What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to create customer solutions for various clients. It helps us to develop customer relationship solutions for our clients.
What is most valuable?
Siebel CRM has enhanced customer engagement for our organization, particularly through its robust data model and flexible features. One specific scenario where Siebel CRM excelled was in addressing complex client requirements. For instance, we successfully implemented a module for email responses, a feature that was not readily available or as robust as other CRM tools. Additionally, Siebel's open UI module allowed us to customize the user interface for one of our clients completely. This customization proved to be a major selling point for our company.
The case management feature of Siebel CRM is crucial for our daily operations. We rely on modules such as service request activities, accounts, and contacts. I'm quite satisfied with the customization options provided by Siebel CRM, especially regarding UI customization. I haven't seen such customization capabilities in other platforms like Salesforce or Pega.
We utilize various adapters within the tool to integrate with different systems. These adapters allow us to integrate with different file transport methods, web services, etc.
What needs improvement?
Oracle needs to improve its support. The major drawback I've observed with Siebel CRM is that Oracle hasn't taken appropriate steps to improve it since 2019. We noticed a steep downfall because Oracle was slow to roll out upgrades like Open UI. By the time these upgrades were available, the market had shifted to cloud solutions, which competitors were already providing much earlier.
Oracle introduced cloud solutions for Siebel CRM quite late compared to others, impacting its CRM market competitiveness. If Oracle had pursued a better strategy, Siebel CRM could have been a top CRM product.
The current version of Siebel CRM, as of 2023, is good and can compete with any CRM product on the market. It's integrated with other Oracle products like Oracle Cloud and Oracle Database. However, the delay in releasing these updates has caused the product market to lose relevance over the past several years. If these advancements had been introduced earlier, Siebel CRM could have remained more competitive in the CRM landscape.
I would like to see some chat integration features added. Currently, AI and cloud services are separate products from Oracle. It would be great if they could be provided as a bundle with Siebel CRM rather than requiring separate licenses for each. This would be more helpful for customers.
The licensing part is. It's a one-license approach, allowing the application to be used by around ten thousand users. However, they should introduce more flexible options, such as user-specific licensing. This would allow small customers to use the product more easily. For example, if you have ten users, you pay the cost for those users specifically.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The current application we're working on is quite old, and we're considering upgrading it. Since it's an older version, we've encountered some bugs and glitches. Migrating to the latest version of Siebel CRM would help us eliminate these issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, and my company has 2000 users.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are using both Siebel CRM and Pega CRM. We conducted a competitive study and found that the upgraded version of Siebel is better than the latest version of Pega CRM.
From my experience, Siebel CRM offers more robustness and flexibility than Pega CRM. In Siebel CRM, you can access customizations, allowing greater flexibility in adapting the data model to business needs. Additionally, IT provides vibrant UI customization options.
On the other hand, Pega CRM is known for its almost zero-code platform, offering ready-to-use modules that can be easily plugged in. While this reduces the need for coding in Pega, Siebel CRM may require more coding for certain UI modifications.
Pega CRM's almost zero-code platform means less technical expertise is required to make changes than Siebel CRM.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's deployment module is easy and robust. Typically, one person is sufficient to deploy the solution and migrate it from one environment to another. However, the number of people required for maintenance depends on the size of the application. Ideally, two or three persons can manage a small application.
What was our ROI?
The ROI is good for large customers with a user base of more than 1500 due to the one-time investment in Siebel CRM. Over a couple of years, it can provide proper returns. However, for small customers, it can be costly. Therefore, Oracle should consider introducing licensing options that are more suitable for small and medium-sized customers.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product an eight out of ten. Before opting for Siebel CRM, consider the size of the user base and the complexity of business rules. If you have a large user base, like a thousand, three thousand, or five thousand users, Siebel CRM's ROI can be very good.
However, for smaller user bases, such as a hundred users, the ROI might not be as favourable due to the cost of licensing. Additionally, the level of customization required, especially for complex business rules, should be considered. If your business needs extensive customization and custom data models, the tool could be the ideal solution. But it might be worth exploring alternatives if your use cases are simpler and readily deployable with out-of-the-box features from other CRM solutions.