Pivotal CRM Blog

A new generation of Pivotal CRM brings a brand new user’s interface.
Below you can see an index of information connected with the new Pivotal Sedna user’s interface.

Pivotal Sedna is missing a previous two types of system access: Windows Access (so called fat customer) and Rich Client (browser access using the ActiveX technology). They are replaced by one, brand new Smart Client.

Together with a new customer, the method of system navigation was completely renewed. The previous user’s interface components, such as forms, portals and queries, were also rebuilt.

Navigation
A previous eTab and iTab (left menu) in the new Pivotal’s version are replaced by two navigation pads:

• “Navigation Pad” - placed in the top level of a screen, enabling an access to each system module (Sales, Support, Marketing, Reports, etc.) and to the business items gathered there (Contacts, Forecasts, etc.). The contents of Navigation Pad will be constant, fully customizable and defined by a security system ( similarly to currently known eTab). A modification is in a way of building the pad - as far as eTab was closely linked with each item in database, Navigation Tab is to be oriented on user’s tasks.
• “Task Pad” - placed on the left side of the screen. Its contents will depend on contents showed in a main part of the screen ( similarly as previous iTab). In addition the pad will include possible actions, shortcuts and recent items. The pad’s contents will be fully customizable and connected with user’s control system

Forms
A scheme of building the forms will change. A previous editor, Active Forms, will be replaced with a Visual Studio 2005 forms editor. The restrictions in a way of placing the items on the screen will be lifted. In the new version it will be also possible to place any item in any place of the form, which allow avoiding the limits connected with previous columnar layout.
Also the range of defining a business logic will change. It will be possible to define an event connected with the state of a form, as well as influencing the appearance and  behavior of a form depending the presented data.

The appearance of the forms will be adapted to the new Windows Vista style. Thanks to that, the interface should be more agreeable for user and more intuitive during the cooperation with system.

Portals
A main change is a possibility to localize them anywhere in the system, not only at the main site, as previously. The contents of the portal will be increased to the following components:

• search results
• presentation of data in RSS format
• presentation of MS Outlook calendar and inbox
• simplified forms
• external Sharepoint Web Parts

Queries 
A system of creating user’s queries will change, unfortunately the producer hasn’t already revealed in what way. The user will gain also a bigger control on defining the format of search results - they are to be shown in a form already known from Microsoft’s solutions.
 

Applications
The producer declares that with releasing the Pivotal Sedna, the hitherto applications Sales and Service and branch solutions will be rebuilt. They will be adapted to the new user’s interface and they will propose new functionalities using the new platform capabilities.

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New generation of Pivotal CRM package (codename “Sedna”) comes closer. The intended date of releasing the system is the end of the second quarter of 2007, that is, more or less, in 5 months ! Hereby, I decided to create a category dedicated to the new system’s version, where I will be publishing information connected with Sedna. Today, a short  specification of main directives and aims set for a new platform.

Pivotal Corporation, while developing a strategy for new generation of CRM products, has defined a following directives for the new platform:

• Flexibility - Pivotal CRM from the beginning has been a system of a maximum flexibility, enabling complete adaptation of application to the  users’ needs and to the specific character of customer’s activity. This advantage is to be continued in a new generation of product. Pivotal Corporation understands flexibility as an ability for a complex support of business processes of Pivotal’s platform users. It brings a lot of capabilities in following areas: configuration of user’s interface, automation of business processes, discretionary modification of data structure, operating flexibility (the ability of using the application in disparsed organization structure <different organization’s departments, sections and business units>).
• Use of rich user experience - creating a brand new user’s interface, which will be much more intuitive, functional and ergonomic for application’s users. This is the answer for a demand on user’s friendly work environment. the new interface is to be agreeable for a user, designed in a way to encourage user to enjoy new tools during his work with the new system.
• Integration with MS Office - linking the products from Microsoft Office family with Pivotal CRM system in order to use the CRM tools’ force with many years of experience of using Microsoft’s office package. Integration with MS Office is to be already wider than until this time and thanks to that, the MS Office applications will practically become Pivotal system’s tools.
• Low costs of implementation and modification - upgrading the mechanisms for developers and administrators of Pivotal platform will enable introducing modifications faster and cheaper to the existing systems. This will allow keeping coherence of Pivotal system with constantly changing  organizations business environment.
• Integration “on demand” - integration interfaces of Pivotal’s platform are going to be modificated. The new interfaces will allow integration of CRM system with other IT systems in the enterprise larger than until this time. A huge emphasis is put on the use of Web Services and SOA standard.
• Business Intelligence - a new generation of Pivotal platform aims increasing the ability of gaining a knowledge from the data collected in the system.
  Branch applications - together with a Pivotal CRM Sedna platform the completed branch applications will be available. They are going to be adapted to the specific character of a concrete business branches. Currently existing branch applications, such as: Financial Services, Homebuilders, Medical Science, Manufacturing will be continued.

The other aims for the Sedna platform are:

• Implementation of a new kind of access - Smart Client, which will replace previous Windows Client and Rich Client.
• Creating more intuitive and flexible - focused on system navigation tasks
• Improvement of forms and portals
• Improvement of the integration with MS Office
• Improvement of the search and report abilities
• Correction of system’s efficiency
• General improvement if a visual appearance of application
• Adapting the existing applications to new functionalities of a platform
• Remaining in a close integration with Microsoft’s solutions, particularly when it comes to ClickOnce and smart client technology
• Delivering the tools for upgrading the existing systems to the new platform generation smoothly and at the lowest possible costs.

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