Sponsoring business apps for better productivity

No matter how many resources an organization has, encouraging employees to adopt a business mobile application can be complicated. In many cases, staff members will have similar consumer-grade programs that they may prefer to use, but this can cause issues in data security and operation cohesion. If each person uses his or her personal accounts, it will be significantly harder for IT professionals to ensure that workers have the most relevant tools on hand and protect sensitive content. However, with the right combination of app promotion and discovery, organizations can drive more interest in internal software and foster overall improvements in productivity.

Promoting app adoption among employees
The bring-your-own-device trend is growing at a steady rate across companies in a variety of sectors. In order to meet this increasing demand, many businesses are striving to create their own applications to ensure a unified approach to corporate processes and better communication across the organization. Gigaom research stated that once the app is built, the real work is just beginning - developers have to deliver constant updates, find ways to attract attention to their product and test their software to verify it's performing as expected. Unfortunately, many companies will make an app just for the sake of saying they have one, but this will often prove to be a failure, wasting time and resources in the process. The app should be focused and designed on achieving business goals and must be consistently maintained over its life cycle.

"A mobile app should be a conduit for a dialogue between the end user and the business or publisher rather than a one-way street," Gigaom stated. "B2C apps should often have a customer-service component that allows users to communicate with the business in a variety of ways, including a simple voice call. And developers should constantly monitor feedback to address any shortcomings."

Fostering optimal productivity with applications
One of the biggest missions for company software is to boost user efficiency, which can be facilitated by having the best tools on hand for the job. Business 2 Community contributor Sam Morris noted that improved productivity can be reaped from using the right applications and including optimal features to simplify daily tasks. Tools that provide access to critical files and desktop-like functionality will be essential in promoting a boost in worker output. With these features, users will easily be able to navigate the program from their device of choice and have the necessary information available at all times.

While there are already many consumer-grade file programs, businesses should look to create or promote an enterprise-level software that will better protect sensitive content. Many public document sharing applications will not have the appropriate security to prevent data loss or compromises. By building these safeguards directly into a familiar user interface, employees will be more likely to adopt the program, allowing IT to have better oversight into the location of important files.

"It doesn't matter how many of your employees are running around with tablets and smartphones; you don't have a truly mobile workforce until that workforce has all the tools it needs," Morris wrote. "That means a constant connection to the right applications and files, as well as the ability to edit and print those files. Give your employees all of this and your organization will begin to realize that mobility isn't just a buzzword, but rather an incredible means for productivity."

Developers are in a position to help businesses reach new potential and profit from the mobile revolution. By creating an app that appeals to user preferences and has the best tools, optimal productivity can be achieved, driving company success.