Mobile CRM Is Slow to Take Hold

Vendors Step in to Ease the Pain

Start-up vendors, such as FeedHenry, SpuddMobile, and Sybrant, have taken on some of the work designing middleware systems that connect mobile systems to various back-end applications. CRM vendors are also moving in this direction. "SAP has done a good job of adding mobile features to its CRM systems," Kingstone states. Third-party consultants, systems integrators, and independent software vendors are entering this space. The end result is less work for enterprises to do and more by vendors.

In conjunction with the infrastructure build-up, product pricing has been dropping. With the emergence of cloud systems, there has been a dramatic (20 percent to 40 percent) reduction in pricing for mobile CRM solutions.

As mobile development becomes easier and less costly, companies need to determine which CRM users would benefit. Salespeople are the most common focal point because they often are on the road meeting with customers. In fact, businesses have tried to arm their salespeople with mobile devices. CSO Insights found that 42 percent of salespeople now use mobile devices. However, four out of five use them for simple applications, such as checking email, and only one out of five companies have tried to use it to streamline their business processes.

Where Is the ROI?

The business case for mobile sales solutions seems straightforward. Salespeople need quick access to information, such as current orders in the pipeline, any service issues, and customer payment history. Downloading that data on their mobile devices could reduce the time needed in the sales cycle. "When employees have access to customer data, the chances for upselling increase dramatically," CSO Insights' Dickie says.

Sales managers would also benefit from mobile CRM. Getting confirmation when a sale closed or a group met its quota would likely prompt a quick response from the manager.

A Needed Productivity Boost

In fact, Nucleus Research found that mobile solutions increase sales department productivity by 14.6 percent. As vendors and third parties deliver more task-specific, role-based views of mobile CRM data, salespeople are able to more than simply check email; they can streamline business processes too.

However, in the contact center, the need for mobile solutions is less clear. "Agents are tied to their desks," Kingstone says. Managers do not expect to find these folks roaming the hallways. Also, contact agents need large screens to manage the various pop-up windows designed to help them complete their work. But as with sales departments, contact center managers could benefit from the use of mobile CRM systems.

In regard to customer-facing applications, the work is at an embryonic stage, but there are many potential benefits. Firms could connect mobile CRM applications to their interactive voice response systems, so customers could enter their own trouble ticket information. Corporations could tie their loyalty program applications to mobile systems. QR codes offer companies new ways to interact with consumers. At pharmacies, patients could sign for their prescriptions using their smartphones.

Mobile technology has clearly taken the IT market by storm. Businesses have been trying to extend that functionality to their CRM systems with limited success. An uptick seems close with sales applications, but the use of mobile for other CRM functions, such as support of contact agents and customer interfacing, seems further down the line.

---

Paul Korzeniowski is a freelance writer who specializes in technology issues. He has been covering CRM issues for more than a decade and can be reached at paulkorzen@aol.com.

---

Related Articles

The Impact of the Mobile Boom on Data-Driven Marketing

Tips for capitalizing on a treasure trove of information.

ONDiGO Offers Mobile CRM Solution for Small Businesses

App offers contact management, notes, and search capabilities.

Mobile CRM Start-Up Selligy Closes $2.8 Million in Funding

Salesforce.com, Draper Fisher Jurvetson among the investors

Surge Releases a Suite of Mobile Tools for the Entire Sales Lifecycle

SurgeHub provides sales teams with a one-stop shop for mobile CRM, content management, and order entry.