On Mon, 2008-04-14 at 13:58 -0400, sth wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > So, my esteemed partner (Zach Chambers) and I are on the hunt for a > package to unify the various systems we use at ClearBearing to run our > operations. We're currently using eGroupWare[1], RT[2], MediaWiki[3], > QuickBooks Pro[4], and a custom app that we've developed in-house over > the past nine years. Having disparate systems, of course, entails a > certain amount of overhead (read: duplication of effort), as does the > maintenance of our home-grown package. <snip> To your list of requirements, I'll add the ability to have clients log in and work/ update their own tickets.
> [1] http://www.egroupware.org > [2] http://www.bestpractical.com/rt > [3] http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki > [4] http://quickbooks.intuit.com > [5] http://www.amicusattorney.com > <snip> Probably not the most helpful post ever, but... We run QB here ('cause the bookkeepers all know it). I've toyed with the idea of migrating to MyBooks Pro by Appgen (Java based, platform neutral client, with Linux server database). But there's no import from QB and I just can't bring myself to start fresh. We run a homegrown Ticketing app that we're in the process of redeploying (insert jab about reinventing the wheel here). Our groupware suite is Scalix 11.3 U1 (surprise), and I use Evolution 2.12.3 with the Scalix Evolution connector compiled from SVN. It works great, as long as I don't try to sync my Treo 650's calendar to Evolution/ Scalix. Then... not so much :( On the whole, I *love* the Evolution/Scalix stack. I should get a caldav client for my palm and then I'd be all set (opensync, maybe against Scalix CalDav? Hrm... must try that out...). The nice thing about Scalix is that it happily backends Outlook too for those (sick puppy) users who prefer a Winblows desktop environment. We use a bunch of random-ish other stuff as well, along with the usual OpenOffice etc. desktop bundle. We run our website on a custom CMS framework that I wrote, rewrote, and rewrote again (and am probably about to rewrite yet AGAIN... insert additional stab about reinventing the wheel). I've played with several CRM apps in the past, but none of them really felt like 'the one'; there was always just enough customization work needed that it was a shorter path to update our homegrown stuff. And I hate Web based email with a passion, even Zimbra. I'll use it when I don't have a thick client available, but I *strongly* prefer an integrated app and the responsiveness that you simply can't get with non-local apps. The glaring gaps in our current stack are: Mangeability (too damn many parts) An easy and efficient way to convert tickets to work units to bills All of this is a *very* long winded way of saying that we're on the same hunt, and for many of the same reasons. Maintaining our homegrown stuff can feel like a full time job in of itself, which is clearly not a good way to keep a company on the positive side of the cashflow sheet :) I've looked at all the regular stuff, and tried several out: Trac (didn't like it at all), dotproject (works for some things, but the ticketing SUCKS), bought SupportSystem (lamp ticketing) from a company in Europe, it's pretty and it works ok, but is only ticketing, no billing, and really wants to be a management interface to working tickets via email. No ability to easily convert a ticket to a .pdf to give the client. So, if there's a silver bullet out there, I'd love to see it too :) Rubin -- Rubin Bennett RB Technologies http://thatitguy.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] (802)223-4448 "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor safety" --Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
