3 ways to incorporate mobile into your business strategy
(Editor’s note: Rajesh Makhija is head of the Enterprise Market Unit at IT solutions provider MphasiS. He submitted this story to VentureBeat.)
The popularity of smartphones has increased exponentially—not just for personal use but in the enterprise as well. For many in today’s workforce, iPhones, Blackberries and other devices have become the de facto mode of checking and responding to email, accessing the Internet, reading industry news and even executing business processes.
It’s a paradigm shift in business, but how can you make it work for you? Here are three ways to consider:
Incorporate mobile into business process execution—Until recently, from a mobile perspective, decision making within enterprises was primarily around information received on the Blackberry. The popularity of tablets has taken the information distribution to a very different level, though, as the device’s large visual display allows for data visualization beyond just websites.
In the world of media and entertainment, for example, a film or TV executive who is away from the office can use a tablet to securely stream the latest version of a film or episode that her editing team has been working on and give feedback, saving valuable time in getting the content approved and ready for consumption. Similarly, a warehouse manager can monitor the flow of orders and determine the specific warehouse for faster order fulfillment ensuring better service and lower cost, all based on predetermined algorithms during his commute home on the train. Likewise a private investment advisor can manage her client’s account even when on the move.
Strategic companies should ensure these functionalities are top of mind when designing products, solutions or services for the enterprise.
Leveraging the evolving richness of mobile experience— Previously, websites mostly presented snapshot views of data – and visualization was limited to pre-built elements such as tables, charts, tabs and accordions. This began to change with the advent of mobile.
Early adoption of these devices came with hastily built “miniature” websites.
While these sites served their purpose, developers raised the bar when they delivered Apps with a much richer user interface, including comprehensive tools for graphics. Tablets and smartphones can now present data in a visually rich and interactive form. They can even use positional sensors such as accelerometers and gyro-meters and take users to a dimension that was simply not possible with desktops or laptops.
Putting it into action— Taking advantage of these features has significant implications on a number of business functions, including the potency of mobile marketing.
These elements can transform the user experience with the tools employed for brand recognition, namely free ringtones, wallpapers, sponsored games or other like applications. The platform offers similar benefits for lead generation, where users are asked to input information to receive discounts or coupons.
One key element of note is the growing presence of regulatory bodies attempting to govern this platform. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued guidelines covering topics such as frequency of contact and the type of message delivered. And the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) announced late last year that it is in the early stages of developing comprehensive recommendations for how companies can engage with consumers via SMS, MMS, mobile Internet, applications and more. Organizations must ensure that they are in compliance with relevant regulations as they move forward with their mobile strategy.
Prior to smartphones and tablets, users had to go to their laptops or desktops in order to participate in a business critical process. That’s different now, as the explosion of mobile has permanently altered the ways companies interact, both internally and externally.
Tags: mobile strategy
