Case Study: Developing a Field Sales App for Real-Time Estimates

Project Overview: The goal of this 12-month project was to create and launch a custom mobile app for the field sales team. The app would allow sales representatives to collect customer information and generate estimates on the spot, streamlining the sales process. The project involved app creation, vendor selection, third-party software integration, and a successful app launch.

Collaboration was key, requiring input from the marketing, sales, and IT teams, as well as third-party vendors and the app development team. A total of 25 stakeholders were involved. The project faced a significant challenge when the original project owner resigned midway through the process, but despite this disruption, a new project owner joined, and the app was launched on time with strong initial user feedback.

Scope and Objectives:

• App Development: Design and build a user-friendly app that allows field sales representatives to collect customer data and generate estimates on-site.
• Vendor Selection: Identify and partner with a vendor for app development and integrate third-party software tools to support key functionalities.
• Seamless Integration: Ensure the app integrates smoothly with the company’s existing CRM and sales systems.
• Launch and Adoption: Launch the app to the field sales team and achieve a high adoption rate, aiming for at least an 80% approval rating within the first three months.

Stakeholders:

• Internal Teams: The marketing, sales, and IT departments (15 stakeholders) collaborated closely to define app requirements and ensure alignment with business needs.
• External Partners: The app development vendor and third-party software provider (10 stakeholders) were responsible for technical implementation and integration of the required tools.

Challenges:

1. Project Owner Transition: Midway through the project, the original project owner resigned. This created a leadership vacuum and introduced risks related to decision-making and project continuity. The team had to maintain momentum while onboarding a new project owner.
2. Third-Party Integration Issues: Integrating third-party software with the app to allow for visual dimension measuring and mock up proved more complex than initially anticipated. This led to delays in testing and required additional development sprints to ensure seamless functionality.
3. Managing Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Coordinating input from marketing, sales, and IT teams proved challenging, particularly in aligning differing priorities regarding user experience, technical specifications, and business goals.

Execution:

• Initial Planning and Design Phase: The project began with workshops involving the sales and marketing teams to define the app’s core features. IT and external vendors were engaged early on to assess technical feasibility and outline integration requirements for the app with existing systems, including the company’s CRM.
• Vendor Selection and Collaboration: After evaluating several vendors, the project team selected an app development partner with experience in sales tools. Regular meetings were held with the external development team to ensure the app’s progress remained aligned with the project timeline and business objectives.
• Project Owner Transition: When the original project owner resigned, the team worked to maintain project momentum by distributing leadership responsibilities among key team members until the new project owner was onboarded. The new owner conducted a project review to get up to speed and quickly re-established a clear communication structure and decision-making process.
• Overcoming Integration Challenges: Delays caused by third-party software integration were mitigated by running additional development sprints focused on resolving specific technical challenges.
• Testing and Rollout: After resolving integration issues, the app went through rigorous user acceptance testing (UAT) with the sales team. Their feedback helped refine the user interface and ensure the app was intuitive for field representatives. A phased rollout was initiated, starting with a pilot group of sales reps, followed by the full team.

Results:

• On-Time Launch: Despite the project owner transition and integration issues, the app was successfully launched within the 12-month timeline.
• High User Adoption and Approval: Within the first three months post-launch, the app received an 85% approval rating from the field sales team. The majority of users reported that the app made it easier to generate accurate estimates on-site and improved the efficiency of their sales process.
• Improved Sales Efficiency: The app reduced the time needed to produce estimates and submit customer information, which had previously been a manual process. Sales representatives reported spending 25% less time on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on building relationships with customers.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: The project fostered strong collaboration between the sales, marketing, and IT teams, as well as external vendors. This collaboration was key to ensuring the app met both technical requirements and the practical needs of the sales team.

Key Takeaways:

1. Maintaining Momentum During Leadership Transitions: Even though the project owner resigned, the team’s ability to step up and maintain progress ensured there was minimal disruption. Effective internal communication and shared leadership responsibilities were critical in bridging the gap during the transition period.
2. Cross-Departmental Alignment: Coordinating input from marketing, sales, and IT early in the project helped address potential conflicts between user experience and technical requirements. Clear roles and responsibilities, along with regular updates, ensured that all teams remained aligned.
3. Resolving Integration Challenges: Technical issues with third-party software integration were mitigated through additional development sprints. Prioritizing these issues early prevented larger delays further along in the project.‍
4. Successful Adoption Through User-Centric Design: The high approval rating from the sales team demonstrated the importance of involving end users early in the design and testing phases. By incorporating their feedback, the app was designed to be both functional and easy to use in the field.

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