How to Develop CRM Mobile App like PipeDrive?

The exodus of internet users from PC to mobile devices started way back in 2011. Now, as much as 56% of global internet traffic is accounted to mobile devices. Seeing this it becomes imperative for businesses to shift their focus on mobile devices as well when it comes to their legacy systems. 

The sales department, for most businesses, is usually always on the go. In such a case, it becomes even more important for them to have a mobile version of their CRM systems, which they can use to keep track of their deals, customer contacts, and more in order to remain most productive throughout the day. 

Cloud solutions have already simplified this opportunity to a point. Responsive web services on the cloud are used daily to keep work in progress at least. It is to be noted, however, this makeshift solution is simply not enough. One needs to have proper mobile versions of the CRM software to bring true efficiency into their systems. 

PipeDrive: The Mobile Revolution to Sell on the Move

PipeDrive is a revolutionary app that is solving the major challenge of sales teams across the globe. Easy to integrate with legacy CRM systems for data migration, the mobile app is simplifying for sales personnel to maintain a record of their work when outdoors. It also facilitates them to carry all the required information in their pocket. Here is a brief list of what all a sales team member can achieve by using a mobile CRM app like PipeDrive.

• Synchronize data in real-time as soon as there is any update with a lead or client. 
• Plan day and follow-up with it by integrating the app with the native calendar app. 
• Contact clients and leads directly from the app. 
• Update opportunities and update the quality of lead when away from the desk. 
• Access dashboards and plan work schedules while on the go. 
• Open and share important files from remote locations. 

With all these functionalities, the app allows its users to work from anywhere and at any time. For more features, you can invest in developing a custom app with all functionalities of PipeDrive and then some more.  

Development of a Custom PipeDrive like Mobile CRM App

A custom solution that clones all the important features from PipeDrive should be developed with your business requirements at the core of it. Ideally, to make the software future-oriented and efficient, it is considered ideal to run all the functionalities through distributed processing. This way, no matter how complex a functionality be, they can run smoothly on your mobile OS, since all the processing is done on the server-side. 

Another benefit of developing a custom app with cloud-processing abilities is that the data will always remain consistent, no matter through which device one is accessing it.  

Now it is noteworthy, that you can find readymade CRM solutions with the aforementioned abilities; however, those pose the risks of vendor lock-ins. This is why if you want a reliable custom mobile CRM solution like PipeDrive, it is best you invest in customized mobile CRM app development services. In fact, Gartner has predicted ages ago that majority of organizations will realize this need and opportunity of the hour and has invested in adopting mobile CRM solutions for their teams. Here are some of the significant benefits of investing in a custom solution instead of adopting an existing one like PipeDrive. 

• Unlike pre-built mobile CRM solutions, with a custom one, you will not have to pay for the package of features that come with the app but are of no use to your organization. Other than saving money, you will also save time for your team which otherwise would have been spent in finding a way around the unnecessary features. 
• With a custom solution, you can automate not just the sales department’s tasks, but also that of marketing, analytics, and customer support. All you need to do is create distinct interfaces of the app for all the teams so they have to deal with the features and information important solely to them. 
• The reason you will have an easier time integrating the workforces is that with a custom solution you will have the power of aggregating the data at a central repository. Other than offering the availability of consistent data across all user roles, this also saves you resources in storage maintenance. 
• All teams will be in touch with the latest updates with leads and clients, and would not have to wait for the end of the day to do their tasks. They can move simultaneously through the omnichannel experience, and achieve their goals with no interludes. 

PipeDrive Like CRM Mobile App Development Stages  

Developing a CRM mobile app is quite different than developing a regular mobile app. It’s more complex and intricate a process that involves integration and seamless synchronization functionalities with every feature. This is why it’s ideal to understand this development process by dividing it into four distinct stages.

Pre-development Stage 

Like every other app, the primary step for a PipeDrive like mobile app development also includes market research and planning. However, unlike most apps, here you will have to consider the workflow of your organization beforehand. This is because, unlike other apps, this one will work in close proximity with your existing legacy systems, and will need data migration to-and-fro, every time a user interacts with the app. As such, seamless integration, ceaseless communication, fault tolerance, consistency of data and high availability become essential factors to consider before beginning the development phase. Here is a brief overview of the steps you will need to take to successfully complete this stage of your new app’s journey. 

• Arrange brainstorming sessions with your business and sales departments to understand their respective viewpoints and expectations from the app. You need a complete understanding of the digital requirements, functions, and respective goals of all the departments involved. 
• Once you know the expectations of your business, you can conduct market research to see which are the closest solution available in the market. PipeDrive is definitely one of the apps you will study at this stage, but if you want your app to have any custom features, it’s a good practice to see the different apps that meet your requirements and understand their fallouts. This will help you formulate a more conducive list of features. 
• Create a list of essential and basic features and add more to the list as per your business requirements. This step is important to finalize the features of the MVP version of your app as well as that of its more futuristic version. 

App Design Stage 

In this stage, tasks involved in the creation of the app’s UX are accomplished. And when we talk about UX, it’s important to understand that it will not be about just the aesthetics and visual features of the app. Most of the time here will be spent in creating a flow of the app that meets your business requirements, the features, and the storyboard of the app.  

• Understand the daily work routine of your sales team and create an ideal flow for the mobile app that can simplify their tasks without disrupting its flow. 
• Create a wireframe of the app and add all elements that your sales team needs to interact with. Placement of the features should be made in a way that reflects the frequency of their use. 
• The functional design of the app should be tested then by your sales personnel. If they face any issues at this point in time, those should be immediately addressed so that the upcoming stages can move without friction. 
• Once the functional design is approved, the interface can be built using the reliable user interface libraries of the platform the app is supposed to be built for, to create a working prototype of the app. 
• After creating the functional prototype, it’s time to work on the aesthetics of the app. This will include white labeling of the app and adding visual elements that match the company’s standards.

Mobile CRM development and QA

It is important to include development and QA steps together in this stage. Why? Because an app with as intricate features as PipeDrive can easily fall into the trap of endless cycles of development and testing unless both the processes are conducted side by side. This is why, Agile practices that support simultaneous development and testing processes are ideal for mobile CRM development. 

• Understand the dependability of different features and create sprints backlogs for basic, as well as, more advanced and futuristic functionalities. 
• Set up your cloud configuration for distributed storage and processing. While at it, also create provision for Big Data analytics that will help you down the line in making better business decisions. 
• Finalize the features for MVP or Minimum Viable Product version of the app. These will be the features that have the least or no dependencies on the remainder of them. These will also be the features essential to make the app fully functional for basic requirements. 
• Develop and deploy the MVP and begin user testing on the beta version right away. Collect responses from users and create the list of updates to be made for the next version. 
• Complete next sprints, complete with development and quality assurance and deploy next versions in quick successions to keep your app ahead of the curve. 
• Add more features to your list as and when you collect behavioral and application insights from your users to keep the app growing as per the requirements of your users. This will help you retain them and scale your business, all at the same time. 

Deployment and Integration 

Now once all the essential features of the app are developed and validated, it’s time for the deployment of the app for your team and to see how easily they are able to adapt to it. In case, the team faces significant problems, even after vigorous training, you can have their pain points addressed in the next iteration of development. In this last stage, you will also integrate all your different enterprise systems to offer your team an absolute experience.

Cost to Develop CRM Mobile App like PipeDrive 

The cost to develop an app like PipeDrive depends on a variety of factors not least of which are the features, and their complexities, of the app. PipeDrive by itself is quite a powerful tool with great UX elements, and if you want to build an app exactly like it, or an app that clones its most popular features, then your cost will depend on the region of development. You see, not all regions have developers with uniform hiring rates. Developers from emerging nations usually charge much less than their counterparts, majorly because of the currency differences. 

That being said, here’s an estimation on how long it takes to develop specific modules of an app like PipeDrive- 

• Accounting and Sales modules: 60-90 hours  
• Workflow management: 60-90 hours  
• Business process automation: 100-120 hours 
• Third-party integration: 50-200 hours 

Since these modules themselves can have any number of features with varying degrees of complexities, the cost and timeline can vary even from the ranges mentioned above. The best way, hence, to know the cost to develop an app like PipeDrive with custom features is to communicate your requirements directly with a mobile app development company and request a quote from them.

Wrap Up

The ability to manage customer relations while on the go can revolutionize your team’s productivity. By investing in a custom Pipe Drive like CRM mobile application, you can see to it that your team doesn’t only have the ability to manage their work when away from the desk, but also have additional capabilities when it comes to connecting with the customer in person or on call. 

So now if you’re looking for a CRM mobile app development company, to get this job done, look nowhere further. Matellio with its decades of experience and a host of highly skilled developers can prove to be the best help you would want for your project. Our team has mastered the Agile processes which can then help you build a custom CRM solution like PipeDrive in no time. All you need to do to begin your app’s journey is book a free consultation session with our experts. They will understand your requirements and create a roadmap for your app, SRS, and a free quote. Once that’s approved you can rest assured and be ready to launch your PipeDrive mobile CRM app in the quickest time.