Island Web Works

This post is part of a MIGTurbo CRM 2 series that will highlight the key improvements and features in the new product that we’ll be running over the next few months. You can also follow our Twitter account @migturbo for regular updates on progress.

Early on in the MIGTurbo CRM 2 development we asked ourselves if the current graphical user interface (GUI) was in fact the best one, or if we should consider taking another approach.  We had numerous discussions where we batted around different ideas, and ended up trying out several prototypes before committing to the final GUI.

Taskbar interface

In our first approach, we wanted to link back to the familiarity of Windows by making the interface taskbar-centric.

A main menu button would trigger a start menu, from where you could select different modules to be displayed in separate windows.  Each module window would have a button in the taskbar, from where it could be restored if it had been minimized or obscured by other windows.

Whilst it had obvious benefits in being very flexible and working a lot like the Windows GUI, several problems soon arose.  The main one was the confusion of having a second taskbar in addition to the Windows taskbar.  Another problem was clarity - with multiple windows active at any one time, potentially overlapping or obscuring each other, it would be difficult to get a quick overview of what information you have available.

Accordion interface

To address the problems with the taskbar interface we came up with a GUI with expandable/collapsible panels in the style of an accordion interface. 

Vertical lists of panels could be expanded by collapsing other panels in the same vertical ‘lane’.  Multiple tabs could also be combined to form tabbed panel areas.  This way we could utilise as much of the screen real estate as possible without making the interface too cluttered.

This approach worked to a degree, but turned out to offer less flexibility than we’d anticipated.  It was, after all, just a fixed layout of panels.  Also, the idea of having to constantly hide panels to display others felt counter-intuitive and cumbersome.

Docking interface

Our third approach was a docking interface, where panels could be docked to form tabbed panel areas, tucked away as pop-out tabs or left as floating window panels.  This gave us a high degree of flexibility - recreating the classic layout of MIGTurbo 1 series was a piece of cake, for instance.  At the same time, this approach really maximised the use of available space.  Different layouts could also be saved for instant recall, allowing the operator to open an ‘end-of-month’ view for the monthly summary, or a marketing view when sending out email shots.

From prototype to final GUI

Once we tested the third prototype, it was quite clear we had a winner.  Ease-of-use combined with flexibility and clarity put the docking interface way ahead of the others.  That it could be made to look like the MIGTurbo 1 series GUI was a nice bonus, as it would reduce the learning curve for our existing user base.  So, as it turned out, we did have a good interface in the older versions of MIGTurbo, but the new docking functionality will bring it to a whole new level of usability.  Exciting times indeed!

This post is part of a MIGTurbo CRM 2 series that will highlight the key improvements and features in the new product that we’ll be running over the next few months. You can also follow our Twitter account @migturbo for regular updates on progress.

Andreas MIGTurbo, MIGTurbo CRM 2

I attended a very interesting talk given by Steve Burrows on Enterprise Class CRM solutions last week, held at a local BCS meeting.

What struck me was the inference (intentionally or otherwise) that CRM for a big company was different to CRM for smaller companies. The talk was very informative, however, whilst the case study being presented had undoubtedly achieved the business objectives, it struck me as odd that you might approach a small business implementation differently.

In the enterprise space, a lot is made of a product’s scalability and the level of integration that can be achieved. Whilst sometimes relevant - far more important is a thorough understanding of the problems you are trying to address.

Statistics show that more than 80% of CRM projects fail. I personally believe this is due more to insufficient knowledge (of the business processes) than a poor choice of software.

The concept that an Enterprise Class CRM solution is somehow different to a small business CRM solution conveniently ignores the simple reality that; the most scalable, expensive and complex software package will deliver little business benefit if you don’t have a clear understanding of what you need it to do. Conversely, if you have a thorough and detailed understanding of how your business works and what you need to do to make it more efficient, the simplest and least expensive of solutions MAY be all you require.

The magic ingredient is KNOWLEDGE, knowledge of your business; how it works; how to make it work better; faster; more profitably and effectively. Ironically, CRM systems were originally sold as Knowledge Management systems, maybe that drew too much attention to the fact you actually need KNOWLEDGE in order to achieve success.

Charles Response BCS, CRM, Steve Burrows

This post is part of a MIGTurbo CRM 2 series that will highlight the key improvements and features in the new product that we’ll be running over the next few months. You can also follow our Twitter account @migturbo for regular updates on progress.

When we blogged about the new client/server model of MIGTurbo CRM 2, we gave a hint as to how we see users interacting with the product. This post discussed how the database server was “hidden” behind the MIGTurbo application server. But if the user cannot connect to the MIGTurbo database directly, how can they use MIGTurbo?

MIGTurbo CRM 2 brings with it a comprehensive API for extending the product both at the server level, and at the client-level. Using this API, we can provide secure access to MIGTurbo data using nothing more than a server URI, a username and a password. We’re going to include two “clients” out of the box.

MIGTurbo CRM 2.0 Silverlight Client

The MIGTurbo CRM product demands a rich user interface that is a pleasure to use, as it is often the key component on a user’s desktop. We were keen on retaining a web user interface, but we didn’t want to find ourselves working around the complexities of web pages and utilitising toolkits that were stretching the web experience to its limit. We developed a number of mock-ups using web page-based user interfaces but felt that we still lacked the killer customisation and user-driven experience we required. Until we created a mock-up in Microsoft Silverlight.

Microsoft Silverlight is a rich internet application (RIA) platform that allows development of web experiences that combines the mashing together of web data and technologies and a rich user experience. While it is implemented in much the same way as Adobe Flash, it is actually a richer and more comprehensive platform. Silverlight brings with it a subset of the .NET Framework, building on existing APIs such as WCF and WPF. Much of the code between server and client can be shared, and using the Microsoft stack, we were able to create an attractive and extensible user interface on business data. We’ve remained loyal to our user interface, too, as you’ll see in upcoming screenshots.

Using Silverlight, it is also possible to “install” MIGTurbo locally. This “out of browser” experience creates an icon in your Start Menu that behaves in most ways as if the software was installed locally on your own machine. This reduces the gap to the server, but it is important to note that MIGTurbo will continue to run in all the major browsers on the Windows platform (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) and also the Apple Mac platform.

Silverlight remains amongst the most secure application platforms available on the internet today. It also is not standing still. The upcoming release of Silverlight 4 promises interoperability with desktop applications, webcams and more. Rumours abound of Silverlight appearing on mobile devices being announced in the MIX10 event from the newly rebranded Windows Phone to Symbian devices. If you’re in doubt, check these trends out for people investigating Silverlight as opposed to ASP.NET on Google.

MIGTurbo CRM 2.0 Office Client

Not all users will need to use MIGTurbo for their day-to-day work. And not all users work in a web browser silo to fulfil their function. That is why MIGTurbo CRM 2.0 will extend the successful Outlook Toolbar add-on to provide more functionality direct from Microsoft Office.

Users of our Outlook Toolbar have seen how integrating with MIGTurbo and MIGTurbo DocuMentor has made their job dealing with items in their inbox much easier, especially when relating communication back to clients, respondants and candidates. We’re building on this functionality to dig deeper into MIGTurbo, providing features from across the product including any plug-ins. The MIGTurbo toolbar will appear in Microsoft Outlook and will also soon appear in Microsoft Word and Excel. You won’t be far from MIGTurbo, whatever your role may be.

This is possible using the MIGTurbo CRM 2 API. We’re already starting to hear expressions of interest on how our clients can utilise this API for themselves to extend our existing user interfaces and build entirely new ones for their own specific purposes. The API is secure and uses the Microsoft stack so will be readily portable onto desktop, web and portable devices.

These posts discuss features of MIGTurbo CRM 2. While we have every confidence that these features will appear and work as discussed, these blog posts do not represent a final product specification. We will release final product specifications at launch.

Nathan MIGTurbo CRM 2 MIGTurbo 2.0, MIGTurbo Outlook Toolbar, Silverlight, User Experience (UX)