Bringing CRM to a consumer grade just-in-time mobile application

Infor Hook & Loop aimed to revolutionize how field sales representatives interacted with critical CRM data. Recognizing the underutilization of traditional CRM systems and the increasing reliance on mobile devices, the team embarked on Project MAX. The goal was to create a consumer-grade mobile experience that delivered relevant insights and functionalities contextually, precisely when and where they were needed. This initiative inadvertently became a cornerstone of Infor’s broader mobile strategy.

The Challenge

Infor possessed vast amounts of customer data within its various solutions. However, field sales reps struggled to access and leverage this information effectively on the go. Existing desktop-centric CRM systems were cumbersome on mobile devices, presenting overwhelming amounts of data. This led to reliance on inefficient workarounds like spreadsheets and sticky notes, with CRM logins often reserved for mandatory tasks like sales forecasting. The core challenge was to break down data silos and deliver actionable insights to a mobile workforce in a user-friendly manner, moving beyond the limitations of traditional CRM interfaces. As one user insight revealed, “People don’t want a 360 view of anything. It’s too much information. They want a focused view of the relevant information.” Furthermore, managing multiple applications for tasks like scheduling, navigation, note-taking, and accessing client information presented a significant hurdle for field reps.

My Role: Innovation Lead, UX Strategist, Cross-Functional Collaborator

As part of Infor Hook & Loop, I played a pivotal role in driving the vision and execution of Project MAX. This involved:

• Championing a User-Centric Approach: Advocating for the needs and pain points of field sales representatives as the primary driver for design and functionality.
• Facilitating Collaborative Workshops: Bringing together Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and the original Customer Experience team to rapidly define requirements and establish a shared understanding.
• Guiding UX Strategy: Adapting traditional UX methodologies to a fast-paced environment, focusing on identifying critical touchpoints and delivering “value-in-context.”
• Fostering Cross-Functional Collaboration: Building and leading a team with embedded SMEs from CRM, UX, AI, and other relevant disciplines to ensure a holistic and informed development process.
• Navigating Strategic Pivots: Maintaining focus and guiding the team through significant shifts in project scope as Project MAX evolved into Infor’s overarching mobile strategy.

Approach and Outcome

• Rapid Collaborative Workshops: We conducted intensive two-day workshops with SMEs and the original CX team to quickly surface key user needs and establish core design principles like “less is more” and “surface over depth.” This accelerated the initial research phase.
• Leveraging Expert Knowledge: With limited direct access to end-users within the tight deadline, we heavily relied on the deep understanding and firsthand experiences of the embedded SMEs who had direct customer interactions.
• Contextual UX Design: The UX team focused on identifying the specific data and functionality needs at different moments in a field rep’s workflow. This allowed us to move beyond a standard interface and create a dynamic, context-aware UI powered by machine learning.
• Strategic Technology Integration: We strategically combined innovative conversational UI, machine learning, Birst BI tools, Marketo marketing solutions, and Coleman (Infor’s AI solution based on Amazon Lex) to deliver an intelligent and integrated user experience.
• Agile and Iterative Development: We adopted an Agile SCRUM framework with weekly sprints and Friday reviews with stakeholders. This provided crucial checkpoints and facilitated adaptation to the evolving scope of the project.

Through a focused and collaborative effort, Project MAX evolved from an application for field reps to the central pillar of Infor’s mobile strategy. The resulting web-app acted as a unified platform, intelligently provisioning relevant data and functionality based on user identity. This “container” approach allowed for a just-in-time delivery of critical information, effectively addressing the challenge of data overload and fragmented workflows. The integration of AI and machine learning enabled the app to learn user behavior and deliver increasingly relevant insights, transforming it into a single point of access for collective knowledge and information.

The Impact

By focusing on the specific needs of the mobile workforce and leveraging emerging technologies, Project MAX delivered a consumer-grade experience for enterprise CRM data. This initiative:

• Maximized Mobile Workforce Adoption: By providing a user-friendly and contextually relevant mobile solution, it addressed the resistance to traditional CRM systems.
• Enhanced Field Sales Effectiveness: By delivering timely insights and essential tools, it empowered sales reps to be more efficient and informed.
• Established a Core Mobile Strategy: Project MAX inadvertently became the foundation for Infor’s broader mobile strategy, demonstrating the power of a user-centric approach to enterprise solutions.
• Leveraged the Power of AI and Machine Learning: It showcased the potential of intelligent technologies to personalize the user experience and deliver true value from enterprise data.
  
  

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Case Study Project Max (Password protected)