CRM - August 2008 - (Page 33)

This view of a relationship chart from the SalesCentric interface for Microsoft Dynamics CRM displays critical information about client hierarchy— including whether a contact is a champion, neutral, or an adversary. “The look of the UI is in context of the account—you should see important networking at one click, immediately,” says Eivind Sandstrand, vice president of USA product marketing for SalesCentric. consulting the users to find out what they want is a must.“A big part of our UI is created by the customer, which is important because every company is different.” Another important concern when designing for mobile devices is what the device’s own physical design calls for. “You should create your applications using the underlying technology of the device—you can’t build a client to cover all bases,” Carini says. Still, some concepts are constant across all platforms, mobile or not.“Minimize clicks in the workflow,” he sug- gests.“Give as much information as you can without overloading the user. Information literally should be one click away.” A Brief History of the GUI Either because it is lost to history or because of weak research skills, the original coinage of graphical user interface (GUI) is a bit hazy. Many would point to the early-1970s work of Alan Kay and the engineers at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (now known as PARC) as the source, but it’s the work of computing pioneers such as Douglas Engelbart and Ivan Sutherland that really laid the groundwork for the sort of computer experiences we have today. Prior to their work in the 1960s, computers were fairly inaccessible to the layperson, and the interface was a choice between punch cards and a monochrome screen with text. For more on the early pioneers of the GUI and other userfriendly approaches to computing, see an extended version of this sidebar at www.destinationCRM.com/08Aug. THE NEW BIG PICTURE “Business software has a dismal adoption rate, because nobody in design thinks like a sales guy who wants to do something on one screen in five seconds, not six screens in a minute,” says Eivind Sandstrand, vice president of USA product marketing for SalesCentric, a Microsoft Dynamics partner specializing in visual relationship networking. “Many vendors’ designs, at best, give the equivalent of drawing an organizational chart on a napkin,” Sandstrand says. SalesCentric makes customers’ organizations much more transparent for salespeople. “Our concept is pervasive CRM visualization,” Sandstrand says. “The look of the UI is in context of the account—you should see important networking at one click, immediately.” (See the screenshot, above, for an example.) Instant access to a display of client-hierarchy info may not seem exciting, but what SalesCentric does is at the heart of CRM. “You can get salespeople to work deals better,” Sandstrand says. “Even half a deal extra per customer per year—on average, obviously—is a big addition to the bottom line for free.” Plus, he adds, it’s a natural way to work. “Clicking open another screen or list isn’t visual—and so much of perception is visual.” Contact Senior Editor Marshall Lager at mlager@destinationCRM.com. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | AUGUST 2008 www.destinationCRM.com 33 http://www.destinationCRM.com/08Aug http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - August 2008

CRM - August 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Maximum Security A Code Win Doesn’t Blow Forming the Platform CRM on Twitter CRM Class Is in Session Making CRM Mandatory for University Administration Required Reading Cover Story: Calling it Quits Wouldja Look at That? 8 Enterprise Strategies That Stick CRM Searches for Search All Lines Are Not Busy UC: As Easy as A-B-C Even Contact Centers Have Room for Improvement Money Lying Around? Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Scouting Report Pint of View

CRM - August 2008

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