Espocrm Phone App: coming soon

[eymen-elkum]

[EDIT]

This app postponed and we currently working on other projects, will update this note again when we back to this project.

Hi friends,

I would like to open a discussion regarding a mobile application development that will work on the Android and iPhone platforms.

Many clients have asked me about this needed but lost feature. Recently one of them offered to partner financially in the development expenses for this valuable tool.

Here are some key highlights:

• It will be a paid application that works on the principle of monthly or annual subscriptions.
• There will be a free trial.
• The subscription will be based on the number of users to benefit companies as well as individuals.
• The investor wants to monitor the community's interest in this application, watch the responses, and see if there are ideas or notes of any kind before we start this project.
• These comments and responses will be useful to us as developers as well.

Thank you for any input that will make this an even more powerful and effective tool!

[esforim]

Hi Eymen,

Glad to hear you are doing better! This is an on and off project that I keep failing to do, one thing whenever I get stuck and just hiatus it. For your information I use https://platform.appgyver.com/ currently and the project stall for a few weeks now. I have tried many other but currently this is my best bet.

Where it is mostly GUI base so it is easier for someone like me (no code skill) to use; provided that there is enough tutorial on the topic and I can configure it to work with EspoCRM. For you guys with coding skill, this might be useless though. But it support both operating system (Android & Apple), in some way it support "Desktop" as well...

Hearsay here; and research I think you will need to use a multi-platform language such as Flutter if you want dual platform like this, now the next question is "How much do you and your team know of this code?" Otherwise you have to write code for each platform which most people seem to be moving away from.

There is currently 2 mobile phone app for EspoCRM, but the developer is very inactive on the forum so promotion wise it is limited. They both are on Subscription basis if I remember correctly, personally I don't like the Subscription Trend but who am I to dictate your business model. Secondly, not sure of the frequency that they app update so it is questionable if these two app support EspoCRM7. As it is subscription, I shy away from my initial interest and testing.

Glad to see that the investor is planning to finance this project, perhaps engaging in your current client who purchased your extension or on your support list to gauge interest data. Not all open-source project succeed, like all business or Demand vs Supply, but it is something the investor can consider instead.

Don't meant to be negative, but personally from my post there isn't that many a high level of interest in Mobile App for some reason. Maybe because I don't have the following or because there is no functional product to showcase. That said and without making this post even longer, I do look forward to see the result of your work.

[eymen-elkum]

I don’t believe that no coding solutions can achieve usable app

[eymen-elkum]

Thank you esforim for your valuable comment,

First, the project is not started yet, I will announce in this thread if we started, the purpose of this post was to measure the interest of the community in such features, me too not found the level of interest that is enough to push the project forward.
I want to make sure we put the time and client's money on the correct way, I don’t want to waste his money or my time.

Maybe the subject had to be "Why someone would like to see phone app for Espocrm?"

Maybe Barcode scanner is one of the applications of the mobile app, GPS, Calendar and native date picker, but all are maybe not the most important missing features for the community, I may need some insights here, we may discuss another question like "What is the best feature you like me to spend some weeks on?".

We already know flutter & react, we dont plan to write the code twice that will be very expensive,

[esforim]

Once you mention Barcode, this is a must have feature. Not only for Invoice adding, but if possible the following two feature would be great:

1) Scan and open. For example if I scan a QRcode: Contract/12399sdau it will open it up, if not found perhaps it will search for UniqueID:12345
2) Scan and add. Be great for Invoice adding, and can be expand for Inventory Management, etc.
3) GPS tracker would be great for data logging and auditing employee.

Anyway if I write anymore the Wishlist just get too long

[eymen-elkum]

I will be interested in seeing your wishlist

[rabii]

Hey Both,

The idea is interesting, the only challenge here is how to implement customization logic into the mobile app. e.g having different custom views / layouts etc could be problem to render on mobile phone and if the mobile app will keep sync with the web app properly. it is interesting to see such initiative. One more thing i think pricing needs to be remodel charging per user / per month not sure will trigger interest of companies using the crm. i would think sticking with an annual subscription fee (unlimited users) but only one instance (meaning mobile app should be able to connect to only one espocrm instance).

Good luck and looking forward to seeing where this goes, definitely would be interested to use such product.

Thanks
Best regards,

[eymen-elkum]

Hey Rabii,

Thank you for the kind words, I agree with you about this challenge, espocrm is very dynamic and this is it most important feature, our experience in espocrm will help to address this point, customizations will be available on the phone app for sure otherwise will be not completed product.
For custom views of fields this is also a challenge, we made a study about this as well, and it is workable, but for the custom views classes will be rendered as raw data or using closest supported parent view.

Pricing plans are subject to be determined to suit the community for sure, I think your suggestion makes sense.