BCM needs several improvements to make it useful

[Phyllis]

I love Microsoft products, but am so disappointed in BCM. It is the most
rigid and inflexible database I've ever used. Some critical features that
would make it more useful:

1) The fact that you can't syncronize BCM contacts with a pda/smart phone is
a fatal flaw-- just really unbelievable!

2) When you type a phone number in a phone number field, it should fill in
the dashes for you. That's an easy one.

3) The business address field is a pain. It appears to ask you to type the
street address and city, state and zip in one big space-- but if you do, it's
wrong. The pop-up window that separates the address fields should either pop
up before you start typing in the wrong place or just be visible to begin
with.

4) There are too many clicks to view a contact's history. You have to open
each history item one at a time. Not good.

5) Should be able to open contacts (regular and BMC) and calendar in the
same window.

6) Business Contacts should reside in the same database as Contacts. It is
inconvenient to have to go back and forth.

7) Should be able to link contacts to opportunities and to more than one
account. (This has been suggested previously.)

8) Should be an optional setting to automatically runs a timer whenever you
send or read e-mail with a business contact. You should be able to get time
summaries for each contact.

In general, the design is inelegant, inflexible and so clumsy that it takes
more time to use than it adds value. Sorry to say this. This is the first
and only Microsoft product I have ever used that I would say that about.



--
PT

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...-29105bcd4ea8&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.bcm

 

[Lenny]

Phyllis do you back up bcm??

 

[RAAckerman]

I can synchronize my BCM with Palm. I have not tried it with my Motorola
(which is a backup phone, since I can't enter only read that data). I use
Chapura for it's datlinks and it is superb.
If you are using BCM by yourself, you may be correct about some of your
desires. But, if you are sharing BCM (which I do and suspect is a big reason
to use this version), then you want your own contacts NOT interspersed with
BCM.

 

[ocbizlaw]

Another helpful feature would be to let you link multiple accounts with a
single business contact. As it is now, if you have a single client with
multiple accounts, each account can't be linked to the same client. Only one
account can be linked to a single business contact.

 

[mrtimpeterson via OfficeKB.com]

I offer a huge AMEN to all of the above posts in this thread. "Praise be to
the Redmond God above."

Now, hang tight for just a few more years everyone and we may eventually see
some real evidence that anyone is actually paying attention!

Yawwwn,

-THP

Another helpful feature would be to let you link multiple accounts with a
single business contact. As it is now, if you have a single client with
multiple accounts, each account can't be linked to the same client. Only one
account can be linked to a single business contact.

I love Microsoft products, but am so disappointed in BCM. It is the most
rigid and inflexible database I've ever used. Some critical features that

[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]

more time to use than it adds value. Sorry to say this. This is the first
and only Microsoft product I have ever used that I would say that about.