Once, in years gone by, making your business mobile was left to the big dogs – companies with huge budgets who could invest in the expensive technologies and server space necessary for making mobile working possible.
Team members had to be given specialist equipment. It was a clunky and often frustrating process accessing the data and files they needed. Mobile working was not only expensive because of the technology required but also because of the constant ongoing support it demanded, not to mention the frustrations of slow and patchy internet access in some locations.
These days almost everyone carries a smartphone in their pocket, and the technology available is affordable, widely used and well understood. What was once a ‘would be nice’ is now a must for most people – accessing our emails, websites and data wherever we are.
The expense and problems of cumbersome servers have also been eradicated, thanks to the development of Cloud technologies.
So what’s stopping you taking advantage of mobile working for your business?
The wonderful thing about Cloud technology is that there is no limit to the amount of data that can be stored and accessed from anywhere by anyone with the right permissions. A smartphone is a piece of equipment that we are all familiar with. The range of apps and capabilities that these modern pocket-wonders have means that there are no limits to the ways they can be used for businesses.
From communication to corporate file sharing, mobile working has never been easier. Getting a response to queries or accessing important documents can be done in an instant. Forgotten your presentation? No problem – just download it from the Cloud. Want to send an important document to a client? Not an issue; email it right there from your phone.
More Flexible Workforce
People can still feel daunted by the idea of mobile working – but when you consider the amount of time we spend on our smartphone, it seems that the next generation have essentially grown up with an innate understanding of the benefits of the technologies available. The door has opened to allow more flexible working patterns, with your team no longer tied to their desk. The fast-paced world of business has moved quickly, embracing these technological developments. People expect immediate responses, fast turnarounds and 24-hour communication from the brands they’re dealing with.
The Multiple Advantages of SME
This is where SME have a benefit over bigger companies – less likely to be dependent on out-of-date processes or the slower uptake of new technologies. SME have their pick of the market because they can leapfrog the slower processes of their bigger competitors, tracking their workload on the go and responding to customers demands from wherever they are.
Embracing change takes time, and in a bigger company the rollout for this change can be cumbersome and time consuming; here’s where the SME have the advantage. More agile and adaptable to change, the uptake of Cloud technologies and mobile devices has levelled the playing field. Smaller businesses can outpace the bigger, more staid businesses and give the customer what they want faster, more efficiently and with less steps needed to perform.
Go Paperless
Not only that, but the huge reduction in cost and work hours that were once spent on paperwork means financial savings and greater efficiency; no longer are we printing contracts and waiting on the mail run, or searching through years-worth of files in cabinets for relevant files. With everything stored on the Cloud we can share files digitally, immediately and access data from anywhere.
The savings on printing alone can make a huge difference to a smaller business, not to mention benefits of sharing files with clients, sending information to customers, or getting the all-important contract in front of the vital decision maker. He can sign on the dotted line as you’re closing the deal in a meeting, without having to wait a week for the postal system to deliver.
Embrace the Change
In a business world that’s growing ever-faster, embracing the change and the new technologies as they appear not only means that you’re ahead of the game, but your fast responses, efficiency and accessibility instil confidence in your customer base; they can trust that you are on the ball, and that you’re there when they need you.
For tips for Implementing a Mobile Workforce Management Solution to ensure a smooth transition and a guaranteed success check our blog post 10 Best Practices for Implementing a Mobile Workforce Management System .
