Ellucian CRM Advance vs. PatronManager

A potential student calls in and we can enter all the information in CRM right then. Ellucian CRM Advance makes it easy for when we go back a week later to see all the notes on the student rather than asking them all over again. Admissions takes the call and enters all info into CRM Advance and then Academics can just log in and see all the notes Admissions took on the student.

Incentivized

PatronManager is probably best for a larger organization with a dedicated technology expert because a lot of the features require someone to understand the back end a little bit more, especially when you need help (and a lot of the webinars or feature releases are way over the average person's head!). Data mining becomes frustrating because the reporting features are very backwards. PatronManager is very user friendly on the ticketing center and its easy to train new employees on this side.

Incentivized

• Ties fundraising efforts to alumni.
• Seamless integration from Ellucian Colleage or Banner.

Incentivized

• Building custom reports is intuitive and user friendly.
• Integration with third party apps such as MailChimp is seamless and functional.
• Support requests are handled quickly, and the annual user conference offers special training and in-person demos.

Incentivized

• Some of the data is not in the most intuitive location.
• The initial learning curve of the system was a bit steep, but after working with the system exclusively, our users got proficient very quickly.

Incentivized

• Reporting features are difficult to use.
• Built for orgs that have IT management, challenging at a small shop.
• Not easily customizable.

Incentivized

CRM Advance is very efficient and overall a great product. We have been using CRM for many many years with really no complaints. It fits our needs.

Incentivized

We actually recently dropped CRM Advance and are now live with Raisers Edge. Raisers Edge was much more user friendly and built around the fundraising experience. Integration was possible through a secure FTP interface with Ellucian Colleague. Other Blackbaud products have since been purchased to further enhance fundraising and gift giving.

Incentivized

The PatronManager user experience is far superior, and custom report-building is the easiest I have ever seen on a CRM platform. Pricing is also competitive, and customer service + support far exceeds other platforms I have used in the past.

Incentivized

• We are now able to do a more effective review of applicants and see overall trends of characteristics such as source locations. This helps to focus other efforts such as marketing to support those areas and increase others.
• There is now a full picture of the needs of our students. By being able to view information in a logical progression, trend data can be identified and reacted to.

Incentivized

• PatronManager has saved us a lot of money compared to former ticketing software (Vendini).
• PatronManager has less ticketing fees associated, enabling audiences to up their purchase with an add-on donation that we get to keep.

Incentivized