Email and beyond: creating a mobility strategy that works
Rick Anderson is Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Solution Specialist for Australia
and New Zealand. Rick shares parts of the ‘Bringing Mobility to the Enterprise’
presentation he gave at recent seminars hosted by Macquarie Telecom.
With mobility solutions changing rapidly, how can you tell what is right for your
business?
Crafting a comprehensive mobility strategy, like any business plan, starts with
a clear understanding of your objectives. From here, you can choose the best platform
to deliver all your needs.
What are your business drivers?
When starting out, a good question to ask is: “What are my business drivers?”
Mobile applications can help retain top talent, improve efficiency, increase
responsiveness to customers, streamline processes and enable faster decision making.
Once you’ve clearly identified your desired business outcomes, you can map a strategy
that will meet those objectives.
This may sound basic, but when you’re immersed in device and platform choice, it’s easy
to forget.
What types of applications should be mobilised?
Developments in devices and applications have led to increased revenue and return on
investment (ROI).
To achieve these outcomes, we see many businesses expanding mobile access capabilities
beyond email to include line-of-business applications.
Traditionally, enterprises have introduced communication-centric applications. These
solutions enable messaging functionality on your device, including email and calendar
appointments.
As products and the market mature, we’re seeing an increase in the uptake of
process-centric applications.
These enable mobile or off-site employees to access business-critical applications
located on the corporate network, from anywhere, at any time.
In order to shape a mobile strategy, organisations must identify which applications
will add value to their business.
- Communication-centric applications - There are a range of applications
which allow employees to take communication and organisational tools out of the
office.
For example, with Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile, employees have full access to
their contact information, tasks lists, calendars and email.
In terms of the business value – employees are able to collaborate more
effectively, utilise downtime and increase customer response times.
- Process-centric applications - These applications are changing how we do
business. They require a more involved implementation, but their ROI is easily
measurable.
For example, Sales Force/Field Force Automation, ERP, and CRM applications are
accessible via any Windows Mobile device.
User interface is extremely important and should reflect systems the user already
knows. Applications can be specifically created for easy use, including entering data
on a device.
Once implemented, you can quantitatively measure productivity gains,
decreased process times and an increase in KPIs.
IT Nuts and bolts
When you get down to the specific IT requirements, there are four questions you need to
consider. These are:
- What technology platforms exist in the business and what are our established
capabilities?
- What skills and tools do my developers have that we can leverage?
- What types of device-form factors and functionality do I need now and in the
future?
- How do we proactively manage the requirements of the business?
The best plans take advantage of existing skills and platforms to maximise the IT
investments of your business now and in the future. In an ideal world, this would be
applicable for all access devices, including the desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile
device.
It’s all about convergence. Make what you need and mesh with what you already
have. This will save you time and money in terms of training, support and administration.
With this approach, it is possible to craft a mobile strategy that isn’t just about the
latest, groovy gadget. A cohesive plan can help you achieve quantifiable business
objectives and help your organisation get ahead in an increasingly competitive market in a
proactive manner.
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