How to move Quoting Software QwikQuote from Single users to network users
As your
business growing up, a typical issue you may encounter among your sales forces is
to change from separated single users to shared network users.
Depending on your new business environment, you may want to:
· Put your quote date on a shared server location and shared by all your salespersons.
· Actually run your quoting software on a shared server with remote access on each salesperson’s computers
· Put your quoting software on a VM in cloud so that it is more reliable and flexible.
In this document we are going address some basic issues you need to consider when you considering moving your quoting software system from separated single users to network environment.
The issue seems more complex than that of your actual case when you reading this document. This is because the document is talked more or less in general and tries to cover all possible cases. In practice usage, it is a good idea to contact QwikQuote tech support to guide you through the process by way of GoToMeeting. This will help you quickly setup your quoting software network environment and running and helping you to maintain it in later years.
1.
QwikQuote Start
The basic step
need is to configure a shared location as QwikQuote Server Location we called
Configure Share QwikQuote Server Location
and then configure the computer to run as QwikQuote Network workstations – This
can be done with only 1 Mouse Click.
If your company
only has yourself using QwikQuote and want to expand to more salespersons to
use it,
and you just follow the default QwikQuote folder or File Locations settings
then the process is as simple as above – only need one mouse click to may your computer
run as new QwikQuote network client.
If your company
has more sales persons using QwikQuote now and there is no any rule or
agreement for how to use it
then it could be possible each user has their own style and settings. In this
case, you need to carefully analysis what your present status is
and what your target working status should be, and make a plan how you could
implement the switching process. In this case the follow document may help you
somewhat.
We strongly
suggest you to contact QwikQuote Tech Support to use GoToMeeting to guide your
through the process.
This will save you significantly time and effort in implementing your quoting
software network environment.
Nowadays, remote
access becomes more and more popular.
If you need some kind of remote access, please refer the following pages for
more details.
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/How
to use QwikQuote Remotely.htm
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/How
to Use QwikQuote in Cloud (Azure).htm
2.
Back up your whole
Computer
Before you start to change your computer for setup a QwikQuote quoting software a shared network quoting software environment, we strongly suggest you to back up your whole system. This is to make sure in case something wrong we can back to start point and then try different approaches again.
Note: If
you need to use GoToMeeting to guide you through the process, please do
the backup 1st to save our GoToMeeting time.
3. Investigating and Understanding your Quoting Software Current Status.
It is important that you need to investigate, analysis, and understand your quoting software current status in details on all your current quoting software computers.
This task is very simple if you actually is start from your computer as a single user and try to move from your computer to a shared network environment so that other salesperson can use QwikQuote much the same way as you did. This is simple for all your quote software needed is virtually on your computer now and you understand them rather well. In this case, all you need to do is to figure out what files you used are saved in QwikQuote default locations shown in the QQ6 Options dialog/File Locations tab. For those in those default locations – you do not need to care for the QwikQuote Server Location configuration program in QwikQuote Setup Wizard will move them for you automatically. You only need to do is to move those files not in those folder locations to the QwikQuote Server Location for sharing before or after you completed the QwikQuote Server location and your computer as QwikQuote Client workstation. You should to the manual copy before other computer to join in and start to use your network Quoting Software system.
This task is rather difficult if you have more single QwikQuote users currently - for each of your salesperson might have different usage style and ways to save his/her quote data. In many cases you need to talk to them one by one and look over their quoting software computer one by one. After that, you can form a general picture of your current status of quoting software system.
This is important for you to
understand what exiting quoting data you need to put on the QwikQuote Server
location for sharing usage.
4. Plan and List out what you want to share in your new network quoting software environment
Based on the above work, you need to form a plan for what you want to share in your new shared network quoting software environment.
If some of them
are in the current quote software system, no matter where they are, try to copy
them to one of the quoting software computer
and plan to use it to do QwikQuote Quoting Software Server Location
configuration.
This is because when you do QwikQuote Server Location configuration, the quoting data on that computer will be copied to the Configured QwikQuote Server location to be used and shared for all other workstations configure to run later as QwikQuote client against the QwikQuote Server location. This is a good start point to establish your quote data for sharing.
In typical case, those include but not limited to:
· Quote Files or quotes and their corresponding PDF files
· Price Lists (product databases)
· Product/Service Item Spec Sheet files
· Product/Service Item Image Files
· Price List Import Field Mapping files
· Layouts files(Document Types)
· Bundles you created
· Column Settings
· User-defined Fields
· Salespersons and Project lists
· Contacts (if not using Act, GoldMine, Maximizer, TeleMagic)
· Exchange Rate settings.
· Other documents or pictures you may be used intermediately for Layout design.
The rule is simple: If in the default folder locations, QwikQuote may take care of them. If not then you need to do it manually.
5.
Contact
QwikQuote Sales Team for a Network License
Serial Number
Please contact QwikQuote Sales Team to get a valid shared network license serial number.
Depending on your license status, it may be free or need you to update your old licenses.
The network
shared license is actually saved at QwikQuote server location for all your
sales persons to shared use.
6.
Do QwikQuote
Network Setup from your Computer
When you get
ready, then you can setup QwikQuote network environment normally as the
following page in detail:
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/QwikQuote
Installation Notes – Network Users.htm
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/QwikQuote
Installation Notes – Terminal Server and Citrix Server Users.htm
7.
Typical Issues
you may Consider before Putting your Quoting Software in Production
Those are
typical issue we see people moving from QwikQuote single users to network user environment.
·
Re-Design and protect your Layout Files
You may need to design and protect your new layout for all your salespersons
to use.
When you need to re-design, it is a good idea to choose one of the existing
layout closely assemble to your new target layout and use ‘Save as …’ menu command
to create your new layout - this will give you a good start point than start
from scratch.
After you tested your new layout files OK, then you can enter Password to
protect them for each layout file to prevent accidentally modifications to it.
·
Review your Price List Databases
If your salespersons are using different Price List databases while they are in
the single user mode, you may need to review them and may need to create a new
consistent Price List database for all users.
The basic idea here is you can create a new price list database in case you
need, and then use import to import all of them into your new price list
database, and notice the one with latest updated date time flag should be
imported last to keep the latest changes take advantage over old modifications.
·
Review your Salespersons and Projects list
If your salespersons are using different Price List databases while they are in
the single user mode, you may need to review them and may need to create a new
consistent Price List database for all users.
The basic idea here is you can create a new price list database in case you
need, and then use import to import all of them into your new price list
database, and notice the one with latest updated date time stamp should be
imported last to keep the latest changes take advantage over old modifications.
·
Run Quoting Software QwikQuote File Organizer against your New
QwikQuote Server Location Quotes Folders
After you move quotes or quote files to the shared new server location, you
need to run Quoting Software QwikQuote File Organizer against your new quotes
folders and choose to re-create quote and report database.
This process will collect all your quotes and point to the new location so that
you can search and report based on them.
·
Review your Quote User Defined Fields
You need to review your user defined Quote fields to keep them consistent
in new networking environment.
If you need to create new User’s defined quote fields, you can do from any
computer and that will be shared next time other persons open QwikQuote.
Note: QwikQuote does not provide a special tool for combine your
salespersons user defined fields at once.
However, you can choose to collect or recover User fields
inform that will get user’s fields info from Quotes.
After this, you need to review and adjust Users Fields
definitions – incase auto recover feature is not able to do it full right.
Note: If you have MS
Access, you can use it to combine all your salespersons users defined quote
fields together
and put at server location for sharing usage in your quote
software system.
·
Plan your Quote Reports
If you need to use Quote reports to understand your business, you need to
plan and ensure the information is collected correctly on quote database and
report database.
·
QwikQuote Security Feature
If you need to manage your salespersons with different rights and privileges
your quoting software QwikQuote, you can consider to use QwikQuote Quote
Security feature that will effectively let you set right in QwikQuote.
Note: Please look over QQ_Security_Manual.doc in QQ6 for more
details.
Note: As long as the feature is enabled or activated, there is no
way to take it off
– unless you completely remove QwikQuote and re-install
QwikQuote again.
·
Collect your Bundles
If your salespersons created and used different bundles (.BUN) then you
need to collect them into bundles folder and then press the Rebuild List
button to collect them into list for your shared usages.
·
Exchange Rate and Alternate Currency Data
If you have used Exchange Rate and Alternate Currency features in your
sales persons, you need to review them and keep them consistent in new network
environment. QwikQuote does not have a tool for this task, you can either
re-create them or use MS Access to collect them together – that is to import
from all salesperson’s exchange rate database into one combined exchange rate
database and put it on the new Quote Software Server location for shared usages.
·
County Tax and Shipping Charges
If your salespersons created and used different bundles (.BUN), then you
need to collect them into bundles folder and then press the Rebuild List
button to collect them into list for your shared usages.
·
ACT Web Server Options Settings
If you use ACT Premium Web, there may be some ACT Web Server Settings.
QwikQuote does not automatically analysis and update your Options.
You may need to manually review your setting on the ACT Web Server Options.
You may refer to the document ‘How to use QwikQuote Server Options.doc’ in the
QQ6 folder for details.
·
Remote Access and UAC Rights
If you used remote access in your quote software system,
then you may need to review and set your new remote users and UAC rights.
This is typical server management issue and you can refer to corresponding
documents accordingly.
8.
Configure Other
Computers to Run as QwikQuote Client Workstations
Now you can
start to configure more computers to run as QwikQuote network stations by refer
to the QwikQuote Server Locations you configured above.
9.
Test and Review
before you put your Network Quote Software into Production
Based on the above work, you need to form a plan for what you want to share in your new shared network quoting software environment.
10.
Offline Single
User Mode
At times you may need to use QwikQuote Off-line such as at where there is not internet connected.
If your computer
has run as QwikQuote local single user mode, then just do a re-configure with
the single user you have used before,
and the rest of it is just to run QwikQuote as you use QwikQuote Single user
mode before programmatically. .
In practice
usage, you need to think about what you need to copy from your network shared
location to your local disk so that you can work properly.
11.
Access Quoting
Software QwikQuote Remotely
Please refer to
the following page for issues regarding How to Use QwikQuote Remotely:
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/How
to use QwikQuote Remotely.htm
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/How to Use QwikQuote in Cloud
(Azure).htm
12.
Contact QwikQuote Tech Support for Help
If you have any question or need any help regarding your quoting software QwikQuote, please contact our tech support at support@qwikquote.com for help.
We prefer to use GoToMeeting to guide you through the process
Enjoy your QwikQuote the most popular and easy to use quoting software in the
market!