One of the most critical places modern companies can look for competitive advantages is with their information. In the age of Big Data, businesses now have more of it than ever before, yet many are foregoing one of the best ways they could make the most of this ever-increasing asset: information mobility.
What Is Information Mobility?
Information mobility is a relatively simple concept that can take on any number of different applications. In short, the term refers to making a company’s vital information accessible to mobile users so that they can do their jobs from anywhere.
To enjoy the benefits of information mobility, companies need to do four things:
- Digitize physical records, so they’re available to mobile users.
- Implement a cloud environment that makes for effortless shareability and accessibility
- Procure and distribute mobile devices for employees to use. Some companies may skip this step, though, in favour of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Create policies that will safeguard their information. Otherwise, greater accessibility will also lead to more significant vulnerabilities.
4 Information Mobility Benefits Every Company Should Leverage
Adopting this kind of approach may seem like a big decision, but there are four information mobility benefits companies have to look forward to after implementing an information mobility policy.
1. The Number of Mobile Workers Is on the Rise
The number of mobile workers around the world is expected to grow from 1.45 billion in 2017 to 1.87 billion in 2022.
Companies that have invested in information mobility will be best positioned to make use of this trend. However, plenty of companies are already doing so. Currently, there are already more than a billion mobile workers who can save their employer’s money and provide more value-added services by working onsite at client locations when necessary.
2. Information Mobility Makes for Easier Scaling
Traditionally, the ability for a company to scale up depended primarily on the available technology. By using technology to make essential information available through mobile devices, modern companies can bypass many of the challenges that would have held back their predecessors just ten years ago.
For example, thanks to the cloud, businesses no longer need to consider how they’ll make their servers available to employees who are working offsite. They can do so through something as simple as cloud computing or creating a robust internal system. Either way, companies aren’t limited in how quickly they can build out a remote workforce because of restraints regarding data accessibility.
3. Productivity and Efficiency Will Increase
Most executives interested in information mobility benefits are principally inspired by what mobile workers could do for their companies’ capabilities. At the same time, they are often concerned that mobile workers won’t be nearly as productive.
Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Research shows that mobile workers are more productive than their average onsite counterparts. They also tend to be much happier.
This may help explain why the number of remote employees has been growing year-over-year by such giant leaps. It also underlines why so many companies are offering these kinds of positions: qualified candidates are demanding the ability to work flexibly.
4. Digital Data Is More Secure Than Hard Copies
When companies invest in information mobility, they rely less on the need for hard copies of information. Even if they keep some in storage, they can still scan and upload documents into digital versions. By doing so, businesses don’t need to worry about security issues related to sharing untraceable hard documents.
For example, providing an employee with the sensitive information they need to take to a client’s site could easily result in the documents going missing or being stolen. Emailing the documents could be much safer, but what happens when the company no longer wants that other business to have access?
When information is available through the cloud, access can be granted to authorized parties. That same access can be revoked at a moment’s notice. With digital rights management, you can even keep third parties from copying the information, forwarding it, or otherwise sharing it with anyone who you haven’t given permission.
The cloud is also more secure than merely keeping digital documents in onsite servers, even though it will allow for greater accessibility among authorized users.
Investing in Information Mobility
It’s hard to think of any investment that promises as significant or immediate an ROI as information mobility. Companies that take the time to institute this kind of advantage will immediately enjoy the four benefits listed above and possibly many more.
However, the time to institute this change is now. Each year, more companies across every industry realize the importance of information mobility.
Those that wait will find themselves playing catch up instead of enjoying a competitive edge. Those that act now will be able to explore several other advantages that could make all the difference to their company’s future.
Enjoyed this read on information mobility? Our Trends in Technology guide features the other top trends that are revolutionizing the business world.
Cory Porteous
Director of Marketing & Inbound Business Development
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