It’s all happening so fast. The mobility movement continues to accelerate, and companies are finding reasons to hop on the bandwagon, including improved productivity, streamlined processes, well-versed app development, and more. As you work to position your company for long-term success, be sure to evaluate where you stand in the journey at the center of enterprise mobility and what more you can do to get there. As you will see, early planning is important.
Phase 1: At this stage, companies may be lax about implementing any sort of formal mobility strategy in the workplace. However most recognize that mobility can increase their productivity, and are acting on that. A 2013 study by Ovum shows that 68% of employees are using a personal device to access company data, and that many use their device at work despite no formal BYOD policy. Ovum Analyst Richard Absalom warned that “Trying to stand in the path of consumerised mobility is likely to be a damaging and futile exercise.” and advised companies to exploit BYOD to reap the benefits instead. If you find yourself in this stage of the game, it’s time to expose your company to the possibility (and benefits) of changing its mobile policies.
Phase 2: With a bit more mobile activity happening, IT begins to take action by deploying BYOD policies. However some of these efforts may be counter-productive to a solid long-term strategy. The IT department may decide it must approve any third-party applications, and companies distribute “managed” mobile devices to employees. At this point BYOD and corporate strategies overlap, which can cause problems; employees bringing multiple devices with them to work, which can negatively impact overall employee productivity.
Phase 3: Companies reach this stage, by implementing coherent mobile strategies. A solid mobile device management (MDM) solution achieves harmony between personal and managed devices to promote efficiency and effectiveness. Solid third party apps for work processes are in place and incorporated into daily workflow. Many companies begin developing executive dashboards and custom mobile applications for business process management, customer support, and engagement. This is where you want to be.
Most organizations currently find themselves either in Phase 1 or 2. If you’re feeling stuck in the early stages with solely a BYOD policy, it’s entirely possible to skip from Phase 1 to Phase 3, with the right strategies in place. You can accelerate your business straight to a powerful mobile strategy by installing custom apps and proper management. Stay proactive, and you’ll reap the benefits of creating a mobile environment for your employees.