check their invoices etc.

Nice piece of software. Its free, but closed source - the code is obscured by Zend.

]]> By: David Edmonson http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-3862 David Edmonson Thu, 15 May 2008 19:52:39 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-3862 At some point, searching for FREE gets really expensive! I'm the king of free and I'm searching for the perfect CRM / Quickbooks solution right now (shopping cart will be an issue in the future). I just read about www.oasiscrm.com OasisCRM, which cost $900 per head, but looks like it includes all of the functions you are looking for. Time costs money. Time for ME as a web developer / IT Consultant to find a free or cheap solution cost my client more than paying for a professional source. At some point I have to find the BEST route for my client (and my self) and that could be to invest money into something as important as your Information Back-Bone. - David Vice President www.variux.com At some point, searching for FREE gets really expensive! I’m the king of free and I’m searching for the perfect CRM / Quickbooks solution right now (shopping cart will be an issue in the future). I just read about http://www.oasiscrm.com OasisCRM, which cost $900 per head, but looks like it includes all of the functions you are looking for.

Time costs money. Time for ME as a web developer / IT Consultant to find a free or cheap solution cost my client more than paying for a professional source.

At some point I have to find the BEST route for my client (and my self) and that could be to invest money into something as important as your Information Back-Bone.

- David
Vice President
http://www.variux.com

]]> By: Taiyo http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-2591 Taiyo Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:42:51 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-2591 Wow! This is probably the most helpful article I have ever found searching on google. I too am looking of a way to mashup zen cart with an accounting program. We currently are using quickbooks so I will be looking into the plugin you have found. But I really like open source solutions better so I hope there will be integration between some of the QB alternatives and zen cart. For Quickbooks alternatives there are a number of open source ones available. Off the top of my head: GNUcash (already mentioned, but worth seconding) TurboCash Quasar (linuxcanada.com) For just invoices there are two web 2.0 services: blinksale.com freshbooks.com (has Quickbooks integration) Really a fully open source integration of the three (accounting, ecommerce, CRM) would be the best; it is tough to beat quickbooks though. There are open source ERP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_resource_planning) solutions available (just google open source ERP) I am only now looking at them so I have no idea if they offer the type of functionality this mashup would. Anyway, Awesome idea for a mashup. Very useful article for me. Great work, keep it up. Thanks, Taiyo Wow! This is probably the most helpful article I have ever found searching on google. I too am looking of a way to mashup zen cart with an accounting program. We currently are using quickbooks so I will be looking into the plugin you have found.

But I really like open source solutions better so I hope there will be integration between some of the QB alternatives and zen cart.

For Quickbooks alternatives there are a number of open source ones available. Off the top of my head:
GNUcash (already mentioned, but worth seconding)
TurboCash
Quasar (linuxcanada.com)

For just invoices there are two web 2.0 services:
blinksale.com
freshbooks.com (has Quickbooks integration)

Really a fully open source integration of the three (accounting, ecommerce, CRM) would be the best; it is tough to beat quickbooks though.

There are open source ERP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_resource_planning) solutions available (just google open source ERP)
I am only now looking at them so I have no idea if they offer the type of functionality this mashup would.

Anyway,
Awesome idea for a mashup. Very useful article for me. Great work, keep it up.
Thanks,
Taiyo

]]> By: Greg Moyle http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-1440 Greg Moyle Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:17:32 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-1440 I too run a zencart shopt. Although I dont see a need for sugarcrm in our business, the reporting tools of quickbooks would be very helpful. Regarding the push/pull of data. Have you evaluated the possible uses of Jitterbit http://www.jitterbit.com/. I have not had the time to sink into learning it, but you can create what they call jitterpacks (they already have a sugarcrm jitterpack), which can be shared and modified by each user. It appears to be a very powerful tool and would be quite useful in integrating zencart with other data sources (sugarcrm, etc). I would love to see if anyone has explored that tool for integrating zencart with sugarcrm and/or any opensource accounting packages of which there are many. Just take a look at the accounting section on this opensource resource http://mashable.com/2007/09/23/open-source/ I too run a zencart shopt. Although I dont see a need for sugarcrm in our business, the reporting tools of quickbooks would be very helpful. Regarding the push/pull of data. Have you evaluated the possible uses of Jitterbit http://www.jitterbit.com/.

I have not had the time to sink into learning it, but you can create what they call jitterpacks (they already have a sugarcrm jitterpack), which can be shared and modified by each user. It appears to be a very powerful tool and would be quite useful in integrating zencart with other data sources (sugarcrm, etc). I would love to see if anyone has explored that tool for integrating zencart with sugarcrm and/or any opensource accounting packages of which there are many. Just take a look at the accounting section on this opensource resource http://mashable.com/2007/09/23/open-source/

]]> By: admin http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-894 admin Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:13:55 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-894 Tom, is your program going to be open source or proprietary/license? Tom, is your program going to be open source or proprietary/license?

]]> By: Tom http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-892 Tom Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:28:28 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-892 We're actually building this right now and should be done by Sept. We have an AJAX point of sale for OSC as well as for Zen Cart. We're currently mapping the data one would typically want shoved to Sugar CRM. The problem in building a plug in or contribution that others could use for their systems is that Sugar CRM is an evolving and very multi-purpose product. Usually these things have to be massaged for each deployment and are not very plug and play since each clients uses their CRM differently. Pushing data one-way is not so hard .. we just do not find many clients who are satisfied with that. We’re actually building this right now and should be done by Sept. We have an AJAX point of sale for OSC as well as for Zen Cart. We’re currently mapping the data one would typically want shoved to Sugar CRM. The problem in building a plug in or contribution that others could use for their systems is that Sugar CRM is an evolving and very multi-purpose product. Usually these things have to be massaged for each deployment and are not very plug and play since each clients uses their CRM differently.

Pushing data one-way is not so hard .. we just do not find many clients who are satisfied with that.

]]> By: ChaseSagum.com » Quickbooks plugin for Zen Cart! http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-708 ChaseSagum.com » Quickbooks plugin for Zen Cart! Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:46:38 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-708 [...] built in the open source world and this is one of them. A little while back I wrote a post titled Zen Cart + Sugar CRM + Quickbooks = Heaven! where I wrote about how great it would be to have plugins that had all 3 applications speak to each [...] [...] built in the open source world and this is one of them. A little while back I wrote a post titled Zen Cart + Sugar CRM + Quickbooks = Heaven! where I wrote about how great it would be to have plugins that had all 3 applications speak to each [...]

]]> By: admin http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-694 admin Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:22:51 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-694 Thanks for that feedback Adam. Do you mind me asking you what plugin that is? Thanks for that feedback Adam. Do you mind me asking you what plugin that is?

]]> By: Adam http://chasesagum.com/zen-cart-sugar-crm-quickboks-heaven#comment-666 Adam Sat, 07 Jul 2007 05:49:21 +0000 http://chasesagum.com/?p=69#comment-666 Zencart and Quickbooks do go together... sort of. I use a little plug-in thing in Zencart that allows me to take all the online orders and send to Quickbooks use iif files. There, I create invoices, bill customers, email receipts, and create UPS shipping labels. Saves me from re-typing a lot of stuff. I too would love to see Sugar integration. Zencart and Quickbooks do go together… sort of. I use a little plug-in thing in Zencart that allows me to take all the online orders and send to Quickbooks use iif files. There, I create invoices, bill customers, email receipts, and create UPS shipping labels. Saves me from re-typing a lot of stuff. I too would love to see Sugar integration.

]]>