NEW! InterACT2Go - Mobile CRM App and App Designer from CRMantra

NEW! InterACT2Go -   Mobile CRM App and App Designer from CRMantra

It’s About Sales and Service, Not Just CRM.

1. CRM Isn’t the Only App.

Field reps use many apps and services (including CRM) to complete their tasks. For best UX and adoption, mobile apps should provide intuitive and seamless process flows resulting from mash ups of multiple back-end systems and services.Integrations with multiple back-end systems and services are critical.

2. 360° View at All Times.

Users need a 360° view at all times. Definition of the 360° varies by users’ role and stage in the process. This view has to be readily customizable.

3. Access to Data.

Users need access to relevant data all times. On the go. Online or Offline. That’s what mobile is about, isn’t it?

Want to know more and understand the full capabilities?
Fill in the form below and the InterACT2Go info sheet will be emailed to you.

Thanks

David.

David.Moorman@crmantra.com
www.crmantra.com

InterACT DSF - Info Sheet

Read more about InterACT and InterACT DSF on our website.

Download the Info Sheet

Are you getting the most out of Siebel Open UI ?

Are you getting the most out of Siebel Open UI ?

Sure, you can upgrade to Siebel Open UI, activate it and let your users pick their browser of choice to access Siebel (and for some clients this in itself is one major roadblock that has been successfully removed!)…but now that you have Open UI, take a moment to think about what else it can do and the benefits it can bring.

By utilising the Siebel Open UI infrastructure we have been able to make huge improvements to the User Experience for Internal users, Channel Partners and Self-Service Consumers alike.

Since we first got our hands on Siebel OpenUI in 2012, we have been finding new and inventive ways to help customers dramatically improve their Siebel deployments.  If you’d like to know more about our unique approach to a Siebel Open UI project take a look here at CADD

With the release of Siebel Open UI we took the opportunity to fill the gap that had always existed in Siebel – namely a process-centric user experience.  We have always found the lack of processes to be the #1 reason behind poor usability of Siebel.

By defining and ‘baking in’ these processes we have seen major improvements in,

·      User Adoption

·      Reduced training needs

·      Increased productivity

·      And user happiness !!

As well as

·      Total Cost of Ownership reduced as old technology (ActiveX) is removed and alternative browsers deployed.

·      Lower development costs by using industry standard JavaScript libraries to rapidly develop new functionality, as well as HTML5 and CSS – Skills that are readily available in the market.

·      Easily use the new UI across browsers and devices (Mac, Windows, Android, Linux, iOS)

To help us fast track these projects we have built a library of Processes and Templates that are ready to be used, adapted and deployed – there is now no need to start from a blank page !!

We have seen how consolidating the right information on one page can have a major positive impact on productivity – no more jumping around Siebel to find that important piece of information.  Fewer clicks, means less time wasted, means a more productive user !

InterACT Dynamic Screen Framework (DSF)

With InterACT DSF we have taken Siebel Open UI and made it even better.  One common request we had from our clients was to be able to have a finer level of control over the UI, to allow them to dramatically reduce field ‘clutter’ and improve usability.

We took on that challenge and designed InterACT Dynamic Screen Framework.  It allows rules to be defined that determine which fields and applets are shown to which users or user-groups.  It means that one common, “global” page can be created and fields managed by exception, without the need to create dozens of slightly different pages that have to be maintained individually and assigned to different users.

Other typical issues and our solutions are :-  

UI Issue	Our Open UI Improvements
Hard to find important info	Information displayed on hover-over
Excessive Scrolling	Expand views on click and mouse wheel scrolling
Only common views, but diverse users	InterACT Dynamic Screen Framework
Complex flows with no process	Process-based UI (For Example InterACT CPQ)
No 360° view	Dynamic 360° views

Now is the perfect time to grasp the UX bull by the horns and start to make some huge improvements for your users – you have the tools !

Take a look out our website for more info - Siebel Open UI

If you want to know more get in touch,

david.moorman@crmantra.com

Siebel and CADD - Our approach to improving UX

Read more about CADD and our approach to Siebel Open UI on our website
CADD and Siebel Open UI

From despair to delight - how improved UX can re-energise your users

Building physical networks is no easy task – Giving your customer an 100% accurate quote can be just as hard.

Designing networks or configuring data centres is complex, but for many companies the time it takes from designing the solution to getting the order completed can take weeks. 

That’s the ‘sales drag’ and it has a direct impact on your companies bottom line.

With Visual Configurator from CRMantra we can provide a simple and visual way for your sales reps to quickly build and quote for complex networks and services.

Key features:

• Designed for advanced visual configurations
• Works in conjunction with your existing CRM or CPQ system
• Can be used with CRMantra’s sales and service process packs,
• Can be embedded within your own customer, partner or internal portals
• Web-based, responsive design – build network solutions in a drag and drop fashion on desktop or tablets.
• Can provide CAD Drawings as the basis for installation

Take a look at our youtube video - https://youtu.be/89mju8Yf_7g

Visual Configurator can be used within our own guided selling solution (InterActCPQ) 

Built using Responsive Design principles, InterActCPQ provides a consistent experience across desktop and mobile devices.  

Reps won’t miss their spreadsheet once they start using InterActCPQ.  They’ll love closing their deals!

Key features

• Process Templates to facilitate the navigation of the steps to close deals faster.
• Scenario Builder to enable trade-offs between solution offerings, budgets, margins, sales commissions, etc.
• Visual Configurator Designing your solution offering visually is as easy as building Lego!

Take a look at our youtube video - https://youtu.be/X378evLhHfg

Key Benefits

• close deals faster
• increase deal size with recommendations
• radically reduce quotation time
• give your customers a better buying experience
• Accurate pricing every time

Read more about this on our website  - Configure-Price-Quote

For more information please contact david.moorman@crmantra.com or visit www.crmantra.com

Siebel Open UI – My Top 6 - What NOT to do!

Siebel Open UI – My Top 6 - What NOT to do!

1. Don’t approach the project as 2 separate projects - Siebel Configuration Work + OpenUI Web Development work

Most teams end up seeing an OpenUI implementation as 2 separate projects

1. The Siebel Side Changes – BC’s/ Views/ integrations etc.
2. The web changes - creating Presentation Model (PM), Physical Render (PR) , jQuery etc.

A Siebel OpenUI implementation is unique, as it doesn’t work in the same way as other Siebel projects involving multiple systems and teams where a certain degree of 'black box-ness' works. Whilst knowing HTML, JavaScript and CSS is handy, it isn’t the only skill or knowledge the 'web team' needs for a successful OpenUI implementation. Take a quick read of Alex Hansal’s Siebel Blog about this. http://bit.ly/1DN1Zs4

The Web team needs to get an understanding of the concept and architecture of the PM/ PR before their web skills can be used. A silo-based approach only leads to question like –

Who does the Siebel side of the work?

Who does the web part?

What is part of the 'Siebel side work'?

I thought the ‘other’ team was doing this!

2. Don’t “Convert” all 5000+ views to OpenUI

Siebel has 5000+ views available for you to “convert” to OpenUI. You need to figure which ones are 'useful'. A good start is to go with a 95:5 rule – I have evidence that 95% of the views in a person’s responsibility will never be used.

Ask yourself if you REALLY need to show that view across 4 browsers?

A little bit of usage analysis goes a long way in figuring out which are your bread-n-butter views. Start your OpenUI project with those views, don’t try to do everything, come up with a low impact deployment plan.

3. Don’t ignore that flawed process, its not going away unless you fix it.

Most likely you're looking at OpenUI because you already have Siebel. Are their processes that JUST DON’T work for your call centre users? Does it take too many clicks to get to the info they really need?

NEWS FLASH! OpenUI will NOT make that go away. You will have to sit down and put effort into defining these processes first and then figure out how to use OpenUI to create that perfect user workflow.

4. Don’t believe that OpenUI is a fix for an incorrectly configured or designed Siebel implementation.

Do you use scripts for all sorts of field and form validations? Could there be vanilla User Properties that could be used for those?

If your Siebel App is not designed and configured properly, just migrating to and installing OpenUI is not going to magically fix those configuration issues."

5. Don’t blame OpenUI for all performance issues with Siebel

"It takes forever to see the Quote Line Items on Chrome!'

'OpenUI is really slow!'

'It can't take that long to show me the pricing on an Order!'

Any or all of these sound familiar? Let me share a secret - Its NOT OpenUI! It’s your Siebel app! OpenUI will not fix the performance issues caused by bad application design or an un-tuned DB schema!

Upgrading to OpenUI is like adding extra gears to your bike. Sure it’s supposed to make it easier to use, but its not going to fix that flat tyre. You'll need to get that tyre replaced before you see the value of paying for some fancy new gears.

6. Don’t do stuff 'just because OpenUI now lets you do it'

Developers may be itching to add animated views and flashing text… but again… do you really need it? Your users will quickly grow tired of the novelty. So, just because OpenUI lets you do it doesn’t mean you HAVE to do it.

Are you on an OpenUI Project now ? Feel free to add your experiences below and help others in the same predicament !

Read more about our Open UI Services and Solutions on our Website - Siebel Open UI

David.moorman@crmantra.com