Smartphones, tablets used for basic work tasks: Survey
Rather than shut out mobile and consumer technologies, companies are not only embracing these technologies in the workplace but enabling them, according to a global survey by Avanade, a business technology and managed services provider.
Fifty-four per cent of Canadian companies (61 per cent globally) reported the majority of their employees now use personal computing devices in the workplace. And 46 per cent of Canadian companies (54 per cent globally) said the majority of employees use smartphones for basic work tasks such as reading email, online documents and calendar invitations, found the survey of 599 C-level executives and IT decision-makers in 19 countries.
Thirty-one per cent of Canadian companies (33 per cent globally) reported the majority of their employees use tablets for basic work tasks. And the same number 31 per cent of Canadian companies (33 per cent globally) said the majority of their employees are using tablets for advanced business purposes such as customer relationship management (CRM), project management, content creation and data analysis.
"Mobile and consumer technologies are becoming predominant in the workplace and are driving the transformation of how work and business is done,” said Benoit Bertrand, Avanade Canada chief technology officer and vice-president. “Business and IT executives are not only embracing these technologies, they're enabling them and achieving measurable results including increased employee morale, enabling new product development and driving profitability."
The most progressive companies that are redesigning how work gets done are building entirely new business processes around these trends — and reaping new benefits, said Avanade.
Sixty-nine per cent of Canadian companies (71 per cent globally) have changed at least one business process — including processes in IT management, sales and marketing, HR and customer services — in an effort to accommodate emerging work trends including the use of mobile and consumer technologies.
And 42 per cent of Canadian companies (20 per cent globally) have changed four or more business processes to capitalize on the rise of mobility and consumer technologies at work.
Measurable impact
These same companies are seeing a measurable impact and positive results on profitability, product development and employee satisfaction, according to the survey. They are 73 per cent more likely to report improved sales and new customer acquisition through the use of their collaboration tools than other companies.
Companies that have adopted emerging mobile and consumer technologies are 54 per cent more likely to report increased profits than businesses not leveraging these technologies, policies and processes. And they are 58 per cent more likely to report improvement in bringing products and services to market.
These companies are also 37 per cent more likely to report improved employee satisfaction. They also report a greater emphasis on creativity and greater ability to solve problems, found the survey.
But there is a significant gap in views between business leaders and IT regarding the role of mobile and consumer technologies in the enterprise, said Avanade. Seventy-one per cent of C-level executives said the rest of the company could accomplish work tasks outside of the office walls — 39 per cent higher than the rate of IT staff and business unit leaders who reported the same.
IT decision makers are focused on minimizing potential risks (55 per cent) with personal computing technologies at work, found the survey. However, the C-suite's primary concern is capitalizing on the potential benefits (56 per cent) these employee-owned devices can bring to the enterprise.
