Accelo is built upon four key components: sales, projects, retainers and service. ServOps is Accelo’s premium system that combines all four modules into one system “to manage all of your client service operations – quote to cash”. The solution aims to accommodate for all types of businesses and industries through the systems complexity and extensivity – a task it has achieved. For the purpose of this post, I will be focusing on the complete solution: ServOps.
Offer client access
In Accelo, two types of users exist – Collaborators and Professionals. Collaborators can use the system for free and add information to the platform. Professionals have the added crucial ability to record time, manage client accounts and opportunities and have their workloads scheduled and forecasted. This is an impressive feature that allows organisations to give all employees access to the platform for minimal cost.
Accelo excels in tracking the work and progress of a client throughout its lifecycle. ‘Progressions’ tracks client development through customisable stages. Accelo enhances this process by introducing a feature called ‘Triggers’. Triggers can automate the manual steps of updating information or adding tasks by setting rules and actions.
Comprehensive yet complex
The sales module within Accelo, although comprehensive, is quite difficult to navigate through. Users are met with a confusing layout because there are many different options and tabs for the user to click into to update and view information. The extensive capabilities that Accelo has on offer are only hindered by the complexity of the system.
Quoting in Accelo gets the job done. Estimates are created in an easy to read table format, and if with enough detail, can be converted into project tasks with a single click of your mouse. Quotes are split into service items and materials, allowing for clients to easily differentiate between T&M. Creating quote templates is straightforward and easy to follow with all available merge fields viewable on a sidebar. However, customisation of the design of published quotes is limited to a few basic options. Invoicing is very similar in its capabilities.
Impressive project management
One of the most impressive modules within Accelo is Projects. Although complex to set up, when used correctly, project managers are rewarded with colourful gantt charts, critical insights and a project view that provides all the information you need. Tasks can be created, with subtasks, budgets and dependencies to follow – all to allow for effective planning and scheduling. After the tasks have been created, managers can then go to the scheduling module where they can drag and drop tasks according to their team’s capacity.
The task board within Accelo is similar to Trello, except with additional capabilities. Users have the option to see tasks according to deadlines, status or unassigned and filter as required.
Integrated service support systems
Using Accelo, businesses can integrate their servicing or support systems through the ticketing module. Tickets can be automatically sent to Accelo, allowing for managers to assign them as tasks to team members. Time and activities can then be added to this ticket. This is a feature that many project management systems in the market do not have on offer and should be strongly considered if your business requires this.
The retainer module in Accelo makes managing contracts easier for your business as it adds an extra layer to projects and tasks. Timesheets, tasks and notifications can all be automated to reduce time each period updating the same details.
Rudimentary reporting
Accelo’s dashboard and reports modules lack customisability. End users are provided with a set list of dashboards which they can then change the information they view through filtering. The reporting module also lacks depth; however, it is important to note that most information required can be easily viewed in the relevant sections of the site.
Overall, Accelo delivers on its promise to provide an end-to-end solution for businesses from many different industries. The level of detail and depth of information that can be stored, filtered, viewed and then analysed is nothing short of impressive. However, where Accelo excels in functionality, users are left with a platform that can often be confusing and hard to navigate through. Accelo requires significant configuration and time for training, and even then users may struggle to use the software to its full potential.
Have questions?
We’d be happy to answer them or take you through features of Accelo in more detail. Or, if you’re wondering if another solution might be better for you, we’ve also done the hard yards for you and taken a look at other project management platforms, including: Xero Projects, Harvest & Forecast, Streamtime, ActiveCollab, Zoho Projects, WorkflowMax and Scoro.
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