Mobility is the core driver for the productivity of the enterprise. 70-80% of the business communication and coordination with colleagues, customers and partners is done via mobile devices nowadays. Smartphones connect the workforce on the road and in the office and ensure real-time team collaboration whenever it is necessary. Mobile devices ensure remote access to enterprise resources like documents and files, allow analyzing financial and production reports, enable updating customer data at anytime and allow research on the go. That’s why today the mobile office is mission-critical for any enterprise.
In a first step businesses normally deploy mobile device or enterprise mobility management solutions in order to protect and manage their smartphones and tablets. Thus, an enterprise wants to manage mobile devices, control access of users, automize registrations, blacklist apps, enforce policies, ensure compliance, secure corporate content, remote wipe data and so on. After the mobile infrastructure is protected and managed company-wide, quickly the productivity of the workforce becomes the key topic and lead to a discussion around the mobile office of the enterprise.
Often some of the following questions arise:
- What enterprise resources need to be accessed and updated by an employee from mobile devices?
- What workflows and processes need to be mobilized/digitalized and how can it be done?
- How can core workflows and processes be accelerated with mobile devices?
- What tools does a business need to connect mobile and office workers?
- How can an enterprise ensure efficient and effective team communication on mobile devices?
- Which apps and services should be part of the mobile office?
As a result the core mobile office for smartphones and tablets in general includes business email, PIM (contacts, calendar, notes, etc.), file sharing/storage, and enterprise messaging. Of course sometimes additional apps and services like CRM, ERP, logistic systems, finance software, HR tools, etc. are part of the mobile office depending on the business background of the organization. However, in most businesses the mobile office exists of the tools mentioned above and enterprise messaging becomes an increasingly important component of it. Here is why:
Optimal Team Communication and Collaboration
An enterprise messaging app is critical to enable optimal team communication and collaboration in the mobile era. Employees are regularly on the go, on business trips, on production sites, in work shops, in customer meetings or in the home office. An enterprise messaging app like Teamwire quickly connects mobile, tablet and desktop workers wherever they are and whatever they do. Enterprise messaging ensures real-time information exchange and fast feedback, and helps to drive topics and quickly make decisions.
Better than Email for the Internal Communication
Enterprise messaging apps increasingly replace email for the internal communication with colleagues and teams. In comparison to email an enterprise messaging app is easier to use, optimized for mobile devices, allows informal communication, is perfect for group chats and enables instant information exchange. In addition, by using an enterprise messaging app the internal email overload can be reduced by 70-80%.
Need for a Secure WhatsApp for the Enterprise
Whatsapp and other consumer messaging apps are part of the shadow IT of an enterprise, because they offer several productivity benefits listed above when compared with email. Unfortunately Whatsapp and similar consumer messaging apps have various disadvantages with regard to security, data protection, administration and compliance in the enterprise, and their usage can bring about significant damages for a business. (Please see our blog posts on disadvantages and damages of Whatsapp for businesses.) This clearly shows the need for an enterprise messaging app for the mobile office from a productivity and security perspective.
Central Information Hub of the Business
Digitalization and/or mobility projects require tools that allow frictionless information sharing and direct collaboration across software, systems and services. An enterprise messaging app can be connected to the entire IT ecosystem of a business and exchange real-time data, alerts, information and reports. Thus, an enterprise messaging app enables employees and teams to quickly access, update and share any relevant information across the organization. Thereby the business messaging app becomes the central information hub for the enterprise.
Optimized Mobile Workflows and Processes
The connection of an enterprise messaging app to the IT ecosystem also allows the digitalization of various workflows and processes for the mobile era. The enterprise messaging app can streamline the data and information exchange with e.g. CRM, ERP, HR, project management and finance tools. Multiple components, services and tools of the IT ecosystem can automatically communicate and share data with each other. The results are accelerated workflows, improved processes, better communication, more flexible collaboration and increased productivity.
The mobile office is a key driver for productivity and competitive advantage of enterprises in the mobile era. An enterprise messaging app like Teamwire should be a core component of the mobile office of a business. If you would like to find out more about Teamwire and how it can part of your mobile office, please contact us.