Adding mobility to Microsoft Dynamics CRM: A case for customization

There are a range of mobile options for a Microsoft Dynamics CRM customer, from Microsoft's own mobile phone interface and the newer tablet client to configurable app platforms to licensed apps and custom development. With the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and the emergence of other mature mobile technologies, the possibilities for creating a high value mobile app tailored to improving business performance have never been better.

A specialized mobile solution built on top of Dynamics CRM can offer a variety of benefits, from boosting sales to improving operational efficiency to standardizing business processes in a growing organization. Considering the range of options today, let's look at two interesting new examples that help show off the way the capabilities of Dynamics CRM and other Microsoft technology can be blended into a mobile experience that offers unique benefits. We'll explore the first here and the second in a follow up article.

City Wide Franchise (CWF), a building services company based in Kansas City with 37 locations around the US, knew they needed a real mobile solution when they lost support for their old custom application that managed customer routes, inspections, and other operations.  The old solution really wasn't mobile, either - it required a laptop with a VPN connection where a worker could transpose notes from paper forms after site visits were completed.  The existing app integrated with Dynamics GP, a capability they wanted to bring forward, along with providing full visibility in Dynamics CRM.

CWF needed a new mobile app that could support three main roles - their district operations managers, facility service managers, and ...