Kickserv vs. Unanet CRM by Cosential

We use KickServ for nearly every aspect of our operation and cannot think of a scenario when it is "inappropriate" or "less appropriate". It is the backbone of our operation and is used for everything from data gathering to estimates to invoices to payments and accounts receivables to reports to tracking to storage of photos and past invoices. Better searching abilities would be good instead of having to create tags for things we don't know we are going to need later.

Incentivized

Great for medium and large construction companies that have a specific salesforce.

Incentivized

• Organization - keeps everything organized nicely and has several different filters that you can use to view only the information you need.
• Simple website - this was important because you want it to load quickly when you are in the office and on the road.
• Database - keeps track of the things that you enter. This is nice when trying to get information on a product or a price when requested by the customer.

Incentivized

• Inputting of companies and leads who may become prospects.
• Creating specific opportunities for construction projects.
• Tracking opportunities through the entire sales cycle.
• Inputting detailed notes and activity by the Sales team.

Incentivized

• Integration with email marketing
• Advanced searching capabilities (i.e. If I wanted to search for every job I did that had the words "water damage" in their descriptions).
• More ability to customize templates (like adding additional artwork, pictures)

Incentivized

• The open software is somewhat difficult to master as an administrator.
• Report writing could be more intuitive.
• The company seems to cater to larger users.

Incentivized

It's perfect for our company. We rely on it. Tech support is great. We're very happy.

Incentivized

It is intuitive enough, but there is some training that will be necessary because of a perceived redundancy within their workflow. It can be hard to distinguish which stage a customer is in (thus what the most important thing to be working on, if you are in sales, for instance) without some training.

Incentivized

Cosential is very intuitive for the AEC industry and has the ability to be customized for your specific needs. The reports are especially helpful, with good visual dashboards.

Incentivized

Very good technical help. The team is well-versed in their product and what to look for, particularly when interacting with other software platforms. You nearly always get a live person when you call, and if you don't, they will return your call promptly. This is another factor in my client's decision to move forward with their solution.

Incentivized

My original trainer / implementation specialist was fantastic. That relationship has continued, even though I have been officially handed off to the customer service side. The customer service side seems to have higher turnover than normal, but in general they are also very supportive, although not as responsive as I might like.

Incentivized

Easier to use than Salesforce. More robust than Zoho. More functionality that is easier to learn than both.

Incentivized

Cosential is specific to the A/E industry and is the most intuitive software we found for construction.

Incentivized

• We are essentially paper free. No paper work orders.
• We've been able to avoid a layer of middle management by supplementing this layer with technology. KickServ is a part of that layer.
• Negatively speaking, like all technology, it has created a void of human level connection. Because we know that we can deliver work orders to our foremen remotely, we are less likely to drive up to the shop and shake a hand or see someone face to face. We had to learn that lesson the hard way, that both technology and human connection are necessary to maintain our culture.

Incentivized

• Allowed for common tracking by business developers in different regions.
• Helped us quantify effort.
• Provides great reports for management.

Incentivized