WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System

Best Practices for

Implementing an Effective
Mobile CRM System
JULY 2009

Scott Snider
VICE-president, professional services
Infinity Info Systems

Jason Ames
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
Infinity Info Systems

WWW.INFINITYINFO.COM 525 Seventh Avenue SUITE 1200 New York, NY 10018 Tel: 800.354.4228
Table of Contents
Section 1 3
Introduction

Section 2 4
Mobile CRM Is More Than An Application Add-on

Section 3 4
Include The Right Stakeholders

Section 4 4
Thoroughly Analyze Business Processes

Section 5 5
Standardize On A Single Platform If Possible

Section 6 5
Consider The Technological Limitations
Of Smartphones

Section 7 6
Consider Data Security

Section 8 6
Proper Training Is Key

Section 9 7
About The Authors

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Section 1
Introduction

Laptops have made it dramatically more efficient for salespeople to do business on the
road. But laptops can be frustrating for those who want to take advantage of a spare
moment—while waiting in an airport taxi line, for instance—to enter notes about a meeting
or check for details about the next sales call. By the time they power up the laptop and
launch the application, the waiting cab will have honked twice.

Smartphones such as the Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry, Palm Treo, and Windows
Mobile devices can be in hand and running in a few seconds, creating the opportunity
to immediately update customer relationship information. As these devices have become
more capable, business applications that were once limited to laptops and desktops are
now migrating to smartphones.

Today, most major vendors of Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) solutions offer mobile
versions of their products. These mobile CRM applications mesh with the work-style of on-
the-road sales professionals, and that makes it easy to understand their allure.

The smartphone’s pocketable form factor and instant-on capabilities can enable field
salespeople to quickly access or add customer data. Better yet, they won’t have to spend
their evenings hunched over a laptop catching up on CRM updates.

The entire organization will benefit, since mobile devices can automatically synchronize to
the CRM host database and ensure that customer accounts, contacts, activities, and sales
opportunity information are always current.

Adoption by field staff of mobile CRM is generally higher than standard CRM because it
can help them achieve sales goals and personal efficiency in ways that complement with
their working conditions. CIOs, too, understand the benefits of mobile CRM.

A recent study by Forrester Research found that 73 percent of respondents said mobilizing
CRM had made their businesses more productive. And more organizations are seriously
considering implementation of mobile CRM, according to the survey. Forrester found that
52 percent of respondents plan to launch a mobile CRM implementation in the next 12 to
18 months.

WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System 3
Section 2
Mobile CRM Is More Than An
Application Add-on
Because many companies see mobile CRM as an add-on to
existing CRM solutions, they often believe they can simply
migrate CRM apps and data to a mobile platform with little
planning or training.
It’s just not that simple. For maximum success, it is critical
that businesses plan, design, and implement mobile
CRM based on their employees’ unique needs. Business
leadership must help identify the value and efficiencies that
the technology will bring to the company’s singular business
model. The organization should start by determining the
most effective functions of its existing CRM system, and
then pair that with the best-suited functions for use with
mobile devices.
Section 3
Include The Right Stakeholders
When mapping out a mobile CRM solution, full participation
from the right stakeholders is crucial.
The project group should include CRM sponsors, a business-
unit liaison, the vice president of sales, and a front-line
salesperson who can attest to actual field practices and
potential uses. Also involve key IT and infrastructure staff,
and if you have an in-house mobile platform expert, by all
means include that person.
As with any project team, it’s a good idea to keep the group
as small as possible. The logistics of assembling a large
number of people for meetings will slow the progress of
the project and inevitably prolong decision-making.
4 WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System
Section 4
Thoroughly Analyze Business Processes
The project teams’ first task will be to identify the relevant
and meaningful data that empowers a successful sales
team. This should be examined from the perspective of the
sales team.
First, analyze the functions that salespeople want and need
to accomplish using mobile CRM. Focus on the top few
processes that will bring the greatest value to the field
employees. Salespeople often report that their greatest
needs center on activity planning and calendar functions.
That’s a given, but delve deeper to uncover other potential
uses.
Next, build a matrix that details the most useful features,
and then rank how the mobile CRM system will deliver
those functionalities. It’s a good idea to let members of the
sales team rank the most important features, since their
involvement will help build consensus on functionality as
well as establish buy-in for the project.
Also carefully consider workflow. Core CRM systems
typically are built on a workflow and logic that should, to
some extent, be replicated in a mobile CRM workspace.
Note, however, that too much attention to workflow and
logic could induce cost overruns and provide little value in
the end. You can avoid this problem by providing read-only
access to certain fields in the mobile CRM application that
have complex workflow and logic behind them in the host
CRM system.
Section 5
Standardize On A Single Platform If Possible
Businesses should standardize on a certain device or
device platform, such as BlackBerry or Windows Mobile.
You should not support both platforms—unless cost is not
an issue.
Beyond the platform, it’s key to decide what versions of
the mobile operating system (OS) the IT department
will support. In the mobile world, operating systems are
upgraded frequently and support issues often vary with
each version of the OS.
Organizations also should be aware that certain models
within a product line might have varying levels of user
satisfaction. The touch-screen BlackBerry Storm, for
instance, has been a somewhat troublesome model in RIM’s
normally stable smartphone line. Also consider that apps
that work well on one device (like the BlackBerry Curve)
may not work as well on another (like the Storm).
When determining how to implement data and
functionality in the mobile CRM system, remember that
physical characteristics of the smartphone will restrict how
information is displayed and stored. Simplicity of navigation
is absolutely critical in mobile CRM. Mobile devices have a
compressed keyboard and a small display, and tasks must
be accomplished with a minimum number of keystrokes.
WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System 5
Section 6
Consider The Technological Limitations Of
Smartphones
Smartphones, with their less-powerful processors and
modest storage capabilities, interact with enterprise CRM
systems in ways that pale in comparison to their desktop
and laptop counterparts.
A smartphone’s core software is not as robust as a laptop. For
instance, the BlackBerry uses Java 2 Mobile Edition (J2ME)
to support application development, and its capabilities
simply will not be as comprehensive as full-fledged client-
server or Web applications.
Another limitation is the smartphones’ meager local
storage, which prohibits them from containing large
databases. The storage strategy varies by platform. Data
and mobile applications can be completely stored on the
device, completely stored remotely and accessed over the
air, or a hybrid of local storage and over-the-air access.
Some degree of local storage is critical for success, since
wireless access is often restricted by factors like building
structures, limited speeds, and low or unavailable signals.
You must consider how these devices will access remote
databases that house complicated data such as pricing
information. Product pricing may be built upon a massive
amount of information that may be stored on a separate
database (or part of the CRM host database). Rather than
synchronizing potentially millions of records, companies
should consider using over-the-air Web services to access
complicated pricing and then retrieve in real-time only the
relevant data.
Section 7
Consider Data Security
Mobile devices transmit sensitive client and company data
over the air, and businesses must ensure that the level of
data security offered by mobile CRM providers matches the
company’s security profile.
A secure transfer must be provided for both data at-rest on
the device and in-transit during synchronization. In addition,
a valuable requirement for always-connected devices is the
ability to remotely wipe the hardware should it be lost or
stolen. All smartphones should use a device password to
protect all information stored on the handheld.
6 WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System
Section 8
Proper Training Is Key
A mobile CRM system is only as good as its user adoption.
That’s why proper training is critical to the success of any
implementation.
As with most technologies, salespeople will adopt a mobile
CRM system only if they understand how to effectively
use it. And CRM can present a doubly difficult challenge
because it requires training on the application and, in some
cases, also the smartphone.
You may find a few mobile professionals who do not use
a smartphone, so organizations must ensure that training
includes basic instruction on using the hardware. Ideally, this
should be done in advance of the mobile CRM training.
Training should also cover real-world issues that users
encounter on a regular basis. The mobile CRM team
should present approximately 10 scenarios that illustrate
how employees will use the devices with the mobile CRM
applications. It’s a good idea to combine scenario-based
training with mobile CRM navigational concepts.
Finally, businesses should understand that frustration with
the traditional CRM system could spill over to the mobile
CRM application. If salespeople have not embraced
traditional CRM, they are also not likely to be enthusiastic
about mobile CRM.
To that end, know the acceptance level of existing CRM
before you venture into a mobile project. Be forthright in
asking what salespeople like—and don’t like—about their
current CRM system. That’s a tough question to ask, but
it’s important to guarantee the success of a mobile CRM
solution.
 Section 9
About The Authors

Scott Snider
Scott has been responsible for the execution and strategic
direction of Infinity’s CRM consulting operations since 1999.
As a result of overseeing the Development, Training, IT and
Project Management departments, Scott has been involved in
more than 200 successful CRM implementations.

This breadth of experience enables Scott to guide Infinity to

specialization in several vertical markets including the financial,
publishing and life science industries.

Before coming to Infinity, Scott was a Senior Project Manager

for Computer Language Research (CLR) where he was in charge
of corporate tax software implementations for Fortune 500
companies across the country. Prior to that, Scott consulted
for Price Waterhouse.

Jason Ames
Jason Ames is a Senior Project Manager for Infinity Info
Systems and has been implementing Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) systems since 1997. He has an extensive
business analysis and project management background
both in CRM implementations as well as system and data
integrations. Jason has worked for Accenture and several
Financial Services firms, specializing in implementing fixed-
income trading and risk management systems, along with
integrating CRM applications. For the last decade, Jason
has exclusively focused on CRM for Fortune 100 and 500
companies across a wide range of industries, including
Financial Services, Manufacturing, Publishing, Advertising,
Life Sciences, Technology and Food & Facilities Services.

In more recent years, Jason has focused more heavily on

Mobile CRM, enabling sales forces by incorporating enterprise-
level CRM applications on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile
devices.

Jason attended Binghamton University in New York and has a

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the Thomas J.
Watson School of Engineering.

WHITE PAPER: Best Practices for Implementing an Effective Mobile CRM System 7
 About Infinity Info Systems
Founded in 1987, Infinity Info Systems develops Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) and Business Analytics
solutions for clients in the financial, life sciences, business
services, media and manufacturing/distribution industries
around the world. Infinity’s technology solutions, services,
training and support help organizations become more
profitable by improving sales and marketing effectiveness.
Infinity has trained more than 130,000 professionals and
successfully implemented more than 3,500 CRM systems.
Visit www.infinityinfo.com or call (800) 354-4228 to learn
more about Infinity Info Systems.

WWW.INFINITYINFO.COM 525 Seventh Avenue SUITE 1200 New York, NY 10018 Tel: 800.354.4228