Long time ConnectWise user still loves ConnectWise

I did 3 years of research before deciding on a PSA. I had a very small company at the time (1 person, me) My colleagues thought I was crazy for buying such a robust system for being such a small company. I bought it because of the built in automation and the ability to create complex agreements. I still have it and I have seen it improve immensely over the years. It's has a .net client and a web interface. Supports widget based pods. Meaning you can add the things you want, remove the things you don't want, and customize the interface per user. QuoteWerks, ConnectWise, Kaseya, Quickbooks - and they ALL integrate. Connectwise will try to sell you, quosal, connectwise, labtech. Personally, and this is just my opinion, Labtech is too complicated. I hate the interface tech's have to use, with a passion. I did some subcontracting for a company that uses LabTech and I had a hard time trying to find the tools I'm looking for. Kasey's interface it so much more user friendly, it's web based. took me a week to become familiar with Kaseya interface, used LabTech for 3 months and was fumbling around trying to find my tools. I checked out LabTech recently, June 2016 and it still sucks. I could go on and on.. So I'll just end here. Just buy ConnectWise, you'll be glad you did.

Pros

Mobile iPhone app is A W E S O M E !!!
Your clients can use the customer portal
Constant Updates
Feature request bidding system.
24 hour support
online training videos
Application blueprints, telling you which modules interact with other modules.
Handles complicated and compounded agreements. If you can sell it, ConnectWise can do it.
QuickBooks integration is seamless. if you create a product in ConnectWise it will automatically create the product in QuickBooks when it syncs.
Mark invoices as paid in QuickBooks and sync to ConnectWise.
They are the biggest, so they integrate with everybody.
Go to a big IT conference and ask how many people use ConnectWise. The majority can't be wrong.

Cons

It can be overwhelming for small companies
The north american cloud can be slow sometimes, they know about it, they are rewriting the program so it operates faster but it's a big project. so they release bits and pieces at a time (weekly)
If it isn't in ConnectWise it didn't happen, yeah it adds a bunch of work to your day. Junk in junk out.
Each user needs their own account.
don't buy the on-premise edition, you won't be able to keep up with the updates.
They update so frequently I have to update my QuoteWerks frequently,

ConnectWise PSA

I would highly recommend IT firms looking to improve their internal efficiency and client support look at CW for a PSA tool. The software is stable, support is great, and updates arrive quickly. Access to your data can be gained through any web browser, iphone / droid apps, or through the native .net application. Many vendors are writing to the CW API allowing for real-time data integration from products such as backup solutions, spam and virus filtering, firewall statistics and even sales opportunities. CW integrates with MANY RMM solutions providing even greater management capabilities. The biggest benefit is by far the great and active ConnectWise community. We are very involved with the ConnectWise users group on a quarterly basis and we attend the partner summit (ITNation) annually. If you are only looking for PSA software, ConnectWise can fulfill that need. If you're looking for a great community of business peers, ConnectWise will bring an even greater ROI.

Pros

We've used ConnectWise since 2007, and over the years, the product has seen a multitude of feature improvements and enhancements. For an IT consulting firm looking to track client agreement invoicing, service level agreements, employee productivity, sales opportunities, marketing campaignment management, or inventory and purchasing, ConnectWise can do it with flying colors.

From a client perspective, ConnectWise makes it easy for end users to submit service requests as well as get the status of said requests. An integrated web portal for clients allows the review of hardware and software assets, service request approvals, and invoice reviews. Additionally, for our larger clients, we've been able to extend service capabilities to in-house IT providers while hosting them through our installation.

Due to the great support, active community, and rapid development, I can't imagine running my business without ConnectWise. While the software is great, the community is even better.

Cons

I ranked Ease of Implementation as 3 stars. Keep in mind that we implemented CW in 2007, so much of the onboarding may be different today. Given the capabilities of the software, some pain should be anticipated and expected as you learn how to utilize the software.

Additionally, setting up the integration between ConnectWise and other 3rd party apps can take some time. With most applications, you setup 1 or 2 API accounts, grant access, and test the integration. Some integration takes more time.

One example is the integration for QuickBooks. To really get the accounting side setup, expect to spend some time and money working with a qualified accountant (if you don't have one on staff) to ensure all data is passing through and classified correctly.

Even with the cons of setup, the ConnectWise University is very well done. Video tutorials are available on almost any aspect of management, and step-by-step checklists are available for just about any multi-step process.

CRM, ERP, PSA.. too many acronyms - this is the full platform for IT, telecommunications, MSPs, and other service businesses

CW walks the line between small businesses (5-10) and mid-size (100-500) very closely. It's difficult to accommodate both markets - keeping the product simple enough that a small shop can setup and administer it without hiring full time staff or consultants while still allowing the complexity and robustness required from the larger clients. So far they're doing this quite well. In addition, as a company they are operationally mature and their development processes and platform reflect this.

Pros

The functionality is robust out of the box and setup is rather logical and self-explanatory (unlike, say, Salesforce). The company is great to deal with and truly cares about their client base and optimizing their product based on feedback. Pricing is reasonable - more than a basic CRM but less than competing platforms like SF or MS. Application has sufficient customization options and API has reached maturity. Database is very logically designed allowing you to build custom reports and manage by exception, create a data driven culture, etc.

Cons

There are certain limitations that appear to be a result of legacy code - eg, the security cannot be as granular as competing platforms and workflows aren't as complex in nature (even when overlapping with "tracks") as some of the competition's offerings.

ConnectWise Manage

I work for a managed service provider and this software is essential to what we do. I've used other much more expensive management platforms in the past, and they cost a lot more and had less features. Connectwise does a ton, and I would highly recommend it for any IT service provider.

Pros

Connectwise has a lot of cool features that can help your team stay organized. It can keep all of your client data in one place, and contacts within those organizations are easy to search. We use workflow rules which is a great feature of the software that helps us keep on top of incoming tickets and service requests. We also use it for sales and marketing, procurement, time and expense tracking for our technicians, billing, project management and more. Web based or fat client give you options on how to use it. There is a mobile version as well.

Cons

The backend of the software can get a little confusing when you have to go into setup tables to make changes that you need. The mobile version isn't great from what I've seen. We've had updates that have caused issues and have remained unresolved by the software manufacturer for some time. Custom reports is a little confusing.

As a CRM/Marketing tool it still needs work

As an overall end to end PSA, ticketing, time/expense tracking, and CRM sales activities tool it provides some very good features needed to operate a service and support organization. From a functionality standpoint on just the CRM/marketing tools (which I use exclusively) there are some glaring weaknesses. Importing and de-duplicating contacts is still a problem. A lack of mass maintenance features makes quick data updates cumbersome and time consuming. Developing marketing lists and adding group members is a pain that could be easily solved and after 4 years of use I've seen no progress that front. Even with the new Campaign Director tool woven in, other drip marketing tools are far easier to use. There's still a long way to go but for our organization there are some must have features. I would just like to see vast improvements on the sales/marketing front.

Pros

End to end complete organizational tool that spans ticketing, sales, projects, time and expense. Fairly comprehensive and easy to use.

Cons

Sales and marketing functionality is severely lacking when it comes to running and managing marketing and sales campaign efforts.

ConnectWise in Outsourced IT Model

We have used ConnectWise for the past 3 years for both internal support and as the Ticketing platform for over 25 Managed IT Services clients. The product has been reliable and the features/functionality have been rich enough to support our commercial and municipal clients. The integration with LabTech enables our technical staff to provide efficient proactive remote support for end users regardless of their location. Support ticket tracking is essential for accurate and timely support delivery. ConnectWise tracking allows us to develop and adhere to Service Level Agreements with our outsourced clients. The metrics from this information helps drive the conversation about additional staffing or services when it is needed. Opportunity tracking, sales and CRM are well integrated and used extensively. The project management tools are limited but the ability to track activity by ticket and phase makes up for any shortcomings.

Pros

The integration of ticketing with the service delivery steps of a project provide a great way to show progress and issues within a complex project.

Cons

I would like to see a more robust reporting toolset to build the complex SLA reporting required for our government clients.

Loads of Features, Little Support

If you are starting out your operation then this could be a bit pricey to get going. However, if you are established and need to grow, I don't know how you could not find this tool invaluable. Hopefully they work on the issues that I've described and things get better.

Pros

This is THE software for a company that provides technical services. It tracks everything from assets to travel expenses in minute detail so you can focus on building your business.

* Installation on PC
- This is a breeze, it works great out of the box for us on Windows 7 and in Terminal Services.
* Google Apps
- Works great with checking Email and Scheduling Resources through Google Apps
* Invoicing
- It was quite the wake-up call to see all the hours we were not able to bill for with our old support portal. (Just be careful to document your work properly because it becomes viewable to the client).
* Transparency
- This software lets your clients see everything going on behind the scenes, from Support Issues to Travel time. It's a must for any honest entrepreneur.

Cons

* Constat errors.
- This software produces lots of errors
* Slow Support.
- ConnectWise has very knowledgable people on staff who can work through ANYTHING that you have trouble with. Unfortunately, they are impossible to get on the phone, by chat or by email. Unless we call and call and call and call and call, we often wait days/weeks for someone to get back.
* Unintuitive Interface
- They should hire someone from Google, Apple or Syntress to rework this interface. It's so cumbersome that common tools are hidden behind clicks and clicks before you ever find them.
- There is no tour to learn the software
- It's confusing with screens that look exactly alike on every page.
- The tabs to view multiple pages are helpful but impractical, it would be better to let the information open in a new window as well.
- No HA - when its down, it's down.
* No Online Payments *Yet*

ConnectWise - Great tool but is it the

At the end of the day, there isn't really anything "better" out there yet. Competitors are trying very hard to take the good of ConnectWise, and eliminate the pitfalls that it has. Some are getting very close, I hope this drives ConnectWise to make some major changes in the very near future because we really do not want to have to change.

Pros

It is a great piece of software for managing, tracking, and reporting on tickets in a service environment. It does take a great deal of work to get configured, but if you put in the time it is a fantastic tool

Cons

Reporting tools are cumbersome and not very easy to customize. Integration with remote monitoring tools is also becoming more and more limited, especially with purchase and merger of LabTech. Which has a very large footprint on end user's endpoints. There is also a lack of integration when it comes to accounting software, it is really Quickbooks or nothing at this point.

Connectwise CRM Review

Pros

The best thing about connectwise is that it incorporates almost every single aspect of the organization and provides an organized way of tracking significant information. It is particularly great for those companies that do things on an hourly basis and a manged services type of set up. Connect Wise puts in place an excellent way of implementing processes and systems for a small-midsized organization. It just needs to be learned and used correctly. The fact that they do indeed have a team devoted to helping the enduser customer is excellent. The person who is responsible for the software inhouse has the most important role of whether or not it works as productively as it can. CW can have positive changes on sales, operations and account management if DONE RIGHT.

Cons

Connectwise is definitely a tough product to learn and utilize at first. There are many features to the software and it could take months of practice to be effective with it. They do have people that work for the company who specialize in training users on how to effectively use it. If used correctly, it can potentially improve the business significantly.

Incredibly vast array of useful integrated tools.

Extremely powerful top notch CRM tool that can really take a business to a new level.

Pros

This software is very powerful and a great all in one tool for managing marketing, contracts, customer service, and all other sales functions. It's pretty impressive just how many functions you have access to within the software the can really take an organization to the next level operationally if it's used properly.

Cons

The user interface isn't the most intuitive and it took me a lot of tinkering to really get the hang of it. I still am probably missing out on a lot of useful functionality within the software that I do no not currently know how to use.

Very good PSA software with mediocre support and subpar performance

We love the product, regular updates and feature improvements, but it's performance on even very robust hardware is stunningly poor. The timeliness of their support is also very lacking routinely taking days to ask for information included with the original ticket.

Pros

Tons of features, regular updates, and improvements multiple times per year.

Cons

Performance is horrible
Support is poor
Used car like sales experience
There are arbitrary limitations to what can be done through the interface and API. The data is there but you cannot automate or take action on it without manual intervention.
Requires third party software to get meaningful performance metrics

Good software with great support. Somewhat complex to manage

Whilst it is still a work in progress, we are definitely using ConnectWise to improve our business processes and effectiveness.

Pros

Having software that enables us to run our business end to end is a great benefit, rather than having to use separate systems.

Workflows are incredibly powerful for taking out the human error factor, and for ensuring people do the right thing. This improves the quality of work.

ConnectWise support has always been great for me, with helpful, quick responses

Cons

Ongoing management and finding your way round the back end is quite difficult, although not too bad when you get the hang of it.

Releases often don't seem to be tested well enough and often cause additional issues.

I have been using ConnectWise Manage for 7 years as an Account Manager/Sales

The ultimate benefit is that I am more organized with it. I don't forgetting about renewals, tickets or tasks. It helps me deliver more consistent service so that my clients get a better level of support from me.

Pros

Tracking customer assets and reminding you when renewals are due are awesome. The flexibility to run client and internal reports are very good. Workflows are great, the automated processes make it so nothing is forgotten or missed. It is a great way for MSP's to stay on top of tickets, tasks, and activities.

Cons

I find it very difficult to search for a closed ticket if I don't know a key word in the subject line. It won't search the body of the ticket for a key word.