| Goldmine Software | | | | |
| | | | Where Goldmine Software Falls Short |
| Goldmine Software was one of the first | | | | |
| programs developed to allow business people | | | | When it comes to features and forms Goldmine |
| to track their contact and sales information. | | | | Software certainly does not fall short, it |
| Originally created to help sales | | | | goes too long. One thing the creators of |
| professionals organize and track client and | | | | Goldmine may have missed is that simplicity |
| account information, it has evolved into a | | | | is often the key to success. The number one |
| group of products and add-ons that are | | | | reason most Contact Management and Customer |
| designed to manage contact information, track | | | | Relationship Management programs fail is that |
| sales, do reporting, provide follow-up, and | | | | they are too difficult to learn and use, |
| integrate with other software programs. | | | | therefore they do not get used. |
| Though Goldmine Software has evolved over the | | | | |
| years with the goal of providing a complete | | | | Most business professionals are looking for |
| Customer Relationship Management system, it | | | | features in a program, but the specific |
| has failed to address a primary issue: ease | | | | features they need. Extra features are not a |
| of use. | | | | benefit when you must navigate through |
| | | | additional forms to complete your tasks. If |
| The Many Faces of Goldmine Software | | | | this is required to perform daily functions, |
| | | | users simply stop doing those things and the |
| Goldmine Software touts the fact that it is | | | | system does not get used. Goldmine Software |
| feature rich and has many functional | | | | has so many forms it makes it difficult to |
| interfaces. Goldmine Software has its own | | | | logically organize them for all users. This |
| contact management interface called Goldmine | | | | creates confusion in navigating through the |
| Business Contact Manager, as well as others | | | | program as well. Long on features in a |
| to handle Sales Opportunity tracking, | | | | business program often means long on learning |
| reporting, email management, follow-ups, | | | | as well. This often translates to resistance |
| appointments and so on. Goldmine has over 30 | | | | to accepting the system, reluctance to use, |
| different user forms as part of its standard | | | | and ultimately failure of the program. |
| edition. If you add other modules, the number | | | | |
| of forms will increase appropriately. While | | | | Goldmine Software's Number is up |
| this creates a great number of features and | | | | |
| options for the user to work with, it also | | | | With the high number of user forms in |
| creates a problem. Goldmine can take a great | | | | Goldmine Software (over 30) it takes time to |
| deal of time to learn, and working with many | | | | learn the system and combat the complexity. |
| different forms can be cumbersome and | | | | The solution to this is simplicity. A system |
| confusing. Having a great number of features | | | | with the same features but fewer new forms |
| turns from a benefit to a hindrance when | | | | will dramatically shorten the learning |
| learning the system takes time away from your | | | | process and make acceptance more likely. A |
| business. It can also negatively impact your | | | | system like Prophet 4.0, which is integrated |
| business as it takes more time for users to | | | | inside Microsoft Outlook, offers a solution. |
| navigate through and complete all the | | | | Prophet 4.0 uses the existing contact, email, |
| functions that are required. Goldmine | | | | calendar, and task forms of Outlook and adds |
| Software has put features and functions ahead | | | | only 6 new forms. Outlook is the most widely |
| of simplicity and ease of use. | | | | used email, contact, and calendar management |
| | | | program in business today, and so most |
| More Stuff for Goldmine Software | | | | professionals are already familiar with those |
| | | | forms. It takes much less time to learn |
| In addition to the base features of the | | | | Prophet's 6 new forms than it does to learn |
| Goldmine standard edition there are many | | | | Goldmine's 30. |
| add-ons and other modules that can further | | | | |
| complicate the system. If you would like to | | | | Do you need to synchronize your contact and |
| share information with a small group you can | | | | sales management data with Outlook? Prophet |
| add a synchronization module. If you would | | | | 4.0 is integrated in Outlook so you need no |
| like real-time access to your group's | | | | additional synchronization software as |
| information you will need the Goldmine Plus | | | | Goldmine does. You can continue to work in |
| corporate edition. Integration with other | | | | Outlook and have that information available |
| programs (such as Microsoft Outlook) requires | | | | to you through Prophet's Contact Management |
| another module, and integration with | | | | and Sales Management interfaces. Prophet 4.0 |
| Microsoft Exchange Server adds yet another. | | | | provides a simple to use and easy to learn |
| With more and more add-ons, comes more and | | | | Contact and Sales Management System in a very |
| more complexity. This complexity leads to | | | | familiar environment, Microsoft Outlook. |
| more time working with the software, and less | | | | Goldmine Software is simply…not simple |
| time simply working. | | | | enough. |