Enterprise apps and portals are crucial tools designed for the betterment of large businesses. Up until now, a major grouse against these applications would be their cumbersome operation. Designed to handle complex workflows and tasks across departments and positions, it’s imperative that they be user-friendly. Therefore, it isn’t surprising how companies are willingly investing in well-designed, user-friendly, and effective software solutions to up their profitability.
With the rising demand, better SaaS applications are being designed to make workplace technology that supplements and fulfills user needs. By incorporating novel technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data, enterprise apps are revamping the way the world works.
Enterprise apps are increasingly taking a cue from their consumer counterparts. They have now begun replicating the sleek functionality and ease of use of B2C enterprise apps while retaining their complex scale of operations. Let’s take a look at some of the best performing applications in the enterprise domain.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a CRMS that aids customer retention and lead source. It comprises features like chat, call-center support, and knowledge base modules which can be upgraded separately and are available with the most basic plan as well.
Zendesk enables smaller businesses and startups to set up an efficient help desk system. As the business grows, the application allows them the option to pick advanced tools like CSAT surveys, web SDK, IVR phone trees, and chatbots.
The Guide module is a stellar feature that enables the accumulation of institutional knowledge gained through customer interactions. Based on this, the client company can develop a thriving online community and customer portal. FAQs and low-touch tickets can be diverted to this portal so that the customer service agents can interact in person with complex cases or leads. An AI-powered bot can be implemented to direct user queries to relevant articles in the repository and extract the best RoI off the marketing budget.
Procurify
Procurify offers next-level solutions to businesses looking to better their procurement systems. Its operations are fairly simple – clarifying available information and providing the right controls to the user in order to transform that information into actionable intelligence.
It comprises useful features for budget management, fraud prevention, purchase order creation, tracking and reporting tools, mobile capability, among others. It traces and monitors expenditures in real-time, creates purchase orders through the mobile, simplifies verification, and approval routing, and also integrates with other accounting apps such as Intacct, Xero, and QuickBooks.
To enable these lightning-quick services, Procurify manages information in a logical, user-friendly manner, adding an agile requisition process that can be made from any device. The end result is a fast-functioning and accurate application that helps manage purchase orders with ease, authenticate deliveries, and tracks their status in real-time to help make realistic forecasts.
Asana
Among the most popular project management software, Asana helps team members perform their best work through their platform.
It begins with creating a top-level grouping under which earmarked groups of people can focus on the work that’s assigned to them. Within that, each team gets to set up projects or ongoing work. Asana enables users to plan and structure their work, set priorities and deadlines, share information and assign tasks. Its tracking system lets users follow projects and tasks at every stage. This helps users remain aware of the project’s progress and status. You know where work stands and can keep everyone aligned on goals.
While there are several collaborative features for managing work together, Asana also has the option to create private projects for personal to-do list or other information. Users can also build templates for recurring work. Its user-friendly, customizable dashboard allows instant access to important tasks, project status, and calendars.
Trello
Trello, now a hot favorite among start-ups as well as Fortune 500s like Adobe, Google, Pixar, was created to fill the gap of project management among distributed teams. Trello lets its users stay on top of their game.
Strengths
- A quick and concise Sign-Up form lets you get started almost immediately.
- A high level of customization options allows the user to organize their boards as they like and fill them with components that would allow them to dynamically manage their todo’s.
- The cards behave like real world post it notes and only make them better with the ability to dig into it. Animations like card flips make the process fun.
- Trello lets you color code, add attachments, create sub tasks. This allows the user to choose what works best for them than to compel them to learn a specific process.
- The clean and immaculate UI helps users flick through their priority items at a glance.
Weaknesses
- The walkthrough doesn’t exactly have a starting point. Trello presents all its components with their use and written upfront. This may come across as a little too overwhelming and in stark contrast to the quick Sign Up form.
- The boards could lead to a deep hierarchy that could make navigation a challenge.
Verdict
Trello is a super handy cross-platform app that lets you stay productive at all times. The clean UI, gamified interaction and easy drag and drop functionality makes it a great choice for large organizations. This could be especially helpful for people who need a quick glance to understand where things are.
Toggl
Toggl, a cross platform time tracking app, is exactly what it says: an insanely simple time tracking tool. It is one of the very few stabilized options available in its space.
Strengths
- Simple and contextual navigation makes way finding easy. The time tracking widget and previous logs are at the very forefront as you log in.
- The tracking widget is easy to use and its components can be easily customized by the admin to adapt to the organization’s preferences.
- Added third party integration allows the user to connect all entries with their relevant todo’s on the user’s preferred project management tool. It easily integrates with all prominent PC, mobile platforms and browsers.
- Toggl comes with a reporting feature as well that lets you break data down and assess productivity.
- It also keeps up with you while you are on the move. You can simply start the timer on one device and stop it on the other. It drastically reduces the pains associated with tracking and documentation and works hard to seamlessly integrate itself into your work style.
Weaknesses
- While Toggl has released some beta updates for reporting, they might not yet be ready to allow their users to extract a deep value from the data.
- The data can’t be sorted within the app which may make it difficult for admins to work with it. They could surely extend more features to the admin that would allow them to use data more effectively.
Verdict
Toggl is feature rich yet simple and promises a delightful UX. Cross-platform compatibility, easy integration with other platforms, and user focus make Toggl a truly top-notch enterprise app. With a few more enhancements focused on reporting, this app is sure to be the first choice for time tracking.
Slack and Slack Enterprise Grid
Slack is officially the fastest-growing workplace app ever. They went far to understand the expectations associated with an Enterprise Scale communication tool and that is clearly reflected in the product. They have blended their learnings into a sleek UI that delivers a pleasant and promising experience for all its users.
Strengths
- Unparalleled onboarding experience enhanced by their Slack Bot, which walks the user through the Set-Up Process. This subtly also acts as a tutorial. Simply put, it’s a plug-and-play experience.
- Interesting affirmations show up which is simply delightful for daily users who don’t have to stare at a boring loader while the app syncs up.
- The ability to start new threads from an individual message ensures that relevant people are involved in the discussion. It restricts spamming which is a common phenomenon observed in large group-level discussions.
- Leave-state synchronization works seamlessly across devices and lets you stay connected and in context while you are on the go.
- File sharing supports a quick preview for all mainstream formats. This makes it easy for people to review quickly and take decisions.
- A whole new level of functionality has been leveraged via slash commands that let you perform an array of actions right from the chat line.
- Ability to add reactions, custom emoticons, time zone alert, etc. reflect the app’s sensitivity towards complex enterprise structures leading to a delightful UX.
Weaknesses
- To initiate a new conversation with a user you have not spoken with recently, one has to trigger a search that brings up a snapshot of their profile and then select the ‘message’ button. This makes the process slightly longer with a few extra clicks.
- In context with the above, the profile snapshot opens as a right panel in the user’s current chat window which often leads them to accidentally text the wrong person. This in specific could cause a lot of confusion in already complex Enterprise Set Ups.
Verdict
A single layer of Slack Enterprise Grid brings all parts of business communication together through search, direct messaging, announcements, team collaborations and much more. The data is encrypted which takes care of security and compliance related issues.
Google Cloud Storage
With Google, there’s nothing we can add to its already renowned reputation of accessibility and user-friendliness. Google Cloud is no different. It is primarily a web-based console to manage your Google Cloud account. This can be used for building databases, app engines, computing engines and designing big data processes besides setting up containers to hold files. It has designated buckets as discrete containers for storing objects which makes for a simple way to organize files to which multiple third-party apps can be connected.
It’s used across a spectrum of services including document sharing and data gathering and access. It offers unlimited object storage with each being as large as 5TB. The software is primarily used across the organization to enable secure storage, while also enabling simultaneous access to all the company’s data sets. Data is stored redundantly at varied locations, with automatic checksums to ensure integrity. It makes use of OAuth to connect to Google Cloud endpoints, including buckets, lending it a security advantage over many of its cloud IaaS contemporaries, which require API keys.
Enterprise applications are undergoing a massive turnaround in terms of operations, functionality, and adaptability. A large part of this design revolution can be attributed to UX designers specializing in enterprise technology. These designers are contributing to the change by keeping the best interests of the user in mind and creating apps that are user-friendly and pack in a powerful performance that ensure optimal productivity for businesses. For principles behind these successful designs, see our enterprise UX design guide.
