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Intuit Debuts Customer Manager with More on the Way

Tuesday, Nov 17 2009
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John FloraIntuit has introduced Customer Manager, a basic customer relationship management tool that is designed for companies with 20 or fewer employees. While it is not designed specifically at the accounting market, the company says small firms may find it suitable. But it's clear that Intuit is working on something more tailored for professional tax and accounting organizations.

When Intuit surveyed small businesses about how they tracked contacts, it was often the wrong tool handled by the wrong person. "Most said, 'we use QuickBooks,'" says John Flora, an Intuit group product manager. Besides that, businesses often called their bookkeepers to get information such as contact details and mounts owed,

"The bookkeeper was actually the customer management solution," says Flora. "Folks would be using Excel, outlook, wall calendars, you name it. They had customer information scattered through their offices."

Flora says Intuit designed Customer Manager based on the finding that "Small business want to track six to 10 things to help them grow." Different businesses can set up fields that fit their market. The product also interfaces with the Blackberry and will have a SmartPhone interface next for those who are often out of the office. Because many have contact information in Excel, Outlook and QuickBooks they will be able to export that data to Customer Manager.

Smaller accounting firms can use Customer Manager, but Flora says many want workflow in addition to CRM and Intuit is looking at these other needs. But for many, "This is working better than what they are using today," he adds.

 

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