The Science of Sales
Altify is the global leader in sales transformation software based on their proven ‘Target Account Selling’ methodology. They build software that extends the functionality of the Salesforce CRM system.
We have worked with Altify for over seven years and have contributed to all products within the Altify Software Platform. We help them imagine new functionality and to refine their existing products providing a full user-experience and user interface design service, from concept through to UI development.
The insights and experience that Frontend.com bring to every project allow us to learn from our customers, act quickly, and bring products to market at an industry-leading pace. As well as understanding our customers, they really understand us and the ways that we work.”
Tammy Billington-Dynes, VP Products, Altify
The Challenge
Transforming a sophisticated sales methodology into an easy to use set of software tools is difficult but central to Altify’s success. Achieving this without losing any of the core value was our challenge. Market pressure for regular releases meant that a single transformational project was out of bounds. Instead, we planned a series of incremental steps using Altify’s agile approach without losing sight of the end goal: a single cohesive platform.
The plan from the outset was to make the best use of the existing Salesforce frameworks and UI systems while reducing the proportion of custom UI development. However, crafting a standout user experience from generic components has never been easy. We worked closely with the Altify team to strike the right balance between custom and out-of-the-box components, eased by the introduction of the Salesforce Lightning Design system which provides a more modern and capable user interface. This has reduced the proportion of custom code to as little as 10% in the latest modules.
Our Contribution and Activities
Frontend.com continue to work with the expanding Altify product and development teams providing expert design, UX insight, and UI development. Supporting an ambitious internal release schedule our collaboration ranges from strategic to tactical providing pragmatic solutions with a clear technical understanding. We continue to promote the role of customer insight and user-centred design within Altify, allowing them to transform their products from a number discreet apps to a framework with common components and design language.
We have helped Altify to maximise the use of Salesforce libraries, being one of the first vendors to pilot the Lightning Design System.
Outcome and Benefits
Ease of use for the end user is essential. To provide valuable insight, frontline sales staff need to plan and record their activities in the system. We have worked to make day-to-day activities in Altify apps straightforward and intuitive to increase user engagement.
Altify product management regularly uses our experience with other ISV clients in planning upcoming research, product features, and UI architecture. From initially adding value as their user-design agency, our relationship with Altify has deepened over the years as we have become their trusted design partner. Our UI developers work as integral members of the Altify development teams, both on and off-site, providing finished UI code, technical advice, and above all continuity.
Our work with Altify has seen an improvement in UI quality and consistency in the product suite achieved with an ever-decreasing time to market.