Your Mobile Strategy |
Every organization should have a
mobile strategy. The incorporation of mobile devices into
the existing work processes is critical to achieving
operating efficiencies. It gives workers the ability to
perform many tasks more easily and from virtually anywhere.
It allow for access to real time data while on the go and
provides a mechanism for instant feedback.
A mobile
strategy would ensure that you can take advantage of today's
technology. A mobile strategy should address the following
areas: Apps; access to mobile devices; productivity tasks;
security; and life cycle management. |
Apps |
Define specifically what apps can
and can't be used on the company's device. Define the
specific utility and productivity apps that can be installed
and used on the device. Specify whether or not the employee
can use other apps such as games, etc.
Identify
which account will be used to setup the device and connect
to the app store. Will your company account be used or will
the employee be allowed to use their own personal account?
Define
how apps will be paid for. Will your company's credit card
be used with the app store account to pay for apps that
charge a price or will the employee be allowed to use their
own credit card and have the company reimburse them? What is
the max reimbursement rate? How soon will employees be
reimburse?
Will
your company develop their own apps to perform specific
productivity tasks or will you use existing third party apps
already developed? |
Access To Mobile Devices |
Define who will be given a mobile
device (phone or tablet). Determine whether it will be based
on seniority, function or whether everyone will be given
one.
Clarify
if an employee can bring their own personal device into the
workplace to perform official company tasks.
If an employee is allowed to
bring his/her own personal device into the workplace to
perform official company task determine what guidelines
would be for successful integration. |
Productivity Tasks |
What are the specific
productivity tasks that will be authrorized to be performed
by mobile devices in your work enfironment? Productivity
tasks could cover a wide range of activities such as
inventory, scanning barcodes, documents scanning, document
conversion to PDF, video communication, documentation,
printing, data entry, status updates, security monitoring,
etc.
Since
having a mobile device gives you the capability to perform
many tasks from anywhere you have to define the range of
time (based on the employee's work hours) when they can
perform such tasks. You want to avoid situations where an
employee may claim over time for performing task after the
normal work hours. |
Security |
Mobile are susectible to theft
because they are small and light weight, can contain
valuable information and they fetch a decent price on the
open market. You must take every precaution to protect them.
You must have a company policy that addresses the security
of these devices.
Security
of mobile devices should be deivided into two parts,
physical security, data security and device recovery.
Physical Security:
This taking measures to physically secure the device so that
they don't end up in the wrong hands. This addresses the
question of what to do with the device when it is not in the
physical posession of your employee. When not in the
posession of someone the device should be locked up in a
secure area. This could be a desk drawer with a locking
mechanism, a room that is secured or a cabinet with a
locking mechanism. Physical security can also be enhanced by
the use of apps that will allow you to tether the device to
other devices and will give off an audible alarm when the
devices are separated.
Data Security:
Even if the device is stolen you can still take measures to
prevent access to the data that is on the device. There are
apps that you can download and install on the device that
will block access to critical data. It will even prevent
anyone from opening the application required to access the
data.
Device Recovery:
Even if a device is stolen it can still be recovered. There
are apps that you can install on the device to will give you
the location of your mobile device and even take a picture
of the person who is using it. These apps allow you to do
things such as notify the user that he/she is holding a
stolen device and instructions on how to return it as well
as enable the device to give off a loud audible sound to
annoy the user and notify everyone around him/her that the
device is stolen. |
Life Cycle |
Life Cycle management
addresses the issue of how often mobile devices will be
replaced/upgraded and how old ones will be phased out or
disposed of. Everyone, especially younger employees will
want the latest and greatest devices that come on the
market at any given time. Having a written policy in
place can relieve you from this kind of pressure.
Your
Life Cycle management plan should state how long you
will hold on to a device. A typical timeframe is 2
years. Manufacturers place new mobile devices on
the market every year. Most mobile device service
providers contracts will lock you in for 1-2 years
before you can get an upgrade with a discount.
How
will the old devices be disposed of. You can chose
several options to dispose of the old devices. You could
give them out to employees as rewards and incentives;
You could auction them off to recoup a portion of the
cost; You could donat them (to educational institutions,
non-profit organizations, etc.). You must
ensure that the devices are sanitized before disposing
of them.
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