Tablets + Smart Phones ≠ Mobile Strategy
By: Lily Shabani
A company’s mobile strategy is often immediately associated with its use of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. And while this is a natural progression of thought, this is maybe only 10% of what mobility actually is. A mobile business strategy shouldn’t be thought of in terms of hardware and applications, but instead as a tremendous opportunity to improve operational efficiency through the use of technologically advanced devices. From start to finish, mobile process adoption can have extremely positive effects on how well a firm performs in the marketplace.
Today, firms are fortunate enough to have the ability to instantaneously share real-time data. And in an increasingly global business environment where efficiency and accuracy are of the utmost importance, mobility can go much farther than just collecting consumer-centric data.
Companies can use mobile data capture to:
- Analyze production processes and determine weaker areas needing improvement
- Facilitate faster data input at the source of observation, often eliminating needless third-party input tasks that are often costly and time-consuming
- Improve accuracy of information with periodic data checks throughout mobile workflow systems
- Increase employee access to pertinent information, allowing more effective decisions to be made.
- Connect various departments via real-time methods of communication, ultimately reducing decision-making turnaround time.
- Draw insights from quantitative data that can be used to increase the efficiency of operational processes.
For instance, one company based in New York can monitor the performance of its manufacturing plants in China, receive the requests of customers in Italy, source materials from Brazil, and record company data in India, all without leaving the Big Apple. In doing so, this company can anticipate production delays in a timely manner and adjust its distribution process accordingly—saving time and money both now and in the future.
Adopting a mobile workflow means that a firm can endlessly improve its processes. Daniel Burrus has highlighted some important considerations that a business should keep in mind when determining a mobile strategy, including how the business:
- Communicates
- Collaborates
- Innovates
- Trains
- Educates
- Markets
- Shares knowledge
And as Burrus said, if you don’t capitalize on these aspects of building a successful mobile business strategy, “someone else will!”
Reference:
Burrus, Daniel. “Does Your Organization Have a Mobile Strategy to Accelerate Growth?” Daniel Burrus. Burrus Research Associates, Inc., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2013. <http://www.burrus.com/2012/09/does-your-organization-have-a-mobile-strategy-to-accelerate-growth/>.
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