Partner Content
A great mobile strategy can help your team work more flexibly and, at the same time, see your business reach new markets and even cut costs
Working on a plane, a tropical island or from the sports field is easier than ever for business owners and their teams – but getting mobile (and secure) still requires an element of careful planning.
As cloud and mobile collaboration technology booms, SMEs are ripe to take advantage of the freedom it offers. The key is planning to ensure a boost in productivity while keeping costs in check and data safe.
Amanda Rose, founder and chief executive of The Business Woman Media, says mobile working can enable employees to work when they’re at their most efficient. And flexible working arrangements can potentially increase productivity while cutting down on the overheads associated with physical office spaces.
But despite the potential benefits, some managers struggle with the concept. Embracing mobile technology, says Rose, requires “a shift of mindset away from someone doing a 30-hour week for x amount of money”.
Instead, results-based managers are fixed on “someone delivering a, b and c for x amount of money”.
For those struggling with the idea of letting their staff work without supervision, Rose recommends having solid performance indicators. She says many mobile workforces fail when there is no expectation from management ensuring targets are met.
When liaising with staff based across multiple locations managers could make a daily phone call to mobile workers to check in on their progress, asking for measurable results.
“If people don’t know what you expect from them, they won’t deliver,” says Rose.
Not all companies use mobile technology to just give their employees freedom from the office. For some businesses, embracing mobile technology is about enabling employees to spend less time and money on travel.
This was the experience of Melbourne-based company, STENTOFON, during its international expansion phase. The business provides intercom and public address services across Australia and New Zealand, and technical manager Richard Adams says that when seeking clients overseas they looked for ways to communicate effectively without facing prohibitive travel costs.
“We are only a small team, and to spend time on the road or in the air to provide product and technology presentations is taxing, both in time and cost,” says Adams.
When the opportunity to present a webinar to a New Zealand government department arose, the company began investigating mobile collaboration software. Having used BlackBerry products for five years, Adams turned to BBM Meetings, mobile collaboration and scheduling software that allowed for native control from his BlackBerry Passport.
“Our webinar went very well, with the client mentioning that the audio quality was exceptional,” recalls Adams.
“We began with a PowerPoint presentation from my desktop PC, and moved to a visual demonstration of equipment using the camera on my Passport, without having to stop and start the presentation.”
According to Adams, mobile technology has proven a cost-effective method of communicating internationally.
With real-time online collaboration, businesses can show off their products in the best light, while cutting down on travel costs.
Getting mobile doesn’t just grant businesses flexibility, the chance to reach new markets and to cut down on costs, it can also increase employee satisfaction.
With less time spent on the road, employees using mobile technology are able to spend more time working productively. And when freed from their daily commute – the four walls of the office and the nine-to-five work routine – employees might become more satisfied, and more productive.
“If structured properly, it’s a win-win,” says Rose, “the company is happy, and the worker is happy.”
To find out more about how you can get your team mobile, see BBM Meetings and BlackBerry Passport.
Written by: Jessie Richardson
BlackBerry is for serious business people and the most demanding businesses – large and small – that want superior productivity, ultimate security and effective communications. BlackBerry cross-platform mobility solutions are completely redefining workplace productivity and pushing the boundaries to deliver truly connected and secured business environments today.
