InformationWeek: The Business Value of Technology

Originally slated for September delivery, the Sales and Marketing Series of Great Plains Siebel Front Office integrates a pared-down version of Siebel apps for small to midsize companies, called Siebel Sales for Workgroups, with Great Plains' eEnterprise suite. The CRM tools handle opportunity and account management, sales analysis and forecasting, price quotes, product configuration, territory management, and mobile synchronization.

But analysts note that the integration is still rudimentary. Meta Group analyst Steve Bonadio says the vendors are taking a phased approach to integration, starting in this release with building links at the database level, requiring users to deal with two different user interfaces. "They're still two separate environments with common touch points linked together," Bonadio says. "It's been bootstrapped together so they can get it to market quickly."

Most ERP vendors have introduced a CRM product or strategy in an attempt to integrate front-office software with ERP. But Great Plains VP Don Nelson says the company's focus on small and midsize companies sets Great Plains' offering apart. Suited for customers with less than $250 million in annual revenue that need to support no more than 200 users, Great Plains Siebel Front Office scales back some Siebel features that aren't critical to smaller companies--such as vertical industry functionality, marketing-campaign analysis, and extensive reporting capabilities-- says Nelson. The company also added features that make installation easier.

Great Plains will offer two more Siebel front-office components, Call Center and Customer Service, early next year. Integration of all the front- office components with Great Plains Dynamics, an ERP suite for companies with less than $10 million in revenue, is due in the spring. Pricing for the Sales and Marketing component starts at $800 per user.