THE MAIN DASHBOARD
One of the major changes we’ve made is the new dashboard, which has actually changed further compared to the one we last showed off. Once you log on to the app, you’ll see a bunch of icons that let you create new items – Contacts, Projects, Timesheets, Discussions, Expenses, Support Cases, and more.
Users of the current version will probably recognize some of the icons, although as you can see we’ve ditched the big block icons for a cleaner and more intuitive flat user interface that gives you more information at a glance. You’ll also notice that these new icons are the same as the ones we’re adding to the web app’s upcoming new UI.
Below the icons, you can see a list of upcoming events for today, this week, and next week. Scroll down a bit further and you’re treated to an activity feed containing a list of items you’ve accessed recently.
Tapping on an item on these lists will take you immediately to that item, letting you access anything you need to go back to quickly and easily.
CREATE MORE ITEMS QUICKLY AND EASILY
The new version of the WORK[etc] iOS CRM app also lets you create and access a lot of things that were not available in Version 2.
With a single tap, you can create any new item straight from the dashboard. You can also swipe to the right to bring up the main app menu and create new items by tapping the + icons beside them. As an example, here’s how you can quickly create a new task:
Discussions and Expenses are all-new additions. Discussions let you create threaded forum-style posts for internal discussions, cutting down on the amount of email you receive. They can also be used to request responses from specific people to make following up faster and easier.
Expenses, meanwhile, can be attached to a project so you can keep track of how much money you’re spending on it. One particularly cool thing about the new iOS app is that you can now take pictures of receipts and attach them to expenses, making documentation that much easier.
We’ve also integrated a version of the desktop timer feature found on the web app into the new version of the iOS app. If you create a timesheet, you can choose to either enter time manually or start a timer.
The ubiquitous + icon that you’ll find on all areas of the app also lets you add any item to the activity stream, which is a running record of everything you’ve ever done with a particular contact, lead, project, or other item.
Whether you’re looking for an old document related to a contact or some old project data associated with one of your older contractors, you’ll find them in those contacts’ activity stream.
If you want to assign a new task to a particular sales lead, for example, you can just tap the + icon then the Task icon while you’re on that sales lead. That will bring up the Task creation screen. If you want to add a sub-project to a project, just tap the + icon then tap Projects. That will create a new project and automatically attach it to the main project.
MORE DETAILED INFORMATION
As you can see in the above screenshot, the new version will let you enter even more detailed information into the app. In Projects, for example, you can set the billing type, edit custom fields, and more, reflecting almost the same level of control that the web app gives.
It’s all nice and familiar, so if you’ve used the web app you won’t have to struggle with learning how the iOS app works.
We’ve also upped the amount of detail available on leads. You can view the age of a sales lead, for example. It also shows what stage in the sales process the lead is at (by default, this goes from Cold to Warm to Hot, but this can be customized to fit your business’s particular sales processes).
All of the fields that you can see on the web app will also be available in Version 3. Tap on any of the contact fields in a sales lead and the app will take you directly to that particular contact record. Need to call a sales lead quickly? Just tap the phone number and your iPhone will immediately start dialing.
ADD TO AND UPDATE ITEMS
Swiping isn’t just used to get to the different areas and sections of the app. While you’re on the contact list, for example, you can swipe left on a contact record to bring up a menu that lets you quickly edit, call, or email that contact.
Again on the contact list, you can also search for contacts and filter the list by swiping left. Of course, you can also search for contacts in the main menu’s global search box.
When you look at a contact record, tapping the arrows on screen will take you through the different sections of that contact record. The Details section, which contains general contact info such as addresses and phone numbers, is the first thing you’ll see.
Right after that is the Custom Fields section. Custom fields allow you to create custom forms, text boxes, drop down menus, label lists, file/image uploaders, and more to collect data more relevant to your business.
Let’s say your company sells and services office water coolers. To make sure your team has all the information they need, you can create a custom field group called Opportunity Profile using the following custom field types:
- Product List – lets you enter the type of water cooler that lead currently has
- Date Picker – lets you enter the date the lead indicated they’re looking for a new supplier
- Labels – lets you designate what industry the lead works in or how high their water consumption is
- Number Field – lets you enter the number of salespeople you have covering the lead’s location
Here’s a comparison of how custom fields look on the web app and on the new version of the WORK[etc] iOS app:
The Custom Fields section is one of the biggest additions to the app. While you can’t create new ones on your iOS device, when you edit a contact record you can now edit and update any of the custom fields.
So When’s It coming out?
We know you’ve been waiting to try the new WORK[etc] iOS CRM app, so we’re glad to announce that our beta testing phase starts today.
To be one of the first users to try the new app, log on to Insiders and complete our iOS Beta Challenge. We’ll be inviting 10 people who completed the challenge every few days until we reach our max target of 50 beta testers.
Not a member of Insiders yet? Go join now!
COMMENTS
My WORKetc is here in my iphone , all time uptime work for client and FOR my team
We need THE new versión for work with moré powerfull
This is looking really great. The refreshed time sheets and contacts plus the new expenses and discussions modules have the potential to transform my working relationship with Worketc and make me much more efficient. I really hope I am one of the 50 chosen few so I can use it sooner!
These updates to the app look so clean and streamlined.. loving the new look.
I’m really going to enjoy attaching everything to anything! I will also be making full use of the timer as I often complete a task and then think, “ummm when did I start that?”..
It also looks like you have made the discussions really simple to follow and add items to which is good as we use discussions a lot to quickly get information bounced around..
The whole overhaul appears a massive progression for the mobile app. Hope that you reap the benefits of this hard work as much as we do!
Love the new look and feel. Dropping the bulkier icons was a smart decision. It looks like a way more efficient (and attractive) UI.
The screenshots are looking really good! Hopefully I’ll get a chance to try the beta to get the full experience of the new version. Just looking at the updates I can see me using the app more than I did before. The app looks clean with the flat styles. I like the fact that the dashboard has been updated to provide more insight into the account immediately. The new timer will probably encourage me to start timing consultation out in the field as well. The new leads is looking great as well. Not sure if this did this before, but I rather see the newest lead entered in the list of leads instead of a list of all leads in ABC order. Overall, nice to see the app coming into play with the community. Still wondering about invoicing as said in a previous comment.
I am glad the mobile app offers Discussions. The ability to create, request and respond to these will change the way our company uses WORK[etc]. Also, the ability to see Custom Fields will improve the accessibility of key metrics for our clients while mobile. Both are welcome additions! I look forward to rolling this out to our entire firm.
OMG!!! From the first screen of “what was” to “what now is” – is awesome. I can’t wait to get into it. As mentioned in other replies – the availability of so much MORE information in the mobile app is going to be a huge benefit. This is going to be my go to app now for out of the office. Thanks WORKetc!
Looking forward to the new app. There are some great new features. Especially the new discussion abilities. The one tap action to create items it also a big time saver when you are on the move. I’ve been waiting for this update for a long time, and see myself using the app much more now.
This looks excellent, I’m looking forward to managing Wetc from my mobile. Any eta on the android version as our business phones are not apple. I assume from previous posts that the features will be the same.
This is great. I am very excited about the expense reporting features, as this is one thing I had to keep going to a computer for. Reporting my expenses from my phone will allow me to report right away and forget about it with out forgetting about it later. Cant wait!
The update looks great on the surface. I look forward to being able to check it out. Adding of the expenses on the app will indeed help … I would say that it would be helpful for my business to be able to lookup and see the invoices for a customer from the IOS device as well. While on a business trip last week I had a customer calling needing to have a copy of an invoice and they did not have access to the customer portal at the time. If it were built into the IOS device to where we could get to the invoice and trigger / send an email that would have been ideal. It didnt exist though. Instead I/we have log into the worketc site then navigate the non responsive, no UI friendly version for the ipad/iphone.
Way to go guys.
If it works as well as it looks like it should – I’m sure there will be a lot of happy clients like me.
Adding photos straight in, pin access, timers, actually being able to see and organise projects and their contents… oh yeah. And better discussion handling on the fly will repalce a mish-mash of communication on the fly which works now as discussuions but only seen when we are in front of our computers (as landscape architects this far from all the day!) – and take over from the other half of the office communication which is currently handled by… sms!
The UI looks amazing! I was working on the customer portal the other day, and had a co-worker comment on how great the customer portal looked. So, I’m sure this update will come with warm welcome. I’m excited with the additional functionality coming to the mobile applications! Especially the expense feature! I know we will have some happy users. Onward & upward.
I can only agree that the UI looks amazing, would love to try this out and especially the project module along with Timesheets. I implement a cloud service for customers and I am on the go a lot and this would help immensely with logging time and updating project progress.
LOVE the new UI. I can only hope to get beta access. This would be huge for our organization!
Having access to our company Worketc data quickly and easy is what we have being waiting for. We find ourselves opening Worketc.com on our Iphone 5s Safari’s browser to look up client’s information. It’s a painful ordeal specially if you are on a hurry. With this update, I hope I will never have to use the Iphone + Safari + Worketc combination again…
As an ‘insider’, I submitted my UUID promptly after receiving the beta notice. Eagerly awaiting further instructions. The app looks VERY good from the walkthrough – keeping my fingers crossed.
This is looking fantastic! Loving the UI and all the new features. Can’t wait to beta test this bad boy and also see this UI translate over to the web app which I know is on the way as well. Keep up the good work!
This is so exciting! I use the heck out of my work etc so i am really looking forward to being on the go with it. Case and point, I went to my cousins wedding an got an urgent ticket and I needed to reply immediately. Because of my ability to manage stuff on the go with Work Etc. i was able to do my job and have some fun!
Looks awesome. I can’t wait to try it out. I am on the road as I write and would love to give the expense features a spin. Keep up the great work.
The new design looks very intuitive! A very refreshing new look and feel. I look forward to trying it out!
I’m extremely excited about this update! It’s going to make things so much easier for our team members who are on the road. They will be able to input leads, manage their todo’s, update information and respond to discussions all from their phone. For one, there can’t be any more excuses for why things didn’t get put into the system and secondly, this gives us the opportunity to update our records in the moment while it’s still fresh. Looking forward to helping with the beta-test and utilizing this in the future during my business travels.
“there can’t be any more excuses for why things didn’t get put into the system and secondly,… update our records in the moment while it’s still fresh”
Thanks Deanna – you hit the nail on the head here. Work in the field is inherently different to work in the office. This is basically the entire thinking we built the new app around.
I’m really impressed by what is clearly some very hard work by the team. I don’t often work from my phone, but when I do, I “just want it to work.”
Also – don’t know who chose your color palette for the new overhaul in design, but they did an awesome job!
heh – thanks, I’ll be sure to let JP, our in-house designer/UX guy to know!
This is most exciting. As someone who spends a huge amount of my day using my iOS devices and mac, better and more refined iOS apps are huge to me! Thanks worketc for continuing to enhance this product!
Excellent Daniel. I have the old App but never really used it. I look forward to testing out this version which looks like another great evolution for WORKetc.
I’m so glad it’s now out in beta! The day Dan sent me the email i downloaded the app for my phone. Now when im on the road with the new load and feel / features im falling in love with it. I’m still getting used it to since i haven’t used the last version before.
I am really impressed with everything you have crammed into the new APP. I can’t wait to try it out. The previous app was good but didn’t provide much functionality for working with existing/new support cases. Thanks for all your hard work!
I haven’t used the current WorkEtc iPhone app although I do have it on my phone, mainly because I don’t like the interface. The new version looks much more user friendly and I would really like to make better use of the app. I’m looking forward to trying this and testing all the features.
Wow! Downloaded the beta this morning and have been using it most of the day. So much easier and quicker to find info, add details and create tickets and notes on the fly. I especially like the contacts area, we’ve been trying to find a way to get the contacts syncd to Outlook (without using clunky G Suite) so that contact info would then replicate to our iphones via O365 / ActiveSync Exchange. The contact area on the new iOS app means we dont have to find a way around this now, Its all there and accessible. Great job!
This feature is awesome! I look forward to being a beta tester. I am very interested to see how you handle challenges of moving from a desk to mobile application. In particular the support case system. To think I can do my work on the go is very exciting! Good job!
Looks great! I would love to give this a spin.
I love the way you have the pictures of the new features above, it gives you a good feel as to whether this new look is worth … well a look! A mention on other OS versions would be helpful too though. Gimme Gimme Gimme!
Can’t wait for the beta to make it to me! Checking for it every day because I need many of these new features to solve several problems and improve our response time to clients. I believe I personally will become more productive and efficient based on what you have shared here.
I’m looking forward to hopefully getting access to the beta. I am particularly interested in the ability to create sub projects. In my line of work I often have one client with many projects ranging fromw web projects to print projects and marketing. I think the ability to do sub projects as well as having a CRM in my pocket will prove really handy for optimising my workflow.
I have tried many iOS apps that make big claims and under deliver. This looks like it will show the way and deliver on promises. I look forward to installing it once I get the hang of the main platform.
Looking forward to the new improvements. Hopefully it’s as good as it looks. Been wanting a good app for WorkETC for a while to get notified on the move, when colleagues assign tasks to me, to get a quicker response time.
Any idea when this is coming out for Android? The current version is definitely not to the standard of the website. I can’t wait for the improvements!