The 2018 SugarCRM release (v7.11) is brimming with updates that range from subtle to stellar. From its fresh new look and feel to improved functionality through the ability to duplicate quote records, SugarCRM’s 2018 release facilitates efficiency while optimizing the user experience. As a result of these enhancements, sales representatives can complete quotes and communicate with clients faster and more easily directly from SugarCRM. Customers also benefit from SugarCRM’s new updates, as they are able to receive the pricing they need faster. Below is a look at the top ten updates to SugarCRM and how they benefit sales professionals. And you can review the full release notes on Sugar’s site here!

SugarCRM’s commitment to ongoing quality improvement

“We’d observed that CRM products were among the most disliked among users. The goal was to build something that actually helped the salesperson, the end-user, to do their job. As opposed to something that was about Big Brother, management, and tracking what they were doing. That was the original concept and it’s stuck through the company. We still focus on that.”
– Larry Augustin, CEO of SugarCRM
As illustrated by his comments in a recent interview with Diginomica, Larry Augustin reminds users that SugarCRM was introduced to help sales professionals succeed in their jobs. In keeping with this goal, the 2018 release of SugarCRM is designed to delight existing users and attract new customers seeking a versatile, user-friendly CRM. Below are the top ten highlights of SugarCRM’s new release.

1) A sleek new design
SugarCRM introduced a host of cosmetic changes to produce a fresh new look and feel for users. Design-related changes include a more vibrant Sugar Sidecar user interface that features bold colors and shapes. Examples include colorful, eye-catching sales pipeline graphics and colorful buttons that denote call and opportunity status. These aesthetic changes combine to produce a more positive user experience for sales representatives.

2) A more user-friendly record preview layout
Record previews are vital to busy sales professionals seeking a quick snapshot of a customer’s account details. SugarCRM’s new release features a more sophisticated record preview interface for users. Through an updated intelligence pane, SugarCRM users can quickly preview a customer’s account details to facilitate targeted sales.

3) Advanced workflow updates
The ability to track lead status changes enables salespeople to successfully manage accounts and focus their energies on new leads. Lead tracking also facilitates opportunity forecasting for sales managers. With Sugar’s advanced workflow updates, users receive message events that summarize changes to a lead’s status, enabling sales professionals to quickly swing into action if warranted.

4) Quote duplication
Sales professionals serving customers who frequently reorder the same collection of products will be delighted with this update. SugarCRM’s new release enables users to replicate past quotes with the click of a button. The duplicate quote will contain the same account information, line items, and products referenced in the original to ensure accuracy. This feature enables sales professionals to save valuable time while providing their customers with quotes in lightning fast time. In these ways, quote duplication improves sales efficiency and higher customer satisfaction.

5) Enhanced email forwarding
The ability to send emails to customers directly to customers from SugarCRM is another time-saving feature. Additionally, it enables sales representatives to effortlessly track and store electronic correspondence with customers. With SugarCRM’s new release, sales professionals are now able to easily forward archived email messages to customers and other recipients.

6) Email unlinking
Sometimes users need to unlink emails from an account record to streamline customer data or simply condense data associated with a large account. SugarCRM 2018 enables sales representatives to easily unlink emails from an email subpanel of related records. Whether a user simply wishes to condense an account record or customize the customer’s email subpanel, SugarCRM makes it simple to unlink emails.

7) Email sorting
Finding emails with attachments quickly enables sales representatives to confirm quotes and specifications on the spot. SugarCRM’s new release features the addition of a filter that allows users to quickly sort emails to locate emails that were sent with quotes and other attachments.

8) An enhanced product catalog dashlet
Finding products with minimal effort and searching is vital to a salesperson’s ability to quickly confirm product availability and cost. With this update, SugarCRM users can locate product details rapidly and respond faster to customers. Additionally, users now have access to a visual representation of every product available in the catalog dashlet.

9) Interactive report charts
With SugarCRM’s latest updates, users are now able to access and drill through a report chart. By simply clicking on a report chart, sales professionals can actively engage with data in Sugar. They can choose from a variety of report operations such as Record Actions menu, Favorite designation, Refresh, and Mass Actions menu. Through the availability of these operations, sales reps can actually engage with reporting data.

10) Enhanced saved reports chart dashlet
Accessing data contained in originating reports can help sales professionals target their outreach efforts and adjust their individual sales approach. Through the introduction of a View Report option, SugarCRM 2018 enables users to access a detailed view of originating reports. This option can be found in the Saved Reports Chart dashlet.

The Bottom Line
The 2018 SugarCRM enhancements promote efficiency and convenience for busy sales representatives who yearn to meet customer demands quickly and professionally. With an eye-catching new look and a host of new options, SugarCRM’s 2018 release enables sales managers and their staff to optimize their communication, quoting, and data reporting. Customers, in turn, receive quotes and correspondence faster. This enables customers to expedite purchasing decisions and respond faster to the demands of key stakeholders. The end results are shorter sales cycles and higher levels of customer satisfaction.

To learn more about SugarCRM’s enhanced design, please contact us at BrainSell. One of our industry experts will be happy to introduce you to the specific ways that SugarCRM can benefit your business. As a leader in the advisory and technology industries since 1994, BrainSell is committed to providing companies of all sizes with the software and business process tools that will help them thrive. We look forward to serving as your trusted resource for business software solutions!