3 Things to Look for in a Customer Relationship Management Application
A dynamic workforce, requires an effective solution
Many forward thinking companies have adapted the way they do business. Gone are the days when 100% of your staff members sit in cubicles from 8-to-5. Today’s workforce is more mobile than ever before. From business required travel, to working on location, or from home – your employees likely need remote access to the reliable and up-to-date CRM information and productivity tools that they would get in the office. Unfortunately many SaaS CRM vendors are functioning under the idea that “mobility” is simply a matter of providing access to a CRM business application through a Web browser. In reality, any mobile CRM application designed to serve a dynamic workforce must satisfy three major requirements to be effective:
- Online and Offline Access
As any seasoned sales professional knows, mobile connectivity can be unpredictable. Inevitably it will fail at precisely the wrong moment. Larry Ritter, SVP and General Manager for CRM Applications at Sage tells us, “Workers require anywhere access and need to be productive whether they have network connectivity or not,” An effective mobile CRM application solves this problem through the ability to download, cache, and synchronize data for offline use. Offline access is a relatively new feature in many SaaS products, and the more established CRM vendors tend to offer more functional—and more reliable offline capabilities.
- An Appropriate User Experience Across Various Devices
It is unlikely that your remote staff members will be relying on a single device to access your data. Rather, they are apt to switch between PCs, laptops and mobile devices. A successful Customer Relationship Management application will offer a familiar and relevant user experience across these various platforms - allowing workers to focus on customers rather than struggling with user interfaces and feature sets. At the same time, the solution must adapt to the unique nuances and limitations of each particular device. “If users are working from a Smartphone, screen real estate is precious,” Ritter states. “So workers need just the relevant capabilities to perform specific tasks. They also require contemporary device support and a native user experience that is consistent with the way they use other applications on a device.”
A laptop or other mobile device is far more likely to get lost or stolen than a traditional desktop PC. Because data breaches can permanently damage a company’s reputation, in addition to creating serious legal consequences, it is essential that a mobile CRM application protect sensitive customer data through the use of encryption, remote management and remote-disable features.
Whatever the choice: on-premise, or on-demand; the CRM business application should provide all employees with the same access, features, security and benefits, whether they are in or out of the office. It is essential to enable your team to be dynamically engaged and productive - and that means providing them with a Customer Relationship Management application that is up to the challenge.
Want to learn more about CRM software? Download our guide: 17 Rules of the Road for CRM.
*Adapted from: The CRM Flex Test, Sponsored by Sage SalesLogix, Presented by DemandGen Report