Building a Google Calendar Sync with REW CRM - need feedback

CRM REW CRM
#1

This is actually a pretty common request and has been on the back burner for a while.

It’s time to have the discussion. Syncing Google Calendar with REW CRM Calendar.

I’m not going to ask if users want it (since I know many do) but feel to chime in with a +1!

More importantly though is what is critical for “phase 1” which is the minimum viable product

Why do I ask?

Well, if we were to try to reverse engineer Google calendar and somehow match it’s features, or look at the most robust / most complex Google Calendar + third-party calendar sync’s out there.

Quite frankly, it would be too time-consuming and it would never get done.

So as with all features, we want to start with an MVP (minimum viable product) so we get the feature coded quickly, can get it into the hands of our customers and then we can get real, live feedback and iterate.

So what are some of the minimum requirements to make this thing happen?

Obviously, it’s the same as Gmail integration, you have to have a Gsuite account to do this.

My basic thought is:

You add an event to REW Calendar, it shows on your Google Calendar
You add an event to your Google Calendar, it shows on your REW Calendar

Edit one, it edits the other :slight_smile:

But let’s take a look at the Google Calendar add screen (and REW CRM Calendar which is considerably more basic).

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VS

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What could we add for phase 1? What is the same?

The title (name of the meeting) seems like a necessary element.

The date and time the meeting is set for.

Is it an all-day event (That is in both)

Description of event

Type (do we really need to map these together for phase 1? I’d be happy not to, I never use them)

Those are really the basics

So my question is - if we made this the “phase 1” scope for Syncing Google Calendar would that make you as customers happy? (The things mentioned above)

Obviously, we’d also start a discussion for Phase 2 and beyond as well so we could start planning (for instance I think our Calendar should have spot for meeting link (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams etc) but that certainly is phase 2.

There are other ideas like inviting parties (in Google Calendar not in REW calendar but that is complex as now you get into contact mapping and other things. Not impossible, but definitely not phase 1)

Anyways - what do you think?

Any glaring show-stoppers for the phase 1 proposal above? Pinging @Aayaam and @Rebecca for a discussion next week.

Let us know what you think

5 Likes
#2

What about something simpler like you create an event in the REW calendar and it gives you an option to download into Google Outlook ICS etc. That way for us that are not using Google we can still have some connection between the two calendars.
Notes added to the non-rew calendar wouldn’t necessarily need to sync back to the REW calendar.

2 Likes
#3

We definitely want the “sync” - but you bring up a good point about “other calendars” - I don’t know much about how that works, but happy to look into it :slight_smile:

Anyone know how this works? Have any examples?

Thanks for the suggestion Kevin.

#4

I got curious - seems it’s something called an ICS file extension

We’ll have the team look into that

#5

Yes, so you can load an event on Google calendar then have the ability to load the same event on a different calendar of your choice on a different platform. I’ve used this feature frequently.

Suggestion; the ability to create a “duplicate” event on the calendar without having to enter the details twice. This is my favorite feature!

#6

Any updates on this? Would absolutely love a way, even if it is a calendar feed to allow events from REW to show up on any calendar (read only) would be a good step forward; and having action plan tasks also show on the calendar (optional) not just event items. One-stop agenda area for all things going on for the week allowing flexibility to move and reschedule action plan tasks. Bonus if action plan tasks and events could be ‘drag and drop’ to reschedule from the calendar.

#7

I had a demo recently - @Aayaam @Rebecca any ETA updates?