Managing competitors

The competitor form differs from other contact forms in the Profile data and Analysis tabs. The general data and the additional data are identical to the contact management. You can capture competitors directly in the competitor management, or make an external contact a com­petitor in the contact management by changing the Group.

1. Open an external company, switch to the Group field and select Competitor in the field selection menu. Alternatively, open the Sales/Contacts/Competitor menu and register a new company directly as a competitor.
2. Save the record.
3. To further edit a competitor, always open it in the competitor management (Sales/Contacts/Competitor menu).
4. Switch to the Profile data tab.
5. Select the marketing and customer retention measures the competitor uses on the market.
6. Enter more overall information about the competitor.
7. Switch to the Products tab to specify articles or items as the competitor’s products that compete with your own product.
8. Click on the New product button to open an input dialog.
9. Enter all the available information about the competitor's product.
10. Select among others the Own product that competes with the competitor's product.
11. Click OK and Save the record!

When creating a Competitors' product and selecting an own product you create a relation with your own neutral products. If you open the form of the corresponding neutral product in the prod­uct management, all Competitor products competing with your own product are listed on the Competitor products tab.

If the competitor is involved in a case (quotes, order), all respective sales cases are listed on the Competitive situation tab. Strengths and weaknesses that were specified in the competitor's relation in the case can be corrected or extended here. Depending on the project role assigned in the project, the View at won or lost projects of the competitor can be restricted.