The modern work style driven by technology amplifies diversity. Devices are pushing limits and expanding innovation, numbers and functionality. Applications bring the “service” model into the work environment. This makes possible instant acquisition and activation of various services, outsourcing responsibilities and functions. The latest development consists in unified communications solutions – enriching work resources and interactions. The way we work is shifting towards mobility, integration and flexibility with full speed.
The 2015 Citrix summit established that mobility would mark the business work style progressively. In view of location based-freedom, the company exemplified with some of its products.
On the technology front, the Accenture Technology Vision 2015 report maps out five key trends: The Internet of Me, Outcome Economy, Platform (R)evolution, Intelligent Enterprise and Workforce Reimagined. Smartphones, tablets and wearables offer physical means for the mobile apps to empower employees with their new, adaptive work habits. Intelligent technology is blending with human powers and the estimated benefits are massive.
Applications Development
Mobile apps for business represent the near future. In a survey by Lopez Research, more than half of the respondent companies talked about coming up with over 20 apps by the end of 2015.
Some of the listed strategies for success are scalable mobile apps development (based on flexible platforms), or transactional, optimized apps for business. Cloud solutions are the way to go in testing, development platforms and enterprise integration. The companies’ other task is defining which work stages and elements can integrate or rely on mobility.
Applications Demand
A global survey sponsored by Kony shows similar plans of deploying enterprise mobile apps – the demand is high in all industries. Retail, healthcare, marketing, CRM, generic productivity and many other specific services are willing to include mobility in their workflow.
It is even predicted that demand will outstrip supply by the end of 2017, since the numbers of enterprise devices utilized will raise tremendously.
Work Style Changes
Is it even possible to pin down the changes brought by this massive trend in the workflow? The process is ongoing. We’ve seen the demand estimates and the developers’ estimates. How about the factual changes in the way people work?
• BYOD approaches are requesting internal rules in order to avoid security risks;
• The security challenges are increasing, and companies must lay down policies and plans for the safe deployment of enterprise apps;
• Mobile apps take the workload broke down in daily tasks and help fulfilling various goals; there are many possibilities of accomplishing various work actions and the risk consists in decreased effectiveness;
• Work habits have personalized a lot; from a predefined lot of company-approved work apps, each employee can mix and combine the most efficient ones for him;
• A virtual location for common work could be the place to blend all the personalized work styles and detailed activities into team activities. The same integration could be accomplished by synchronizing employees in utilizing the same mobile app or compatible apps;
• The main feature of such a modern, app-based workplace would be its flexible location parameters: team members could be local, but not physically in the same place, or globally distributed (flexible schedule or even remote tasks);
• Speed increases and accommodation times decreases once the best apps are paired with the established tasks;
• Communication improves since mobile apps have an “always on” tagline; whenever needed, a message can be sent, and its receiver can access the information instantly, on his mobile device, via the same app; also information can be updated whenever necessary;
• Higher productivity and engagement make mobile apps suitable for the B2B work style, allowing fast connectivity and real-time response between business partners
Perspective in work-related applications
Looking at these modern work style characteristics, we can definitely say that using mobile apps changes our way of work. Faced with such a wave of opportunities, the employees might slow down their rhythm at first. Integrating new means of work into previous habits is not easy.
But mobile apps make it easy. Once we have chosen smart, useful apps and got used to them, the possibilities to excel are many. A bit of structure always helps – cut redundant or overlapping apps, make time to test new ones, make time to get thoroughly used to the enterprise apps.
Since personalization and flexibility are the key, there is no predefined success combination. The company provides the policy and security protection frame; the employees adapt mobile apps to their requirements and equally change their work habits accordingly. It may seem as a chaotic process, yet people develop a new sense of self-management.
The pattern is similar to the IoT pattern: humans coordinating technology and software for the best outcome. New skills may develop and it is definitely going to be an interesting process.
