By Jennifer Roth, Vice President of MarketingIf you’re reading this four-part series, you already know how any organization can think and act like a global company, and how to adapt to a mobilized workforce.
Let The Technology Fuel The Mobile Movement
In this third installment, I address how technology advances fuel the movement. The big trend to consider is if your IT organization should let employees use their own devices for work.Read More About JenRead on to better understand how your organization might start thinking about this Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy!
Technology and Your Organization
I liken an organization’s technology landscape to the waves of an ocean – consistent and relentless, altering everything in its path. Sometimes the change is gentle and slight, but other times the waves of change come crashing in, littering the shoreline in its aftermath.IT leaders stand on the shoreline of technology change every day and they must evolve their IT strategy constantly in order to stay ahead of the game, keep costs within reason and keep employees productive. As you plan your next technological advancement, consider how you can further empower employees.Year after year, employees have demanded more flexibility and choice in the devices they use at work. As the group that decides which resources are allowed for on-the-job use, your top priorities are, no doubt, network security and cost.What if you chose to empower employees by enabling them to work using their own personal mobile devices, tablets and computers? How might this sea change tech shift impact productivity and reduce costs?The fact is, technology makes employee mobilization possible. And today’s forward thinking IT leaders are adopting new Bring Your Own Device strategies that:
- Reduce or eliminate technology learning curves
- Lower annual IT costs
- Increase employee productivity and loyalty
A recent report from Mashable.com indicated that 87% of IT managers offer company-provided mobile devices but half of their employees prefer to use their own devices. In another survey 44% of job seekers said they view an organization more positively if it supports their device.While BYOD strategies haven’t proliferated in every part of the world or throughout every organization, many industries are finding major success. A Cisco study found that the education industry has been the fastest BYOD adopter with 95% of employees in education using their own devices at work. And it makes sense. Schools function on tight budgets. Where’s the advantage in providing every employee with a cell phone and computer when they already have their own devices and they’re willing to use them?The increase in BYOD strategies is a wave that won’t stop any time soon. Employees already manage their personal and work activities throughout their workday (and even on weekends); the lines between the two are no longer discreet. In addition, many employees accept the personal costs they incur to use their own smart phone and computer because they appreciate the convenience factor.Employee job satisfaction and loyalty also increases with BYOD strategies in place. Your staff is happy because they can use the device they want rather than one selected by the IT team. Plus, they only need to carry one device instead of two – one for work and one for personal use.Lastly, the cost equation.Organizations can save on IT costs because they no longer have to furnish employees with multiple devices. One financial institution began allowing employees to use their own laptop computers for work. Staff simply had to use a cloud-based network security software on their own personal computers to ensure bank information stayed private. Minus the cost of laptop computers, related network support, management, and security software and services, this business estimates its savings at nearly $1,500 per device!
Asure Solutions for BYOD Strategies
At Asure Software, we continue to experience heightened interest and demand for our mobile, geo-spatial time and attendance solution as well as our mobile resource scheduling capabilities. Organizations are implementing these tools as key components of broader BYOD strategies.Since these tools easily allow staff to clock in and out wherever they’re working, leaders, managers, and colleagues have better insight into where employees are and how to reach them.Next Post: Globalization, Mobilization and Technology – Bringing It All Together
About Jen
Jennifer Roth, Vice President of MarketingJennifer Roth joined Asure Software in 2012 and provides the company with 20 years of marketing, communications, branding, product marketing, product management and executive communication and leadership expertise. Previously, Jennifer served as founder of JKR Consulting Inc., where she specialized in creating end-to-end marketing strategies for global companies. She also held marketing roles at Ceridian, CIGNA Behavioral Health and United Health Group. Jennifer has an MBA from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minn., and a BA from the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn. She is a member of the American Marketing Association.