How can business mobiles improve working processes?

It’s believed that during 2016, over 350 million workers worldwide will use their smart phones to conduct business. This has brought advances and changes in the area of Business Performance Market (BPM, in which processes and workflows are studied to provide optimum levels of performance. BPM will be a $5.3 billion market by 2017, according to figures published by Global Industry Analysts.

Mobility and effective honed working processes are vital tools that should not be overlooked if you want to maintain a competitive hold in your business sphere. Mobile devices will have greater demands placed on them over time and so any device or handset that is purchased now needs the highest levels of functionality to serve you in the future, otherwise it is not a wise investment.

Call features, including call forwarding, diverts, messaging and alerts are fairly standard, but the business mobile offers far more than call functions.

• A built in or attachable QWERTY keyboard on a business mobile allows staff to work as if they are in an office wherever they are – at home, on the road, in a client’s premises or in a meeting room. Ensuring that the keys are user and task friendly maximises effectiveness; a small set of keys on a mobile will hinder the user and even a short e-mail will take a longer time to create without larger keys.

• To allow fully accessible functionality and excellent customer service levels from office, field and home based staff, your business mobile should permit software additions, think of Microsoft Office 365 for instance. And, if you want staff to be able to download applications, either in house or from the internet, then a business mobile needs to offer this freedom and support. All business communications can be carried out without delay.
• A personal organiser and note taking facilities are vital tools for field staff, in particular. Calling back to the office to check your diary or to register a comment or task makes you look tardy or inefficient as well as taking up valuable time. On the spot actions inspire customer confidence.

• GPS and mapping software aid logistical efficiency. Again, this delivers confidence and high level performance to clients.

• Single, and perhaps multiple, e-mail accounts should be accessible from wherever the user is to maximise efficiency, response and turnaround times. A business that doesn’t suffer from delays will often inch ahead of their competitors who may rely on office-based technology.  

• As a manager, is a tracking facility required? Some business mobiles allow tracking for safety and competence uses and this can impact on productivity levels and staff reviews.

• Business mobiles normally contain sensitive company data. Encryption tools and remote wiping facilities help with the processes of corporate and client confidentiality and security.

When searching the market for business mobiles, make sure that you choose a reputable, communications provider that offers cost-effective, comprehensive tools so that you can reap the benefits of convenience and a marked decrease in overheads because staff don’t need to be in the office plus maximum profits and service levels.  

If you are looking for business mobiles in the West Midlands, contact Midland Networks today. We offer an unrivalled service with flexible contract terms and tariffs to suit you as well as our unique cloud SIM service, specifically designed to maximise business mobility.