In a previous post I talked about the importance of having a CRM mobile solution add-on to your application. I talked about the different ways you can store the application and data (Thin, Thick and Rich clients). While I am still an overall fan of the thick client, having any mobile connection will make life so much easier when you are on the road. In this post I will address the specifics the mobile solution should have.

There is some basic information you must carry. The first are your organizations and contacts. The benefits to look up company and contact information quickly are obvious. So at a bare minimum your want to carry: name, title, address, email address and phone numbers. I would also include personal info such as birthday and account type. The great thing about carrying email and phone numbers is all PDA devices will allow you to automatically dial right from your contact record on the device or send an email.

You application should allow you to create emails which pull the contact from your CRM application on the device and not just from your PDA address book. Some application will make you synchronize your PDA address book with your CRM contacts. This is not a great way to do it but better than nothing. You also want your solution to be able to store emails you receive or send from your PDA. If your solution does not do it then you will have to wait until you are on your laptop and grab the emails from your sent box and save them.

You also want access to your opportunities and leads on the PDA. Again, you only want to carry the fields that are important for you. A good way to judge is to ask yourself what you would need to carry in order to never have to open your laptop up when on the road.

Some solutions allow you to automatically link everything together. This means that when you open up an organization or contact on your PDA you will have a list of all the opportunities and leads associated with those entities. I have some really good examples below.

It is important that you are able to add and update all the data on the device in conjunction with your security model. And you should have security on the PDA that allows your IT group to purge the data remotely if it is lost. There is a solution from Vaultus that automatically locks the device when it is not authenticated within a time frame you set.

And finally if you are using a disconnected application you want to make sure the solution will automatically be synchronizing with the production server back in your data center on a regular basis.

Mobility is one of the most important futures for CRM and getting a jump on it now will really help your team’s productivity, responses times to customers and staying well informed so you can be more proactive in your business.

Organization List Organizations (click to enlarge)		Organization Details (click to enlarge)		Organization Details You can see all the related contacts, opportunities, etc… for this account (click to enlarge)		Contact Details You can see all the details about this contact plus what is related to them (click to enlarge)
Contact Details (continued) You can also see related leads and activities (click to enlarge)		Initiating Actions You can quickly call the contact, send email, get directions, create and update lots of information (click to enlarge)		Composing Emails You can have the ability to choose from your CRM address book or the PDA (click to enlarge)

Tags: crm, crm productivity, Mobile crm

I finally understand what it means to be a “CrackBerry” user.  I have never had an addiction before and did not know what to expect.  I feed it, clean it, talk to it and keep it safe from harm.  I take it on vacation, family outings and all my errands.   It was at the US Tennis Open this year (10th row base line seats), Yankees and Mets games and many nice restaurants.  I guess it stays in pretty good shape too since it goes to the gym, gets to go jogging with me and is always there at my tennis matches.  I am ashamed to say I have taken it to bed more than my girlfriend.  I guess I am not alone (Technology Can Be ‘Berry, ‘Berry Addictive).

What is this perversion?  Why do I panic if I can’t find it?   It gets more attention than anyone else I know plus I hate the way it looks when I carry it around on my belt. 

The reason is, it’s a tremendous help in the day to day management of my life.  It allows me to be timely with customers, colleagues, friends and family.   

From a work perspective, having my CRM application on the BlackBerry frees me from my computer.  Most CRM users only utilize 20% of the solution for 80% of what they need to do.  It has my calendar, to do list, account and contact info, email, sales library, my leads and opportunities, all in a streamlined format.  Whether you are struggling with your CRM solution or not, getting the application on your mobile device will simplify working with the solution, increase your productivity and keep you well informed on you customers and news events that can affect business (CRM for the Professionals on the Go).   

Yes, it can have you working on your off hours, but if you are like me I prefer no surprises.  I check emails a lot.  Most require no action and take a few seconds,  but every once in awhile it is important and I am glad I checked.  And you also have the option to turn off your device when not working.

There are a few ways to get mobilized with CRM.  You can go browser or local application.  I have found that for a mobile solution to be effective, you cannot worry about your wireless connection.  We all know how simple phone connections get interrupted, but with a CRM application these dropped connections can cost you wasted time and cause frustration.  You don’t want to be in the middle of trying to access or update information and find you lost your connection and then need to start over.  And we all know how much clicking and scrolling you do with a browser based connection.  The best way to go is with a “thick” client option.   A thick client has both the application and data on the device.  You never have to worry about a connection and you totally avoid all the excessive clicks and scrolling prevalent in browser access.  You do your work as if you are in the office and the device will synchronize when it can.  There is a “rich” client option as well.  The application is local to the device but the data is being accessed on your server.  You do get a simpler user interface but still have to deal with the connection.

In the end you want to get something sooner than later.  Go with whatever your IT group can give you right away, even if it’s a browser built application.  It will help you when you are out of the office.  But get your request in to get a local version on your device as soon as possible.  You should only go with CRM vendors that offer a thick client add-on. 

Some small Yak trimming might be required.

Tags: crm, customer relationship management, Mobile crm, mobility, sfa