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Despite the endless headlines about digital transformation and the fundamental shift in the way we relate to technology, many people are still confused about what these things really mean. We still get lots of questions about the basic building blocks of enterprise mobility, so in this blog we thought it would be a good idea to start right at the beginning by answering the question…what is mobile working?

So, what is mobile working?

Firstly, we think it’s important to outline what mobile working isn’t. It isn’t about checking your emails on your phone, or working from home the odd time. It’s not ringing your colleagues via Bluetooth whilst you’re in your car driving to your next appointment.

It’s so much more than this.

It’s connected to a much bigger solution, Field Workforce Management, and we have built our platform, WorkNow and our solutions around it. Field Workforce Management is an approach, underpinned by technology, that helps you build a better, more effective working day for your teams in the field. Spanning mobile working, schedule optimisation, and intelligent analytics – Field Workforce Management provides solutions that people love to use as well as unlocks the potential in your workforce, enabling them to do more of the work that matters and provides a great foundation for driving digital transformation and greater efficiency across your enterprise.

So, perhaps a more formal definition of what is mobile working? A simple version is – a method of working that isn’t tied to a physical location [1].

However, real, effective mobile working comprises of more than this, so we need to elaborate a little to communicate the true benefits. Mobile working allows your staff to access and input information, collaborate on projects, and stay in contact with colleagues, all via one mobile device, wherever they may be. But, it requires technology to capitalise on its potential, by investing in solutions that put the mobile worker first, with native technology, they will see the value everyday. The benefits from this are huge.

Electrical engineer field workforce management

By giving your staff the freedom to complete work at the point of service delivery or on the move, you are increasing productivity within your organisation. This means greater efficiencies, greater cost savings, plus a happier workforce. Effective mobile working mobilises your staff – not the back office system – meaning your employees have everything they need to complete their day to day work. You’re giving them their entire office in the form of a mobile device. Along with the support of a dynamic scheduling tool that ensures they are sent to the job that utilises their skills effectively and efficiently.

There are 3 main points to consider when researching good mobile working solutions.

  1. It’s simple and familiar to use. Like we mentioned before, be sure to mobilise your staff – not the back office system. Only then will you ensure a solution that will be easily adopted by your workforce. We discuss mobilising people in our short eBook, which you can read here.
  2. It works offline. Most rural areas in the UK have poor connectivity. You don’t want your staff being left unable to complete work due to poor signal. By researching in depth what mobile providers mean exactly by offline working, you can choose the better mobile solution.
  3. It’s flexible (and maintainable). Implement a mobile solution that will follow your journey of success. That will adapt to any changes your organisation may go through. Mobile Workforce Management can be a significant investment, so ensure that it’s future-proofed, maintainable, and will adapt with you – not hinder you.

For further information on how to start your Mobile Workforce Journey, please download our eBook, ’10 Steps to Mobile Workforce Management’ which we truly believe is the very best starting point for your organisation.

Totalmobile

Totalmobile is a Field Service Management (FSM) provider passionate about making work and the lives of mobile workers better. An established market leader with 375 staff across the UK and Ireland, Totalmobile supports over 1,000 organisations and 500,000 workers to transform the delivery of field services and experience an exceptional return on investment.