As workers increasingly rely on mobile technology as part of their jobs, it’s becoming vital for companies to implement strategies that will allow them to manage both their mobile teams as well as the technology they are using.
The first and most important step is simplifying the entire process. Look for a vendor that is going to offer you the most complete solution across multiple devices. If you can run everything off of one application, this is absolutely ideal. However, this may not always be possible. The key is simplifying as much as possible and making sure everything works seamlessly.
Next, right now we have three main mobile platforms — Apple, Android and Windows. This may change in the future, but right now, your mobile team will be using one of these platforms. Ideally, everyone should be on the same platform for simplification. Even if this means supplying your mobile work force with the same equipment instead of having them supply their own devices, you’ll save money in the long term. Instead of trying to cross develop across several platforms, you can specify the one operating system you want everyone to use. This will reduce costs over the long term and help make sure the entire team is on the same page.
Dealing with unsecured devices entering a network is also a new challenge in managing your mobile IT team. While it would be great if your team would only work with their set devices, this most likely won’t happen. Develop a management solution that will not require active alerts and can handle dealing with unsecured devices on your network.
It is also important to change perceptions a little. In the past, the device was the “end-user” in the delivery process. Now, you’ve got IT members who are relying on several different devices to get their information. You’ve got to be able to deliver it across all of their devices to ensure that something isn’t getting lost along the way. Now, the employee is the end-user, not the device they are using. This strategy will ensure that your team is getting the information they need, no matter what device they happen to be using at the time.