The mindshare we received following CiviMobile recent release of Agenda and Payment functionality, not only makes us feel grateful and committed to the app, but also anxious to keep up. The number of users who interact with the app keeps growing, so does the number and variety of use cases. For CiviMobile 5.3 we’ve prioritized from our product roadmap the most urgent or requested features and improvement, like:
Contact Book sync
As CiviMobile user you already have first-hand knowledge how an access to key CiviCRM functions and data on the go can be benefical. Besides, all information you enter automatically synchronizes with CiviCRM, what makes your dreams of reduced amount of data entry a reality. What was missing in older versions of the product but proved important among CiviMobile users is a sync to phone contacts. With contact book sync feature added in CiviMobile 5.3, it has now become possible to automatically create and update a contact record on user device when creating or updating contact record in CiviMobile. The benefits are obvious as contact sync:
- saves time by automating data entry
- reduces the risk of data error
- enables to identify incoming calls from CRM contacts
- allows making calls upon a single tap and from your device
By default, contact records created in CiviMobile are not automatically synced to contact list on your device as not all of them may be directly associated with you. Importing a contact on your mobile device won’t take a moment (Pic. 1).
Tap the sync icon (two curved arrows forming a circle) in the upper right corner of the contact profile screen. After syncing, next time you edit the record all changes will be reproduced on your mobile device.
Membership payment
CiviMobile 5.2 rolled out with much-anticipated in-app mobile payment functionality, offering its users fast, secure and effortless option to register for events in one tap within the app. The transaction is completed through the integrated payment processing system that provides for secure data transfer with no access to the sender credit card details or bank account number on the receiver part. On top of that, the payment details are pre-populated since user may not have the receiver card credentials close at hand.
The same payment procedure now applies to membership payment (Pic. 2).
A tap on Renew button on Membership details screen opens an array of payment methods, previously configured on web. These include membership renewal with integrated third-party payment processors (PayPal, Autorize.Net, Stripe, etc.) To set up membership payment on web be sure you have made minor but necessary configuration changes:
- Add payment processor in CiviCRM (Administer => System Setting => Payment Processors) (learn more)
- Add required membership types (Administer => CiviMember => Membership Types)
- Assign an active payment processor to Membership renewal page (Administer => CiviContribute=> Manage Contribution Page => Amount tab) (Pic. 3)
Now that another essential step towards security and convenience has been made and payment gateway is integrated into CiviMobile app, start receiving recurring membership dues on time, fast and relieved of all the burden that goes along with complicated payment processing. Organization constituents will appreciate the flexibility that comes with multiple payment methods (MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover) and the certainty that their credit card information is kept private.
ACL Roles support
Unlike CMS permissions defining access of CiviMobile users to contacts, events, contributions and other components of CiviCRM, ACL roles differentiate between users, determine which permissions the system grants to particular users, assigning them into groups with different access level. In other words, ACL roles support greater precision in permissions, giving or restricting access to specific CiviCRM components to certain groups of contacts.
CiviMobile 5.3 supports ACL roles, which is particularly important for:
- organizations with hierarchically structured roles
- organizations with geographically distributed branches and several levels of management
- organizations with units requiring custom information
- organizations with units responsible for separate tasks
When ACL roles are configured in CiviCRM, CiviMobile users with different roles (e.g “Campaign Manager”) have wider or limited access to view/edit a specific group of contacts (e.g “Common Cause staff” responsible for developing and executing a strategy for civic engagement), profile (e.g “Supporter profile”), a set of custom fields (“Public info”), event (e.g “2020 Nonprofit Technology Conference”) or all groups, profiles, custom fields, events.
Configuring ACLs in CiviCRM takes a few short steps (Pic. 4):
- Decide on tasks performed and responsibilities held by organization employees and constituents and create roles accordingly (Administer => User and Permissions => Permissions (Access Control)) => Manage ACL Roles
- Assign a role to a group of users (Administer => User and Permissions => Permissions (Access Control)) => Assign users
- Assign permissions to these roles defining varying level of access to data (Administer => User and Permissions => Permissions (Access Control)) => Manage ACLs
By configuring ACLs in CiviCRM, you will now control access to data in CiviMobile. The fine-grained access control ACLs grant is likely to reduce the number of access decisions the organization must manage.
Multiple attachments for Venue
Release 5.2 was absolutely epic for CiviMobile community, as Agenda functionality extended CiviMobile event management toolkit. Viewing agenda, exploring session details, putting together personal schedule, getting to know more about speakers and checking event venues/venue plans – Agenda functionality offers it all.
Still one piece seemed to slip through the cracks. Typically, before making the decision to attend an event, potential visitors study carefully the event details, plan the event day, some downtime and journey in advance to reduce the event-day frenzy. The best event organizers can do to relieve visitors of event-day chaos is present detailed information on session venues and event premises.
For this reason, CiviMobile 5.3 supports multiple attachments for venue. Event organizers can add multiple venue schemas with pins to mark indoor/outdoor parking spaces, driving routes, seating charts, location of session rooms, booths, stalls and facilities, areas for downtime etc.
When the event location is set in stone, make certain to prepare informative venue schemas to save your visitors disoriented walks, sore feet, aching muscles. Then navigate to Administer => System Setting => Misc on web and enter maximum number of attachments you plan to add (Pic. 5).
The visitors will now have all necessary information to plan their day and have the event day live up to their expectations.
Public Area improvements
Hardly a major overhaul but rather small tweaks proved necessary for Public Area. The changes were small but crucial for unregistered users who currently use CiviMobile in public view mode to register in CiviCRM, view and register for public events, read organization news. CiviMobile 5.3 ensures seamless integration of favorite sessions into anonymous user journey. Once favorite sessions are selected, unregistered users will be able to view their list any time.
These are some of the major highlights of the app update that enhance user interaction with CiviMobile. There are more in store for future releases. Thank you for helping us meet your expectations. We appreciate your input and support.
New to CiviMobile? You are so much welcome to join our free webinar “Introduction to CiviMobile: a Native Mobile Application for CiviCRM”. Mark your calendar for September 15th, 3:00pm, fill out the registration form and let us take you through CiviMobile basics and how-tos.
