Offline first is the next best thing to mobile first. What if we told you that by taking an offline first approach will guarantee both a maximum productivity gain and a maximum employee engagement?
We’ve All Been to the Dark Side
In a short amount of time, we’ve used to our smart mobile devices and a ubiquitous connection. So much that any drop in the quality of this connection will freak the heck out of us. When in a business situation, we can even easily justify this frustration: there is a lot at stake if we cannot perform at any given moment.
Unluckily for us, there are still places on Earth like cellars, attics, tunnels or rural areas that are uncovered by a mobile data connection. Sometimes we even have to do business in these places. Like closing deals or moving them forward.
Financial sales reps work hard to build the trust that leads the way to close a contract. But that trust can easily be lost with a mobile application not functioning seamlessly. So it literally costs hard cash to lose connectivity and, meanwhile, not having all functions available offline.
Why Should Online and Offline Use Be Any Different?
The average user doesn’t want to differentiate. If he or she likes the application, then expects it to perform the same in all circumstances.
With an app of limited offline capabilities, a field sales agent will first be frustrated at the slowness of the connection and loses trust in a mobile solution. Next time he will bring paper and pen and slowly forget about the app altogether.
If he has to carry around a mobile device with apps AND a paper map, a planner book, printed sales material, contracts, and a calculator, then all the effort of developing a mobile app is down the drain.
Operational efficiency gains can only be achieved when there is no disruption of services due to a lack of or low-quality connection.
True Offline Offers Invisible Support
It all comes down to user experience: as soon as the sales reps are not frustrated with the possibility of connection failure, they won’t be using paper and pen anymore and will fully take advantage of the app’s features.
In a truly offline mobile application, all functions are available without data connection:
- Maps of the relevant areas can be viewed.
- Client data and classification is available.
- New data entries are possible.
- Presentations, contracts, brochures are all stored on the device.
- Calculations use local databases.
- Calendar entries, like new appointments, are seamlessly added.
So, sales reps lose no data and no opportunities to present the full range of their offer, as well as the documents necessary to close a deal.
But when a data connection IS available, the true offline application will build itself up to a true online one:
- Client, product and content data is synchronized between the device and the server.
- Team tracking is updated.
- Notifications can be pushed out or received.
In order to have true offline functionality, you need to have a native app: it gives the highest achievable user experience, it is the most secure, and it uses the resources of the device ideally.
Ask for Offline First
It’s your best interest to understand what are the requirements to include in your new app development that will support you in maximizing your field sales potential. Then, select a vendor that can deliver a true offline solution and see how much of an impact that has on your business.
