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Enterprises worldwide are realizing measurable business results by implementing formal programs for using mobile strategies and technologies to support their workers and reach customers more effectively, according to a report from information technology company Unisys.
The study results point to a number of factors that are driving these higher results for mobile enterprises, with 65 percent of mobile enterprises saying that they use a formal, technology-enabled process to measure return on investment (ROI).
However, just one-third of all worldwide respondents report doing the same, and although another 32 percent of respondents are using formal but manual processes and 36 percent are using informal, ad-hoc measurement processes, 16 percent are not measuring ROI at all.
“This study clearly shows that success in mobility requires a concerted, holistic approach encompassing strategy, business applications and formal measurement of results in addition to infrastructure engineering,” Darren McGrath, global director of mobility solutions for Unisys, said in a statement. “A fully planned, cohesive approach can make mobility a true business enabler, while an incoherent program creates the risk of a jury-rigged solution with tactical rather than strategic value to the organization.”
Overall, respondents indicated that implementing mobility-based programs has benefited their organizations, with 53 percent of respondents saying mobility has enabled them to create new customer channels and enhance customer interactions.
Slightly more than half (51 percent) of respondents say that mobility has enabled their organizations to redefine business processes by allowing mobile access to information.
In addition, 50 percent of respondents say that they have been able to enhance existing products with mobile capabilities.
“These results demonstrate that success in mobility is a function of careful planning, smart strategies and consistent execution,” McGrath said. “By taking a holistic, disciplined approach to mobility, organizations can increase the productivity of their people, grow revenue, unleash innovation and find new ways to serve their customers.”
Three-quarters of mobile enterprise respondents said that mobility generated new revenue for their organizations in the last year, compared with 30 percent of “mobile aware” and “mobile void” organizations. However, there are marked disparities in the way the respondents characterize the maturity of their strategies and policies, with 21 percent of respondents characterizing their company as a trendsetting “mobile enterprise.”
The study found 40 percent label their organization as “mobile enabled,” with strategies and policies in place but no proactive governance, while 28 percent call their organization “mobile aware,” with pockets of mobile initiatives and some policies in place but with no overall strategy or governance.
Eleven percent said their organization is a mobile void—lacking any established strategy, policies or governance.