It’s possible that nothing has upended the status quo of the traditional office experience more than the mobile broadband revolution. The early part of the 21st century might as well have been decades ago in terms of technological possibilities.
As mobile technologies have advanced, developers have created ingenious methods for executives and sales professionals to stay productive, even while on the road. Now, almost any employee in any industry can successfully perform the most functions of a job from nearly any location. In addition, the ability to do work from anywhere came the need for leaders to find new ways to manage workers.
Innovative tech companies answered the call by developing sophisticated mobile workforce management software designed to fill the gaps between the in-office and mobile work experiences. Mobile workforce management solutions are being employed in a variety of different industries, including service, retail, telecommunications, and manufacturing. These solutions prove that the mobile revolution isn’t confined to any specific type of company or sector.
If you or any of your employees ever need to get work done away from the office, integrating mobile workforce management software into your business can help streamline processes for both your team and customers, regardless of the size and scope of your company.
Redefining The Office
All of this was essentially made possible by the principles outlined in Moore’s Law, which dictate the speed at which processing power increases. As software developers saw that mobile devices would soon be capable of handling much more sophisticated tasks, they began to invest serious resources in creating programs that would take advantage of the more advanced hardware.
The growth of the cloud also played a significant role in this revolution, as developers were soon able to store massive amounts of data on remote servers and give users access through a cloud portal.
As this technology became available, common, and inexpensive, many business leaders understandably questioned the value of the status quo office situation. They realized that implementing mobile work capabilities could provide benefits to all parties involved. The company would benefit from productivity increases. Employees would be able to work more flexibility. Customers could have their needs addressed more efficiently.
The success demonstrated by these forward-thinking organizations encouraged other companies to follow suit. Soon, the concept of the traditional office was being challenged across the world. In 2015, the U.S. mobile worker population was at an estimated 96.2 million and expected to reach over 105 million by the year 2020. To keep up with this trend of on-the-go work, companies are transitioning to mobile-friendly work solutions, management, and analysis.
The Need for Mobile Workforce Efficiency
With nearly 100 million people working remotely, all companies need to ensure that the proper procedures are in place to allow their mobile workforce to operate effectively and efficiently. Many executives have discovered that enabling your employees to work in a mobile capacity without a clear plan could be the cause of a disorganized mess.
Clear, reliable channels for communication, asset coordination, and easy access to data all play crucial roles in the effectiveness of your mobile workforce. Most mobile workforce management solutions are specifically designed to address these needs. In addition, you have to be able to measure the impact that your mobile employees are having on the company and customers. Any high-quality mobile workforce software should have a robust system in place for collecting and analyzing data for productivity metrics.
Identify the Specific Issues You’re Addressing
It’s obvious that the trend toward a mobile workforce isn’t reversing itself anytime soon. It is prompting nearly all organizations to determine how mobile workforce management can best benefit them in the future. In order to get the most out of your system, it’s helpful to search for solutions with the specific needs of your company in mind. General promises of increased productivity are nice, but micro-features that cater specifically to your operations are key.
For instance, if your mobile employees are required to carry expensive assets on the road, you may require a solution that is centered around asset management with strict controls in place for employee accountability. If improving the quality of mobile work projects is a primary concern, then you can look for mobile workforce management software that allows you to easily monitor the status and quality of remote work.
Empower Employees by Giving Them Access to Information
A big component of maximizing the mobile employees’ productivity is ensuring that they have consistent access to the necessary tools and resources to do their jobs effectively. Product information, inventory levels, and other data points should all be available to them through your software system.
Not only does this enable your employees to respond to customers quickly and accurately, but it also empowers them to present a seamless, cohesive experience for the customer throughout their relationship with your company.
Let Your Team Members Find Their Own Productivity Sweet Spot
The more we learn about the work habits of highly effective employees, the more we discover that everyone operates differently. Some people excel at catching up on small tasks throughout the day during their down time. Others prefer to sit down at the end and knock everything out at once.
Mobile workforce management software allows you to pay attention to how your team members do their most productive work. It gives them the proper tools that they need to get things done.
Imagine being the employee who loves to complete tasks as needed, but not having access to the appropriate databases. This software eliminates that issue. In addition, you can use productivity metrics to coach employees on finding other methods for improvement if they aren’t consistently reaching their goals.
Enhance the Quality of Mobile Work Projects
Increasing the productivity of your employees through mobile workforce management is usually a worthy goal unto itself. Although, you can’t forget that the core of the solution needs to be based on delivering quality work to your customers. Ultimately, they will be the most affected by whether your mobile work strategy is effective or not. So, any system you choose to implement should be selected with the customer in mind.
Software developers have recognized that quality control is a serious concern for many organizations that employ a mobile workforce. They have engineered tools that make it possible for management teams to monitor remote projects and conduct assessments from any location.
Your customers can be rest assured knowing that they’ll get the top-level work they paid for, and your leadership team can make adjustments as needed based on the data.
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This is an abbreviated version of the full article, which was originally published on Salesforce.
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