Customer Relationship Management On A Mobile Device

Access to customer data on demand has become an imperative for the modern CRM user. Opening and logging onto a laptop or finding an internet cafe no longer satisfies this need. Fortunately, the options for serving up key client data to hand held devices are more plentiful and present reliable practical solutions to the mobile user.

The launch of iPad, hot on the heels of a plethora of Netbooks, has sharply re-focussed the attentions of many organisations on the potential for empowering the mobile workforce.

Netbooks are basically, small low cost laptop computers with the minimum on-board resource but the ability to support wireless web browsing, and some local data storage.

Small format devices together with wireless data networks have always promised to make critical client data accessible on demand, wherever and whenever it can be utilised to maximum effect by field sales executives or service personnel. However, implementation and application costs have often been prohibitive to the deployment of effective and robust mobile business solutions.

You can pick up a netbook from around 250 pounds today, whereas the entry level iPad with 3G comes in at around 529 pounds. The availability of these new low-cost connected devices together with the shift towards cloud computing means that almost any organisation can consider the implementation of distributed data solutions in a practical and inexpensive way.

However, despite the hype around cloud computing and content on demand, inconsistent bandwidth and variable network availability in remote areas and when the user is in-motion has continued to be a source of frustration to users of pure web based systems.

The net result has been that disconnected solutions which support a local data store on the mobile device, with the facility to synchronise at the click of a button when network connectivity can be established, have remained the most popular weapons of choice!

Here's a brief on some of the most popular mobile options for synchronising CRM data with business class mobile devices, highlighting the pros and cons of each:

CompanionLink Pro (From around 90 pounds plus 78 pounds per user per year) synchronises between a range of CRM and Contact Management systems including ACT! as well as Microsoft Outlook. Includes all the essential Contact data that you would expect (names, multiple addresses, contact phone numbers and email addresses) and also includes the facility to synchronise data client-specific data using additional field-mapping options. CompanionLink can synchronise with multiple databases as well as a broad variety of mobile devices. Blackbery, iPhone, Android, Palm and Windows Mobile/Smartphone platforms are all fully supported.
Synchronisation may occur via a cable connection between the mobile device and a PC hosting the CompanionLink application, or wirelessly across wide are IP networks (GPRS, 3G etc).
Their DejaOffice app (currently supports Android, iPhone, and iPad devices) offers a business-friendly suite of Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes apps for your device. DejaOffice supports standard CRM and Contact Management features such as associating Calendar activities with Contacts, sorting by last name or company name, assigning Contacts to Groups on the device, etc.

Sage's ACT! Mobile Live about 96 pounds per user per year, Synchronises ACT! Data onto your Blackberry/Windows Mobile phone directly into PIM apps includes an option to disassociate the device with any other Calendar if synchronizing ACT! Calendar/Activities. Very basic ability to update Notes in your CRM database. Not currently available on iPhone but should be early in the new year.

Handheld Contact Basic Edition costs 40 pounds per user per year and supports BlackBerry, iPhone or Windows Mobile. Syncs CRM Contact data, Notes, Histories and Activities into your phone's existing PIM apps which are address book and calendar.
Handheld Contact Professional Edition costs 115 pounds per user per year, is for BlackBerry, iPhone or Windows Mobile as above but includes a feature-rich third party application that keeps all your CRM data separate from your PIM applications, avoiding duplication.

PIM aka Personal Information Manager the resident Calendar and Contact applications that come with your device. If you are also synchronizing your handheld with Outlook, Synchronising CRM data into the PIM applications as well can be problematic and result in duplications created in your CRM database.

In summary, it really is down to personal preference, and each of these applications is available as a free trial to help you decide. In terms of a personal recommendation, I'd say that the finest mobile client data management experience is HandHeld Contact Professional. It just works efficiently and effectively every time you turn it on, presents data through an easy-to-master interface with fast and robust wireless synchronisation.