Knowledge Base, Email Signatures, More Added to WORK[etc] Mobile Apps

Our Android and iOS devs have just made a couple of feature requests come true: both apps now have a knowledge base module as well as a list of employees on company contact details. Email signatures have also been added to the Android and iOS apps’ support module.

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Knowledge Base

First off, let’s take a look at the new knowledge base feature built into the latest versions of the WORK[etc] CRM mobile apps (version 3.1.4 on Google Play for Android users, version 3.1.6 on the App Store for iPhone users). See the screenshots below for details on how to access and use it.

Accessing the new knowledge base module. Click to zoom.

The app’s knowledge base is very useful for when you quickly need to refresh your memory about your internal processes, services, or products — especially when you’re out in the field. It’ll also come in handy for getting a new team member up to speed on key company concepts.

If you’re a digital marketer and need to explain to a client what the difference is between a raster image and a vector graphic but can’t quite find the words, for example, you can just whip out your phone and check your company’s knowledge base.

Editing knowledge base articles. Click to zoom.

The knowledge base module includes basic editing features, so you can quickly update any and all entries as you go. Note that the web app is still the best option for creating an entirely new knowledge base article from scratch, as it features formatting options not available on the mobile app.

Employee List on Company Contact Details

Another feature that we’ve rolled out in the latest mobile releases lets users see a list of employees on a company-type contact. Now you can just open a company record, immediately see a list of employees, and access their contact details from there.

On both the Android and iPhone apps, the very first view when you open a company contact record shows that company’s branches. On each branch, there will be a link that says “X employees”. Tap the link to expand it and you’ll see all of the members / employees associated with that specific branch.

As you can see in the middle screenshot below (screenshots are from the Android app but the same feature is in the iPhone app), this info also shows up on a person’s contact details under the company or branch with which they’re associated.

WORKetc CRM mobile app employees list and email signature

Viewing a company’s employees and adding email signatures. Click to zoom.

Email Signatures in Android App’s Support Case Module

Version 3.1.4 of the Android app also introduces another often-requested feature: email signatures on the support module.

With one tap, you can now add a little personal flair and a few useful links for your clients (adding a customer portal link is a good idea) to every support case reply you send out using the app.

Plus, as user Ryan Barron pointed out in our Android app release post, your clients will know exactly who they’re speaking to even if you use a generic support@ email address to reply.

Just set the Attach Email Signature field to On when you’re replying to a support case and your email signature will automatically be appended to your reply. Check the third screenshot above for help in finding the toggle.

The default setting has the Attach Email Signature field set to off. You only have to turn it on once; the app will remember your settings. You’ll need to create an email signature on the web app first before you can enable it for use in the Android app.

The option to turn email signatures on is available only on the Android app for now. Email signatures will be included in version 3.1.6 of the iPhone app, which is already being reviewed by Apple. Update: Version 3.1.6 of the OS app is now live.

Additional WORK[etc] CRM Mobile App Enhancements

We’ve also received some reports that duplicate discussion threads were appearing on the Android app’s My Recent Activity list. Instead of the updated thread appearing only once on the activity list, every reply was being added. This issue has been fixed in version 3.1.4 — now your My Recent Activity list won’t end up cluttered by the same often-updated discussion thread appearing a dozen times.

On the iPhone side of the equation, our dev team has fixed an issue on some accounts where contacts were showing up with strikethroughs as though they were inactive. The latest update also now keeps a contact’s password from being reset whenever you edit their details through the app.

How do you see your company using the new knowledge base module out in the field? Share your $0.02 in the comments section and let us know!

Branden

This is perfect. We use the knowledge base to store login info and server addresses for clients…information that can be useful when on the go. And the contact list from companies is super useful too. Especially when you don’t remember someone’s last name, but you know they work for company X.
David Jones

Very nice. We use the knowledge base to gain quick access to common customer issues or software setup instructions. This will be handy for our implementation and training teams when they are onsite. The employee list will be very handy as well for the same reasons.
- Steve Westrop | WORK[etc]
  
  and you know those articles can be shared selectively with clients in the client portal too?
David McGarry

Oh we have just set up a MediaWiki for our 3 main software products.. but it looks like Knowledge base might be a better solution. We would like to store information so that new devs will be able to familiarise themselves with the technologies we use, how to set up hosting, naming conventions – and well everything else!

Adding an email signature for support cases will be good as we get a lot of our business by recommendation, so it will be nice to remind clients to refer us on if they are happy with the service they received.
Allen Bayless

Great updates! Always keeping up the great work on improvements to the platform and the mobile apps. The knowledge base feature will be handy out on the field with clients. As said, remembering and going over processes with clients that now we can access our entries that may help along a sales process or consultation. Awesome to see list of employees especially when there can be different team members to communicate with in a given company. Great to see the mobile support of attaching email signatures!
Thomas Lawler

Awesome updates! I am a proponent of using the knowledge base, and increasing the availability of information in the application. Hopefully this will help solidify my argument with ease of accessibility to information on the go.

I know our Support Team will appreciate the additional signature functionality. We have several people on the support team that like to have a personal signature when they reply to tickets.

Thanks & keep up the good work!
maxebiz

As ever the updates are well thought out and useful. Having used Work[etc] for many years I don’t find myself using Knowledge base often. However when I do need to use it it’s great to know I can access it easily from a mobile device now.
nalu

This is great! Our employees work on site all the time and need to send emails to customers to keep them updated of their tickets. Having the signature integrated in the app is going to make the emails look so much better. They can also update the knowledge base for each client while they are working on their equipment without having to wait until they get back in the office.
Donna Grindle

This is great news! We have all kinds of information and instructions stored in the KB. Mobile access to it is going to improve our ability to perform all those tasks onsite using the instructions instead fumbling to get it on the webpage or doing it from memory. Thanks!

Also, the list of employees certainly helps me when going to visit clients. Pull up the list before I get out of the car and have a reminder of who we work with and what they do. Keep doing all you can to help make me look good to my clients and prospects, Work[etc]!
William Mullane

We recently began capturing and adding to the KB any news or information related to the industries we work with. Once posted, we create a discussion around the item including all employees who need to know the information.

This will create a central repository of information for our consultants who are spread across many miles and three universities.

We also plan to migrate all of our process information to the knowledge base.
Jay Kimelman

Awesome new features, WORKetc is game changing. These new features will certainly help!

We are going to reduce from 4 apps to just 1.

Time saving and building efficiencies.
@Mr_C_Wadd

This app is a gem, with a clean and simple design. <3 I'd like to see more options for Contacts, maybe a list of all the contacts with an icon – i'm rubbish with names and being able to find someone easily by company or image logo is a plus. The Knowledge base is probably the feature i like most; great stuff.
Stan Zaslavsky

I’m an android user and the new app has been great – it’s keeping my latest leads I’m working on in a clear list rather than what was happening before where the app listed all the leads from day one.

We need to use the knowledge base feature a bit more, but its the communication with email signatures that is coming in really handy at the moment.

Well done on the updates and look forward to the next update to the Web UI to tie everything in together!
H Close

We also need to use the knowledge base more, but being able to drill down to the specific people under a company is very useful in the field. The fact the Android app is so solid is part of the reason that we decided to go with WORKetc as most of our people are in the field. I would love a sign off or the ability to sign documents and the option for 2 factor authentication worked into the app, but other than that, it is pretty great the way it is.
Arturo Garcia Cifre

I use the “to do” list funtionality very often. I just write down any task it needs to be done and I assign it to one of my workmates in seconds. Then I just forget about it. The task is assigned and I just have to keep track of it when it’s done to review it. With this new app I’m able to do this in any moment at any place.
Steve Westrop | WORK[etc]

Always really good to hear how people are using the tools in different ways. Following on from Bill’s comments, I think Discussion on KB Articles is a bit of a “hidden gem” – anyone else taking advantage of this?
Jordan S Zoot

Any difference between tablet and phone apps…I just picked up an iPad Pro and I have Apple Watch…if we going to see product, customer centric articles are important, but you guys have reached the stage where you need a real partner section. Even if it is a re-skin of the same information its important.
Jordan S Zoot

Complete shift of gears…..has someone focused on making sure that the level of employee information available meets privacy concerns? Do worketc have SOC Type 2 or 3 reports or ISO available to share with prospective customer?