A new group was proposed as below - rather than splitting efforts, let's broaden this group to cover Drupal-native CRM as well.
Drupal-Native CRM
Description: Designing and developing basic CRM functionality with pure Drupal (i.e. w/o Civi, Salesforce, Sugar, etc.)
One upshot of the CiviCRM BoF at DrupalCon DC '09 was the discovery of some common interest in developing basic, lightweight CRM functionality from existing Drupal modules and new modules adhering to Drupal architectural patterns. The intention is not necessarily to duplicate existing third-party software like CiviCRM and Salesforce, but to create a simpler option, more closely integrated into Drupal CMS, for smaller-scale CRM applications that don't require the complexity of a dedicated CRM platform.
Comments
Nice! I like the sounds of
Nice! I like the sounds of it.
What did the discussion at DrupalCon DC consist of? Is there headway being made already?
Curious to know if this is something that is seriously on-going or if it needs a kick-start with a certain project goal (or goals) in mind and/or some sponsorship.
Thanks!
I'm Encouraged by This
I'd just sent out an application to set up a Drupal Native CRM group, but was pointed here instead. Great to hear that this discussion is opening out.
I'd be interested in talking about what can be done with CCK/Views in this area and learning what modules/tools are missing. What are the holes in the software that would need to be developed to account for individuals and what are the modules out there can we re-use so that we can leverage Drupal's existing code base?
--
OpenConcept | Twitter @mgifford | Drupal Security Guide
Great to have you aboard, Mike!
How's the weather in Ottawa?
After DrupalCon DC I started prototyping some CRM functionality via CCK+Views for a nonprofit I'm involved with. When I started that work, exportables were just starting to gain recognition as an important cutting edge in Drupal development, thanks to the efforts of merlinofchaos and the guys at Development Seed. Views have been fully exportable since Views2, but a usable CRM toolkit would require matching functionality in CCK and arguably permissions, so I hacked together some code to accomplish this. It's inelegant, so I've been hesitant to spread it. Now, happily, I don't have to, because the combination of http://drupal.org/project/ctools, http://drupal.org/project/strongarm, and http://drupal.org/project/features renders my hacks unnecessary. I'm hoping to write up everything I've found and (re)start the ball rolling with some Features-based CRM components later in the summer, after I get through some time on the road.
In short, CCK and permissions exportability was a major hole, but now I'd say it's been filled, so I think we should get back to surveying common simple-CRM use cases and deciding on what the basic functional components are that we should be starting with.
Drupal Native CRM
Weather in Ottawa is fine again. It's been awfully warm for March, but cooled right down this weekend. There were actually flakes of snow falling for our Tulip Festival. Unusual since everyone was expecting it to be ruined by the warmth. I spent a lot of time in the Puget Sound ad a kid, but much different weather.
Yes, this is the starting point we're looking at as well. We've done a project management system using combination of "off the shelf" tools. Much should be possible before needing to code new modules.
I like the idea of a features based CRM. So, would you be into building a basic install profile for folks who want to get started? I've just started a wiki to start brainstorming some ideas around this.
--
OpenConcept | Twitter @mgifford | Drupal Security Guide
I put together a simple
I put together a simple membership + address list functionality with CCK + Views plus a little custom code for an organization for our Drupal 6 site. It mostly replicates what I wrote for Drupal 5 as a totally custom module: http://drupal.org/project/member
It's not really a CRM so much as list maintenance.
A lot of folks don't need a full CRM
I'd be interested in seeing a write up of what you did and what code you used. Could be a very good starting point for many smaller organizations.
--
OpenConcept | Twitter @mgifford | Drupal Security Guide