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Got a mobile workforce? Then chances are you've been thinking a lot about the advantages mobile CRM can bring to your business. Now that the vast majority of mobile devices can access the Internet, companies are increasingly looking to mobile CRM to increase the productivity of their mobile workers, streamline business operations and boost customer satisfaction.
Simply put, mobile CRM means your mobile workers have access to you company CRM system when they're in the field. With today's advanced browser-based mobile devices (BlackBerry, iPhone (News - Alert), Windows Mobile devices, etc.) and high-speed wireless Internet, mobile workers can do much more than just send email and text messages. This is about access to real data, and the ability update it in real time, as well as the ability to conduct transactions remotely. Helping to propel adoption of mobile CRM is the fact that a majority of the leading CRM solutions are now offered via the hosted or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) delivery model, which makes it fast and relatively affordable for companies to deploy Web-based CRM systems that can be accessed via wireless end points.
Despite its compelling value prop, only a small percentage of companies are using mobile CRM currently -- and many of those only on a limited basis. The good news is that the most of the early adopters are reporting great success with mobile CRM, therefore it appears to be a market segment that is poised for explosive growth over the next few years.
With mobile CRM, changes made in the field can take effect in real time (or near real time) on the servers at the central office . This "virtualization" of the company network means business information can be seamlessly shared across all channels, mobile or otherwise -- a huge leap forward compared to the clunky interfaces of the not-too-distant past. With mobile CRM, workers can share documents and have full access to their company's CRM or ERP system while they're in the field, at home, or traveling. Plus, depending on the software being used, management can get centralized, Web-based "dashboard" views of business activity and do real time analysis of the data coming from every end point, including the mobile devices. In most cases, mobile workers don't have to perform additional operations or follow up work upon returning to the office: It's just as if they had their office PC with them the whole time.
But mobile CRM isn't just about boosting productivity and gaining efficiencies -- it's also about improving the customer experience. When a mobile worker is doing business with a customer at their home or office, it helps if he has all of the customer's information, past and present, right at his fingertips. The ability to, for example, get the status of an order, see past buying trends, get the model number of the last item purchased, or find out if a particular part is available at the warehouse, while the customer is there watching, leads to a much more satisfying experience and, as a result, higher customer loyalty.
To learn more about the many advantages mobile CRM holds for organizations, I recently interviewed David van Toor, general manager of CRM Solutions for Sage Software (News - Alert). What follows are selected responses to my questions:
PB: How has Sage been doing in terms of sales of its new mobile version of SalesLogix? Are you seeing strong adoption of this product?
DvT: As a public company, Sage doesn't provide specific revenue numbers for any of its product lines, but we are seeing increased interest in and adoption of mobile applications among our existing customer base.
Increasingly, the mobile component is becoming a key RFP requirement for vendors as they select CRM systems. Sage's flexible and broad device platform and infrastructure support, extensive customization environment, as well as its user-friendly mobile CRM clients, help customers future-proof their investment in CRM. We believe our mobile capabilities are definitely a strong competitive advantage for us. We've seen strong mobile adoption from our larger customers, and see further opportunity with smaller customers. I think a lot of success here will come in educating people that it is easier to deploy our solution than they may think.
PB: What, in your view, is the main reason some companies are reluctant to start using mobile CRM (besides the cost)? What are they most afraid of?
DvT: Mobile CRM is new territory for many IT departments, so it's largely fear of the unknown. Most companies have been through the early days of laptop deployments and know that it's not easy to manage mobile systems.
Throw mobile devices in the mix, with their own unique operating systems, and there's a natural concern about how to manage mobile applications like CRM. Although, I think as we continue to educate people about how Sage SalesLogix Mobile works, they'll begin to see it is all manageable.
PB: If you have a mobile workforce, what, in your view, are the general benefits of implementing a mobile CRM solution?
DvT: Productivity is the primary benefit, as mobile CRM enables mobile users to engage in the CRM process not only in the office, but on the road and in direct contact with customers. By packaging CRM in an always-on, always-available and discreet form, mobile users are better prepared when engaging with a customer, better able to respond quickly to customer queries and requests, better able to engage the right resources back at the office and more effective at collecting information in a timely fashion that benefits everyone in the organization. These productivity enhancements translate into greater customer satisfaction, quicker fulfillment of pipelined opportunities or faster resolution of issues, as well as better utilization of the mobile users' time.
PB: When's the right time in the CRM selection process to start looking for mobile tools?
DvT: Up front, during the selection of a CRM solution. Although implementing mobile is often a separate project, mobile CRM is now just an extension of the base CRM platform, just in another form. Customers should look to vendors who provide mobile CRM as part of a native, multi-client solution.
This ensures the tightest possible integration, the most consistent user experience and a lower cost of ownership (preferred pricing and single support contract). Setting objectives for mobile deployment at the time of initial implementation is key. A CRM implementation lives or dies on the back of user adoption. For a mobile workforce, having relevant data accessible in a format native to their device, but with all the features of their desktop system is a key driver.
PB: What are the two or three most important ways CRM must be modified for mobile usage?
DvT: CRM needs to adapt in two key ways to accommodate for the different real estate and bandwidth limitations of mobile devices while maintaining a similar overall CRM experience and capabilities. Taking away functionality means key productivity gains are limited or even lost. First, the application itself needs to be optimized to work with a significantly smaller "screenscape" as well as more limited navigation capabilities (i.e. minimal clicks, scrolls). This underlines the importance of a single-vendor solution, as the core mobile CRM offering is optimized for that platform and the experience can be maintained. Generic solutions tend to be "lowest common denominator," and thus limiting. Second, the mobile application needs to efficiently support large volumes of account and contact information in an efficient way. This ensures that the length of time to synchronize or to access the data on a lower horsepower device with a less-than-LAN bandwidth does not impact the user's productivity. The solution also needs the flexibility to let users choose what data to take with them and to access additional records when they're on the road.
PB: What are the main considerations companies should be aware of when selecting mobile CRM?
DvT: In addition to sustainability and vision of the vendor, the main considerations are:
--Breadth of mobile platform support, i.e. a solution must support key platforms like Blackberry and Windows Mobile, as well as the breadth of versions offered --Availability of core out-of-the-box CRM clients for the respective platforms --Ability to customize mobile clients - development environment for adapting and tailoring clients to company and user requirements --Native support of underlying device operating system, i.e. .NET (News - Alert) for Windows Mobile and Java for Blackberry --Multi-client updating infrastructure - support for broad range of device platforms through a single infrastructure --Support for incremental updates - for both customization updates and data updates, i.e. sending the delta, not the full application or data set on change --Security - leverage underlying security models offered by device platforms --Global sales and support infrastructure
PB: What would the mobile CRM tool that comes to dominate the mobile space do that the others didn't do?
DvT: Breadth of mobile platform support will be key, as device adoption in enterprise is typically not standardized, and devices, even within a vendor "family", have diverse operating system versions. This includes the ability for the mobile infrastructure to be able to handle synchronization requests for disparate mobile device systems, as well as providing native development support (.Net, Java, etc.) for customizing mobile CRM applications for each respective device platforms.
PB: What features do mobile users ask for the most?
DvT: The key user requests typically involve optimizing speed of access, i.e. remembering application passwords, capturing call information, minimizing steps (i.e. clicks, taps) and parity in desktop functionality.
Sage addresses many of these requests in its ongoing releases and service packs, but also allows its business partners to augment the application themselves through the Mobile Architect (customization/development environment).
PB: What, in your view, are the two or three most common mistakes companies make when selecting mobile CRM solutions?
DvT: One of the most common mistakes is going with an independent mobile application vendor, where native CRM support is often lacking, the experience doesn't mirror the desktop client without significant customizations, or the application is limited to specific platforms or minimal data sets. These factors create a "non-intutive" user experience, which will negatively impact user adoption.
About Sage CRM Solutions
Sage CRM Solutions offers a complete portfolio of applications including ACT! by Sage, SageCRM/SageCRM.com, and Sage SalesLogix. ACT! has been in market for over 20 years and assists individuals and teams by centralizing contact and calendar information, increasing communication effectiveness, and improving individual and team productivity. SageCRM and Sage SalesLogix are CRM suites that address the business process needs of small to mid-sized businesses and divisions of enterprises with sales, marketing, service, and support functionality. SageCRM is fully Web-based and can be deployed on-premise or on-demand as SageCRM.com. It also offers out-of-the-box integration with leading Sage ERP applications. Sage SalesLogix delivers customization capabilities across all deployment methods including Web, Windows, and mobile devices. Presently, over 56,000 organizations and 3.1 million users worldwide rely on Sage CRM Solutions to help them develop profitable, long-term business relationships. Local Area Network (LAN) | X | | There is much more to LANs to explain on a few words. Pleases refer to TECHtionary.com for a vast set of tutorials on this subject. LAN connections use 48-bit MAC addresses permanently fixed into th...more |
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