Apps make the world go around

Let's look at applications.

Apps are after all the lifeblood of the Apple Store.

Could that same be said for Domino applications?
Keep in mind I am not a developer so let's keep this light for now.

Some have tried to sell apps at a similar pricing structure as Apple, some aim at the corporate solution side and pretty much every IBM Business Partner falls somewhere on the spectrum. And there is the free side of apps available at openntf.org too.

What possesses them all to keep writing applications for a product Microsoft considers dead?

Some argue it is the speed of creating the application. You may know it by the more familiar acronym RAD, Rapid Application Development. And we don't mean a simple one off web page or Notes application that could be done in an hour or 2 or 5 minutes depending on one's prowess. We mean a full featured work flow application or expense report or HR resume collection and processing system. Or a clip board application that synchronizes to a main office via email from the field?

The forward thinking of us realize that there is more to the universe than pure Domino applications as well. The recent announcement about Lotus Connections being bundled with Cognos should lead to a number of interesting applications and plug-ins. So there is a variety within Lotus for everyone.

Naturally companies are loathe to drop any application that runs their business, but the forward thinking companies want to keep that application but move it to the modern times via web apps or mobile device apps.

If you asked someone to take the old apps and rewrite them in a new program, and if the original was a Lotus Notes/Domino application, it may not be so simple. Much of what Domino does in the background natively, would need to be coded from scratch in most other systems. A daunting task in time and money usually.

So if apps are the Holy Grail, why does it matter which platform you right them for? After all, the user never sees the server. And if it is on the web, isn't that all anyone cares about?

The beauty of Domino applications is that a simple flat database could on one hand be an object store but also be the front end UI or the highly interactive forms in a workflow or just as well connect to nearly any depository to manipulate the data in some way shape or form. Could you do the same in other systems, sure, but the expense and effort would possibly out pace the value of the application.

What about the not so corporate world? What do roofers do? Window hangers or painters? Hair Salons or fitness gyms? They can't always enjoy the benefits of such a "large" system...or can they?

Some have a program in place, sometimes a niche product for them, other times a self written one or just a generic one of the shelf. Without being able to easily edit or manipulate these programs, are they really being useful? Would a cloud or purely web solution be more beneficial in these cases? Especially one with a mobile app? Yes indeed and maybe this is an emerging market for some of you. Others may sniff and say it's too small, but everyone started small at some time.

Their applications could be created and leveraged as quantity grows to provide even more benefits than the previous solution, if they had one at all. Like restaurants having an ordering menu for phones which may cost as much as 5 figures in development expense, the benefit is seen over time not all at once. That flexibility, to have an app written by someone else, but then change your menu whenever you need is priceless to that restaurant owner. No one wants software that is difficult to use or learn, they want plain and simple.

But here is the problem, to these companies the app has to be cheap enough while in corporate the same fee would be seen as too cheap, believe it or not it can be viewed this way.

Right now as I look out my window I see delivery trucks, fitness runners, garbage collectors and other business people and each of them could benefit from a simple application, but can you nail the price point?

Sure we could put together something to demo for them in a few hours on Domino and it is what they may want or need? But can you sell it to them? If so, then go do it, if not, find your niche and work it. Talk to your clients, find out what they are looking for to get done, maybe not today but down the road, and start a skeleton of that project to demo.

The beauty of Domino is even a non-developer can really make some good use out of it, if one has the interest. Got the interest? Go download the Lotus Designer client for free and see what you think.

A walk through a client's frustration to a sale

CRM stands for what? Or better, what do you think you get for a CRM system?

I posed this question to a client a few days ago and the Executive was like a deer in headlights.

Some background first. This is a client we have worked with in the past, but for various reasons was unable to commit to a larger project last time we worked with them(just before R8 came out) and they are on 4.6! Still...today, but not for long :-). IT is on our side, loves Lotus and wrote their apps they use that EVERY person in their organization uses for EVERY client.

Problem is he no longer has time to do updates and as you will see, this created some issues that possibly could lead to them dropping the system. Unbelievable really, but it gets worse.

The organization has limited IT budgets to beyond minimal...for maybe 10 years.

Yes i know what you are all thinking, why waste your time with this no win scenario. They have no money, budget, they have an older server (running quite fine I might add thanks to us) use Exchange for email(not going there...in this post), and supposedly the "employees" use rolodexes, not digital ones, physical ones on their desk.

We walked into our meeting and were joined by the IT, head AA, executive VP and a AVP. My type of meeting. Oh and of course they want to move to one unified system.

We were asked about and shown some documents that must get fixed immediately. Nothing broken, but some federal or state mandating reporting requires changes and well, as the customer put it, all the other Business Partners they contacted refused to work on Release 4.6.

When I asked about the changes, the EVP started pointing out all the issues they have and that they will be getting a CRM system, sometime down the road.

I asked in my usual way, what will you get from the CRM system that the existing application doesn't do?

Blink

Blink

Deer in the headlights...almost. I don't think anyone had ever asked the question to the EVP.

A short list followed of things the app obviously COULD do, but no one either ever asked or made an effort to learn how to do it. This last part probably sounds familiar to many that have been in similar situations.

After the list was done and it included simple things like agents to run to let people know when a new request came in or that 30 days have past, reports(monthly/annual/weekly), better way to capture inquiries from the web into a core system(did I mention they use a 4.5 app),and some other bits of importance, I proceeded to explain how each either already existed(although maybe needed some slight edits) or could be added with some development work. They didn't even ask about web use or devices. I found out later that they really are not a very technical savvy organization and we will help them with that too in time.

It was like they won the lottery if you could see their faces as we walked them through not only what they wanted but what they didn't think was possible.

We got on the subject of reporting and how it takes between 1-3 hours(?!) to create a graph or pie chart of their data because they do it all manually. They nearly fell over when I let them know there is a much simpler way to perform that task.

The questions just need to be asked and people will let you know what they need...once you can manage their frustration and bias.

The AVP wanted more flexibility. Again, this is a matter of some questions and inputs to understand the requirements but still nothing impossible.

However I countered with our view of flexibility. Flexibility to us is having a platform that can not only run on any Operating System but on any device(they are a Blackberry shop yet when I mentioned the iPhone/iPad suddenly everyone was excited) and naturally be a web client/app as well.

The client is a respected organization and one which potentially we could, if we get everything together, assist in helping them meet their annual goals on many levels.

All because we were able to paint a picture, using their words and needs in a way that encouraged them to stay with a platform that, once updated, will bring them and their field reps into modern times.

Reducing wasted efforts by roughly 25-75 hours a month.
Estimated savings in dollars per month is between $1,250 - $3,750.
Annual savings: 300-900 hours, $15,000 - $45,000

Amount of money and time lost because of indecision on the clients part for the last 4 years(so they said):1,200-3,600 hours and $60,000 - $180,000

This is a minimum ROI to work with(as more details come in this will no doubt grow). No, they are not a huge organization, but they will see an ROI from our work easily within 2-4 months. And this does not include any new business they may earn because of changes to their application.

What will it cost them to see this return for the graph/pie chart issue? Probably zero or at worst a few hours on our part to document it and test it with them, just depends on them really.

Am I backing down from my recent post about value of an Enterprise solution? Not at all, in this organization it does not take much to make something Enterprise level and we are doing just that because it is THAT important to them.

And we can still do it all for 1/2 of what the Microsoft CRM quote was.

Making a frustrated customer happy and saving them money? Priceless