Stick or twist - that’s the decision every business faces when it comes to investing in the future. Do you keep faith with your current setup or take a risk and move to new work processes?
It has always been a tough call to make but the stakes have been raised in recent times by the growth of digital technology. Rather than providing slightly improved versions of old systems - digital software unlocks completely new ways to work.
It allows mobile service companies to replace paper-based and manual methods with digital and automated processes that provide a faster, safer and more effective way to operate. But it requires moving away from well-worn ways of working.
It’s a particularly crucial decision to get right for businesses which rely on mobile workers because of the increased pressures to deliver fast, efficient and dependable services to customers and clients.
It’s for this reason that the true risks posed by digital is NOT investing in the technology required for today’s business world.
Why companies need to take mobile workforce management solutions seriously:
- Technology tide won't turn
- Evolving software services
- Meeting customer/client expectations
- Handling compliance pressures
- Minimising need for IT infrastructure
Technology tide won’t turn
The core benefits of digital systems mean that once a business makes the switch, they’ll never go back to the old management world of paperwork and cumbersome manual processes. As more businesses go digital, the disadvantages for those who don’t is only going to increase.
The impact is magnified for mobile service companies because so much depends on having the fast and accurate communications required to effectively manage mobile workers. It’s an area where digital management delivers major business benefits over old setups.
Evolving software services
One of the fear factors with business investment is that you’ll splurge money on something which is immediately usurped by a better, shinier thing. It’s a particular risk when investing in any kind of new kit or equipment.
But risks are minimised when you’re investing in digital services because, for no additional cost, the product is constantly being improved and updated. The cloud-based nature of systems allows fixes and new features to be made instantly available to all users.
Meeting customer/client expectations
While you may be comfortable with your business continuing to use paper-based and manual ways of working, whether your customers and clients are is a different matter. People who use mobile services now expect the kind of service that can only be delivered by digital systems.
They want to be able to check the real-time status of a delivery online and to digitally sign for the items and services received. These are expectations that can’t be met without investing in software.
Handling compliance pressures
It’s not just the users of mobile services who expect the benefits of digital - it’s also the wider administrative world. Safety compliance is one area, in particular, where digital systems are becoming an essential tool to properly manage and maintain safe working.
With automated tracking of who, when and where each safety check is carried out, digital systems help to safeguard companies against liability risks and ensure that workers are following the correct health and safety procedures.
Minimising need for IT infrastructure
It seems counterintuitive but one of the benefits of investing in technology is to reduce your organisation’s reliance on technology. With cloud-based digital tools, all of the system maintenance, updates and fixes are carried by the service provider.
It means that, unlike a traditional setup, there’s no requirement for internal IT systems to be maintained or individual software to be installed. It allows services to be used from any desktop PC or handheld device with an online connection.
And if you're worried about the security of cloud based systems: don't be. In this blog, we dispel the cloud security myths.
So, while any kind of change to the way you do things will always carry an element of risk - the real risk when it comes to investing in digital systems comes from not making the switch. Digital processes are rapidly replacing our old methods because they provide such fundamental business benefits - faster, safer, simpler and more effective.
