Revamping our Internal CRM System with HCL Domino 

Here at GroupWave, we’re all about using the HCL Domino platform to help our customers with cost-friendly and efficient custom application development. However, we also like to use it to (re)build applications for ourselves. We previously explained how we used Domino to build Visitool, a Proof of Concept (POC) that grew into a full-fledged visitor registration tool. In this case, we’ll discuss how we revamped an old Lotus Notes application into a modern CRM system with Domino. Let’s dive in!

A Versatile and Responsive Platform 

A while ago, we decided to revive our existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application, which had become outdated and wasn’t that easy to use. We wanted to turn it into a centralised tool with an updated look and feel for managing contacts, following up on licenses, and other related tasks.

One important requirement for this renewed system was that our consultants should be able to use it while working on a client’s environment. Thanks to the versatility of HCL’s ecosystem, we could offer a seamless experience on desktops (using HCL Notes), on mobile devices (with HCL Nomad), and in the browser (via the webserver built into HCL Domino).

Kicking Things Off 

We kickstarted the development of our new CRM system with a brainstorming session. Since we wanted to build on the existing Notes application, we identified which of its functionalities we wanted to keep as they were, which we wanted to improve, and which new ones we wanted to add.

However, we didn’t need any additional resources to get started. As we pointed out in our Visitool case, projects with HCL Domino are generally small in scale, because it provides so much functionality out of the box. In most cases, a single developer can take care of the whole project, including analysis, development, and processing feedback.

“As a developer, HCL Domino is a clear example of the benefits of a Rapid Application Development (RAD) platform. Since you typically take care of everything yourself, the analysis phase is relatively short, you don’t need to write tons of functional documentation, and you can get to the good stuff as soon as possible.”

• Guillaume Parent, Domino developer

Smooth Development 

Since we had an existing application to base ourselves on and could use all the benefits of the HCL ecosystem, the actual development went smoothly. We started by updating the existing lay-out and functionalities of the Notes app to improve the user experience for the desktop and mobile versions.

Then, we created a RESTful API with LotusScript to expose the data and business logic, using the integrated security of the HCL ecosystem. Just like Visitool, the frontend of the web application has been built using React and the Tailwind CSS framework. That way, we keep our technology stack consistent across internal projects.

“With HCL Notes, you can work fully encrypted, since all data is secured up until the document level. Developers won’t have to take additional measures to protect desktop applications, but of course, standard security best practices for web development still apply.”

• Tom Van Aken, Domino developer

Additions and Expansions 

Of course, we also added new functionalities, some of which are platform dependent. For example, we added a filtering feature to the website. Using a default JavaScript library supported by Google Chrome, we implemented a Speech-To-Text functionality. That way, you can easily use voice recording to ceate a new follow up task from your mobile device or when you are in the car.

Besides adding new functionalities, we also worked on expanding existing features. A clear example of this is the list of contacts, which is now a lot easier to use thanks to several integrations:

• Clicking on the contact’s phone number automatically sends it to the dialler on mobile.
• By clicking on the contact’s email address, you can open your email client.
• Selecting the contact’s address opens it in Google Maps for easy navigation.

Work in Progress 

While we took some extra time to figure things out internally, setting up a similar CRM system for a client would take us less than a month. Rather than a project with a fixed end date, we approach the CRM system as a continuous development initiative, which we also do for some of our long-term customer partnerships. As we start using the new application and gather more data from more users, new needs will arise, which we can easily process into updates using HCL Domino’s developer-friendly way of working. We’re excited to see what we will come up with next!

Looking for a long-term partnership or an easy-to-use platform to deliver custom applications at a fraction of the cost and time? Contact us today to learn more about HCL Domino and our services!