Sometimes, where you work matters just as much as how hard you work.
Barriers And Benefits
Mobile work can result in greater productivity but generates new issues for business owners. For example, communications becomes less reliable when employees are no longer in immediate proximity to one another. Major businesses have begun to tackle these problems, however, as organizations like Bell Mobile, Cisco and IBM created solutions—advanced monitoring software, for example—that not only eliminated barriers, but realized a higher quality of results. Another added benefit: these companies minimized their carbon footprint and went green without even knowing it.
Prioritize Security
It’s one thing to say you can mobilize your workforce; it’s quite another to actually succeed at it. Introducing mobile devices and a cloud computing system will help you break down the four walls of the traditional office, but they also leave data in critical jeopardy. Create security platforms and train your employees to be able to handle company property (intellectual and physical) in order to allow for a seamless transition from in-house office to virtual office.
Update, Update, Update
Just like you won’t find many new workers who know how to replace the ribbon on a typewriter, so too will soon be the fate of desktop computers. Staying on top of the game requires a support system compatible with multiple platforms. Employers looking for a comprehensive program that won’t sputter out when the newest smartphones and tablets hit the shelves can look into mobile device management and BYOD offerings from Blackberry. Their enterprise management tools allow you to manage all different types of devices, including iOS and Android, so you can rest easy knowing that the next tech wave won’t wipe out your existing infrastructure.
Protect What’s Yours
While BYOD has encouraged flexibility and mobility, it raises a few thorny questions. If an employee accesses company information on their own property and revises or changes it, who owns it now? Set up firm legal documentation about ownership so there are no gray areas with regards to who has dibs on what. Otherwise, your employees may be able to lose, or abscond with, company information that could set your business back.
