People power
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- Enterprise Mobility, September 2004
Managing the people side of mobile projects is as critical as getting the technology right.
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However, the IT department’s role does not stop with establishing the infrastructure and equipping staff with appropriate equipment. Without proper training in its use, the ability to support it when it goes wrong and a service provider, the technology is useless.
People’s choice
When the target of a mobile deployment is at the other end of the hierarchy, the task of getting employees to adopt the new ways of working becomes an issue for the business as well as the IT department.
“What you find is that people, at the beginning, are uncomfortable and distrustful of the motivations of management,” says Keith New, VP of mBusiness at front-office applications consultancy Aspective. “Is it a Big Brother scheme? Do they plan to get rid of 20% of us?”
This fear can be overcome by seeking user input into the design of the application and the choice of device early on. And it must be accompanied by solid training and a clear demonstration of how the technology can make their lives easier – even if it involves writing extra modules into the application that do not have a direct business benefit.
“Giving your colleagues a laptop or a PDA and the ability to work remotely is not enough,” says Ben Johnson, managing director of Satsuma Solutions, a UK-based web and wireless consultancy.
By letting employees explore the benefits of mobile working, it becomes easier to convince them that mobile working is good for them as well as the company.
“How many of us work in jobs where laptops are company issue, but where actually leaving the office to work elsewhere is frowned upon?” asks Johnson.
Mobile working can place additional strains on both employees and IT departments. But by developing a corporate policy that sets some boundaries, while presenting employees with elements of choice, mobile working can also become a valuable business tool and an important motivator.
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