Partner Article

Meeting the demands of the modern, mobile worker

Written by Jan Kaempfer, General Manager for Marketing for Panasonic Computer Product Solutions

The mobile revolution has massively impacted the workplace as we know it. Going back even a decade, there were no such things as connected devices and people would only use desktop computers connected to internal networks, with system administrators having complete control. Nowadays, with the ‘always connected’ nature of work and the growth of initiatives such as work from home and flexitime, technology has been forced to adapt to the standard the modern workforce demands. We have therefore seen the advent of tools such as Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Docs, enabling workers, if equipped with the right device, to be able to work from wherever their role requires, whenever it is deemed necessary.

In modern society where, according to figures from the ONS, having the right digital infrastructure and technology could boost Britain’s economy by £1.5 billion by 2020, it is important that our mobile devices are up to scratch and are able to adhere to the needs of the highly demanding modern workforce. Don’t take my word for it, the same ONS figures reveal that having the right devices alone can save businesses 9.4 million hours and £2.2 billion per week.

These demands are magnified for those working in hostile, extreme and challenging environments. Just like office workers, these professionals also heavily rely on mobile technology. Paramedics, the armed forces and construction workers are amongst those who require mobile devices that are secure and rugged enough to withstand a vast variety of elements.

In order to match the demands of the modern worker, particularly for a workforce out in the field and dealing with harsh environments, I have put together my top three considerations for organisations to consider when choosing the right device for their mobile work force.

Ensure the device is fit for purpose

An organisation needs to firstly determine whether there is a clear business need for its mobile workers to have rugged devices before it starts down this path. Rugged, by its very nature, means protection from harsh outdoor environments, such as water, dust and dirt and as such these products could require a high level of initial investment.

Once the decision has been made to procure rugged devices there needs to be a decision made on the level of ruggedisation. Does the organisation have mobile workers that are going to be predominately working outdoors? If so they will most likely require fully ruggedised products. Likewise, if you have a workforce which is ‘mobile’, but predominantly moving from office to office and transporting the device with them, say for example a sales workforce professional who manages merchandising and spends a lot of time walking around a store with the device to show people things - do they really need a fully rugged device seeing as there will be no exposure to the elements? Probably not, so that mobile worker would be best served by a semi ruggedised product.

Likewise, with mobile workers such as ambulance drivers or the fire service, where the device is still mission critical but will be housed in a different mobile environment i.e. docked in the cab of an ambulance. This device won’t be exposed to the elements but will need to be resistant to shock vibrations and drops etc, so it’s all about having a device ruggedisation that is fit for the environment in which it will be used.

Therefore, it is all about researching and ensuring the device’s ruggedness is a suitable fit for the environment for which it will be utilised in.

Beware of the consumerisation of the industry

The consumerisation of the industry has resulted in mobile workers now wanting the slimmest, lightest and sexiest new shiny device. However, ports and connectivity are then sacrificed. In a number of new ‘rugged’ devices you will see that USB and HDMI ports are disappearing and therefore devices are predominantly wireless. Now this is fine for the consumer but in business how do you remain compliant with the latest operating systems, how do you connect to a projector etc?

Another thing which is often overlooked with a lot of the more consumer-based devices on the market is screen visibility outdoors. It’s important to be able to read the screen in bright sunlight and for the touchscreen to work in the rain. Additionally another consideration, arguably the biggest of all, is the removeable ‘hot swap’ battery, so that workers can continue to work without having to power down the device to switch batteries or stop to recharge it.

If devices are also being changed every one or two years as part of a much shorter lifecycle to keep up with the latest technology advances, then staff training becomes a major issue. Training 500 plus people to use a new device and its applications can have a significant impact on total cost of ownership.

Ensure you partner with an organisation that provides after sales support and maintenance

Organisations investing in rugged products often make the mistake of neglecting the need for aftercare. They believe that their rugged devices should be much more reliable. They are correct. Failure rates of rugged devices, such as Panasonic Toughbook notebooks, can be as little as 2.5% a year compared to regular business laptops average failures at 18%. (IDC Research: Pay Now, Save Later) But my recommendation would always be to consider warranty contracts for the projected term and lifecycle that the products are in the field. I say this because rugged devices are a lot more specific than run of the mill consumer products and as such, in the event that a part does get damaged, they can be relatively expensive to repair.

With a rugged device, an organisation is making a higher level of investment and so it is critical to the business case that these devices are kept in the field as long as possible once deployed. Our philosophy is ’deploy once and then manage the device in the field as much as possible. That is why, at Panasonic, we give a standard 3 year parts, labour and logistics warranty. Moreover, with our new ‘Toughbook Smart Service’ solution, we provide enterprise clients with real-time actionable analytics to improve mobile device performance, in turn increasing user productivity and maximising ROI.

Conclusion

It is vital for organisations to spend time researching and finding the best ways to meet the demands of its mobile workforce to ensure the most successful and productive output and to maximise ROI. For businesses about to embark on this journey, if you observe the three points outlined, you won’t go far wrong.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jan Kaempfer .