Do you know how many times the average user checks his or her smartphone a day? It comes to a whopping 150 times a day! This explosive rise in mobile usage gives us the chance to stay connected 24/7. This also allows customers to shop and interact with businesses in ways that were unimaginable only a decade ago. Just look on any public transportation and you’ll see most passengers interacting on their smartphones.

Mobility – changing the world
How is mobility changing the world? The ubiquity and frequent use of smart devices are raising the expectations of customers that customer-service is available 24/7. Customer-service organisations are, besides being compared with their competitors, also to digital giants, such as Amazon and Expedia. Customers are becoming increasingly demanding and want answers instantly– not tomorrow, not be kept waiting or instructed to re-contact customer service.

Irrespective of channel – be it e-mail, chat, social media, Skype or other mobile applications, all of which are quickly outstripping the traditional modes of communication – they want and expect a consistent, satisfying and effortless experience each and every time. This, in the parlance of the customer-service world, translates to “first-contact resolution.”

Right agent, right skill, right time, right place – every time
From a customer-service point of view, this is of course extremely challenging, and necessitates that the right agents with the right skills levels are is in the right place at the right time. We all know the nightmares that may occur when trying to schedule shift workers.

Fortunately, there are, automated workforce management (WFM) solutions today that efficiently forecast and effectively match up the workload with requisite resources. Gone are the days of manual spreadsheet scheduling – or should be if you are to remain competitive. Managers further utilise the WFM system for real-time visibility into the schedules and availability of their employees and mobile workers. Real-time mobile scheduling software is no longer a luxury but a necessity in today’s digital world.

Engage and empower!
Mobile technology also provides opportunities and benefits for contact centres, back offices and retail outlets. New solutions allow customer servicing to be done from virtually anywhere, as long as managers and agents have access to the software tools they need to do their job. Employees can work from home, staying in touch at the flick of a button or screen. Mobile innovations are also being utilised today to empower and engage employees to improve performance and satisfaction, and thus reduce attrition.

Self-service portals – on the rise
Recent innovations in self-service capabilities allow agents to access their schedules through web-based portals. There, they trade shifts, pick up unexpected shifts just freed up, voice their preferences for overtime shifts and request time off. Having a say in schedule preferences gives them a sense of empowerment and offers them better work-life balance.

An increasing number of companies are joining the ranks, providing such self-service applications for their employees. In a DMG Consulting survey conducted worldwide to identify top service initiatives for 2016, 48.7 percent of respondents – compared to 40.8 percent the previous year – cited increasing the use of self-service applications; fourth on the list of initiatives.

Managers freed up – better decisions made
New mobile solutions give managers and supervisors more freedom and time to devote themselves to often more qualified, strategic tasks. Coaching can now also happen – managers are even able to make schedule changes while coaching.

Liberated from being stuck at their desks, team leaders can walk the contact-centre or shop floor, and with tablet in hand, monitor performance or be on hand for trouble-shooting. In addition, access to data in real time on these rounds generally fosters more rapid problem correction and improved decision-making.

Leverage BYOD in your organisation
Who doesn’t have a smartphone today? Does it then make sense for companies to provide tablets and phones to their employees and forbid them to use their own devices on the job? Does it make sense for companies to spend time and money on purchasing, maintaining and replacing mobile devices when nearly 100 percent of employees have a connected smart device on them? The answer is a resounding no.

Instead, it makes sense to allow employees to bring their own personal smart devices (BYOD: Bring Your Own Device) to work, and use them at work, for work. This also eliminates or cuts down on unnecessary training time, thanks to familiar usability. It also makes sense to leverage these devices with work-related applications that help both mobile workers and enterprises.

Mobile security – intact
If your concern is mobile security threats – no matter if for a BYOD or company-owned mobile programme – last year, 2015, saw significant advances in Mobile Application Management (MAM) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) security technology. Don’t forget about security and/or deletion of data in the event of lost or stolen mobile devices. Most importantly, the technology to secure your mobile devices is here and available today.

Jump on the bandwagon – capitalise on mobility
Mobility is here to stay. Adapt to the booming mobile workforce and be prepared for employees using multiple apps, working from more than one device and working in various locations.