Artlogic

Pros

A powerful inventory, client contact and art inventory database, with an elegant interface. The website integration is excellent, and it’s very easy to share artworks in the database to your Artlogic hosted website. This has saved us a lot of time in double entering and updating discreet inventory systems and our website. The Artlogic tech support team is friendly, informative and responsive, although the time difference with England can sometimes result in a lag.

Cons

Given the sophistication of this system, several easily remedied cons are perplexing. Artlogic has taken the approach of creating a plethora of data entry fields - literally hundreds - in the contacts and artworks entry panes. Navigation is not always intuitive, and the learning curve with this program is steep. The simple ability for clients to create user defined fields, or at a minimum, hide fields not relevant to a gallery’s business model, would save hours of tabbing, scrolling, hunting and pecking. Especially vexing is the process for entering dates - it is not possible to enter a date with keystrokes (ie. “02/05/1936”) - one must click though a drop down calendar, and for dates that are decades in the past this is a carpal tunnel hazard requiring scores of clicks to enter a single date. Artlogic has been approached about this, but does not see the need for offering these features common in much less pricey databases. The other perplexing con is the absence of an online manual, FAQ, or user discussion group. There are a few videos, but given the complexity of the program, easily searchable instructional databases could save significant staff and training time, both for Artlogic’s clients and for their technical support team.

Pros

First, I am an independent database consultant.

ArtLogic is first of all designed superbly.
It looks amazing, it's something the user is happy to use.
Working in an art gallery, this is very helpful as we want things to look good.
And the artworks looks super in this database.
Staff are happy to use a database that looks good and easy to use.
It's comfortable and sleek unlike a lot of databases.
Navigation is very easy, everything is clear.
Clarity is everything!

Artlogic can also design your website, and link it to the DB.

I can email a client directly from the database, attach artwork images in various sizes and make an offer all in one go.

They have an accounting database which also works with the main database.
Everything is linked.

I can see what artworks a client was offered, bought, received, the amount paid, where it was shipped to, who shipped it, when they received it, the dimensions of the crate....

I can see the purchase order, shipping docket, the original offer, the tracking of the shipment....

I can send out event invitations, register attendees at an event in real time, tag all attendees automatically.

This is all recorded in one database.

The searching mechanism is one super useful feature.
I used this extensively and found that it was very applicable when looking for the right clients for a particular event.

Really, I could go on.
I found their support service to be better than any other database I've worked through.

Cons

I didn't encounter any negative aspects to using the ArtLogic suite.

Pros

The first thing I noticed when dealing with them is how knowledgeable and hard working the team there are. Nothing is too much of an effort and there is a huge level of support - all requests are dealt with very promptly. Having used several databases I can say without a doubt Artlogic is the most user-friendly out there, Training our thirty-strong team how to use the software only took a couple of days. It has been intuitively designed which makes it very straightforward system to use.

The amount of time it saves the various departments also has to be noted. The accounts features, raising invoices, updating multiple records and fields at once, creating lists of works for sales offers, creating artwork lists for fairs and exhibitions and setting deadlines and reminders for loans and consignments are just some of he features which have made drastic improvements to how the teams manage the workflow.
Previously we used an external sales platform which we needed another subscription for but with the PrivateViews app it eradicated the need for that. It also saves huge amounts of time as artworks details no longer need to be entered on to more than one platform.

Artlogic are also now our website provider and so the database and website are linked. The usability of the website CMS and the database are very similar and we can now manage the website content ourselves. All our mail-outs are now generated from the database and the analytical tools are extremely useful.

Cons

I would say it is slightly more expensive than some competitors although the features justify that as the database is being developed and improved all the time. The only 'cons' I have are certain areas of the database that could be developed further.

It would be really useful to develop the PrivateViews app in order to update status and availability of works in real-time ad it be reflected in the database, as well as the other way around.

It would be great if it could be developed to connect to external software. Our Archive department use an external asset management system which slows things down as images have to be uploaded in several places. Hopefully this is something that will happen in the not too distant future.

Pros

I have been using ArtLogic as part of the daily running of my studio for many years now, I believe I was one of the first artists (rather than a gallery) to use the software! The knowledge of the art world and market that has influenced the design and fuctionality of ArtLogic easily allows my studio to keep track of my work and indeed my own personal collection. For artists such as myself, working with photography and moving image which involve editionality and production processes, it is especially vital to have an advanced database and system for organising and viewing work in an effortless way and without Art Logic it would be extremely difficult to keep track of the movements of my works. The range of purpose has integrated the way my studio works; being able to see, for example, production statuses, consignments and locations at a glance, has allowed us to have a broad and complete overview that simply was not possible in the past. The sleek design and up-to-date technology has streamlined the administration and management of production and works and the sharing of this information with my galleries, allowing me to focus on the most important aspect of my practice; making my work.

Cons

ArtLogic is a wonderful software clearly developed for art galleries and on occasion, the functions aren't completely tailored to an artist's studio - however as ArtLogic is evolving, I see the software being attuned towards artists and increasingly taking on the concerns of making art in the 21st Century.

Pros

First of all has to be the people behind it. Every experience with them from the initial set up to every dumb support question we asked was met with enthusiasm. They're friendly, honest, and aren't trying to screw you around like some of the other big systems.

Second is the ease of use. Teaching our staff how to use the software was a breeze, and even the
technologically impaired could figure out it's intuitive design. It's a clean and straightforward system that just makes sense.

Third has to be the scope. Compare it against any other CMS software and you will find it can do everything they can and more. Not only that but they are adding new features at a rate much faster than their competitors, setting them years ahead of everyone else.

Finally I would have to say the time saving. Linking the database to our website, automating our invoicing, creating custom sales offers, drafting newsletters in seconds. The amount of time Artlogic has saved our team is astounding, and it only gets better the more you use it.

Cons

I have to nitpick to find cons. The price is expensive compared to some options, but it's
extremely competitive and even cheaper than the other systems at it's level.

It is an "off-the-shelf" system, so there are some trade offs you will have to make. It won't be exactly like your existing system, but it's extremely well built, so chances are if you concede on some points your own database will be better organized in the long run. The plus side of this, they're always open to feedback, and happy to add new features as long as you're willing to wait for them (or pay pretty reasonable fees to rush them)

They're only recently (2017-2018) gaining a foothold in North America, so it's a bit Euro-centric still. But with new offices in NYC, and picking up some of the biggest galleries here as clients, they are already well on their way to adapting a more globalized mindset. They're still growing, so it's a great time to get on board with them.