15 questions to find the right Salesforce1 mobile strategy for your use case.

There’s no doubt that we are in the midst of a major disruption in the business application space. The desktop is dead; and mobile technologies are quickly shifting from a convenience to a necessity. Don’t believe me? All the proof you need is in this salesforce.com blog post, 20 Game-Changing Mobile Stats. From Sales to Service, customers to partners, the mobile workforce is here to stay. The only question, is which mobile solution is right for you?

When it comes to taking Salesforce mobile, there are a few solutions to choose from. As of Dreamforce 2013, you have three options:

1. Build a custom mobile app on the Salesforce Platform
2. Buy, install, and deploy a solution from the Salesforce AppExchange
3. “Check the box” and deploy your pre-existing Salesforce solution to your mobile workforce, via Salesforce1 Mobile

From our own research, 71% of salesforce.com customers in a Sales role believe it is crucial to access customer information in real time from a mobile device. Additionally, we found that 52% of salesforce.com customers are building custom mobile apps, and 42% of Salesforce customers are already using the Salesforce1 Mobile App.

For businesses, Salesforce1 is the new shiny toy. It provides an all-encompassing platform with nearly identical functionality to its desktop counterpart. Before assessing your three Salesforce Mobile options, let’s take a deeper dive into salesforce.com’s newest feature.

What is Salesforce1? It’s an app and a platform.

With Salesforce1, salesforce.com customers have a powerful mobile container to manage their business from anywhere. The new mobile solution delivers an open ended platform, with all the powers of core Salesforce functionality with the option to build new functionality that is use case specific.

RELATED POST: What The Salesforce1 Platform Means for Developers

The key to all successful mobile strategies starts with a solid use case. One that supports the business level goals and can be tied to immediate business impact. 

We recommend starting with the ‘what,’ then focusing on the ‘how.’ The “what(s)” are the discrete customer or employee moments that mobile has the potential to enable, or drastically enhance. Enabling these cuts through existing workflows of your employees, customers and partners and often is aimed towards increasing productivity and engagement. Once you have prioritized the ‘what’ then, focus on the the ‘how.’

Whether you are thinking about deploying Salesforce Mobile, or you have already flipped on the Salesforce1 Mobile app, here are 15 questions to to consider to determine if Salesforce1 is the best fit for your use case.

The Process and Use Case

Prioritizing the use cases to mobile enable first is often the hardest part of any mobile strategy. The easiest way to start is by getting in your employees, partners, and customers shoes. Ride alongs with users highlight where pain points are and ways mobile can enhance workflows.

• How complicated is the use case? 
• How often does it happen? Multiple times per day, daily, weekly, etc.?
• How time sensitive is this action; does it need to happen in real-time?
• What business level goal or strategy will the mobile app support?

UX/Design

Once you know your use case, run it through these User Experience questions. Remember for all mobile app projects, design plays a major role in how the app works. The more mission critical the use case (especially if it is customer facing), the greater the need for branded interfaces. 

• How many clicks does it take to execute the use-case in Salesforce1?
• Does it need to be branded?
• How streamlined does the app need to be?

Technology and Resources

Although salesforce.com has removed many barriers to enabling mobile with Salesforce1, to date, there are some constraints in terms of technology, resources, and devices. 

• Does SF1 do this out of the box?
• Do you already have something built in SFDC? 
• If so, it mobile optimized?
• What technology resources do you have access to? 
• Does your mobile device environment include any other than iOS and Android?
• Does the process require offline access, would this need to be optimized?

End Users

When implementing new technology it is critical to address the changes occurring and how will they affect everyone involved.

• How will this app fit into the current app portfolio?
• Will this app aid or hinder adoption?

Depending on the maturity and needs of your mobile solution, all three options can serve as a viable choice. There will be some situations where an AppExchange solution is your best bet, while others will require the custom route. We say, “think toolbox vs. swiss army knife.” The paradigm for mobile is very different than desktop applications—it’s not about having all capabilities jammed into one experience, mobile requires multiple focused applications that do distinct processes very well.

Learn more information on how leading companies are innovating on the Salesforce1 Platform in our annual review, The State of Salesforce. Get the report