7 Ways Mobile Devices Are Transforming Businesses

Mobile devices have revolutionized how people go about their lives. Businesses are more focused on enabled enabling their employees to get their work done efficiently, using technology that works with them, and adds value at every stage.

But what does that mean for the business leaders approaching the next generation of technology investments?

1. Show And Don’t Tell

Mobile devices have brought businesses closer to their customer base in ways inconceivable nearly a decade ago. Whether it is direct messaging for upcoming projects or mobile payments, handheld gadgets are essential enablers.

Marketing is particularly a big factor in these new capabilities. Gadgets like Samsung’s Gear 360 camera allow companies to create 360-degree videos for customers to explore. Virtual reality headsets such as Gear VR allow clients to immerse themselves in other locations instantly, using just a smartphone. For example, Thomas Cook already uses Gear VR headsets to display holiday experiences in large cities like Singapore.

2. Bigger and Faster Growth

Cloud solutions and mobile devices have made it much cheaper to start and grow a company, with metrics showing that companies using mobile devices such as cloud collaborations and mobile payments hit growth and export goals much faster than those that do not.

Tools such as Google Drive, PayPal, and Slack have also significantly decreased the time it takes for businesses to go international, from 41 months for businesses founded between 2003 and 2008 to 22 months for businesses founded in 2009 or later.

3. Better Communication

Communication services such as Slack keep a workforce connected even if workers are mobile. However, such servers also offer a valuable way to connect with customers and ensure the business communicates effectively.

4. Staying Flexible for Happier Employees

The ability to work anytime and anywhere is very important. 39 percent of employees identify it as the most important factor in whether or not they are satisfied with their jobs, according HPE Aruba’s report.

5. Saving Time And Money

Mobile solutions can save a lot of time while executing regular tasks with cloud solutions replacing resource-heavy local filing, scanning and imaging functions, or apps replacing forms.

Yet the benefits of mobile devices are not just for mobile employees. For small businesses, being able to handle tasks such as expenses on a mobile app means significant savings. It is much easier to file tax returns and easier to check if employees are sticking to an expense policy.

6. Paperless

Surprisingly, a vast majority of businesses still rely on spreadsheets or paper to file their expense claims. However an increasing number of mobile apps are focusing on getting rid of paperwork and enabling mobile employees to deal with documents without needed to forward them to a PC.

7. Data At Your Fingertips

Mobile interfaces put today’s businesses in touch with their data in way nearly unthinkable even five years ago. Using Enterprice Resource Planning, or ERP, software from Oracle, Sage puts business leaders directly in contact with their accounts on live dashboards, whether they are in the warehouse, at a investor lunch, or at their desk.