Learn how to manage a mobile workforce with the right mobile, connectivity and telephony solutions, including MDM, security, usage visibility and cost control.
The way we work has changed significantly. For many businesses, employees are no longer tied to a desk or a single office. Sales teams are travelling between customers, engineers are working on-site, employees are working from home and hybrid teams are moving between multiple locations.
A fully mobile workforce can bring greater flexibility, productivity and employee satisfaction. But it can also create challenges for businesses trying to maintain control over devices, connectivity, security, communications and costs.
The good news is that managing a mobile workforce does not have to mean restricting flexibility. With the right technology, policies and support in place, businesses can give employees the freedom to work wherever they need to while maintaining visibility and control.
Why More Businesses Are Managing Mobile and Hybrid Teams
Remote and hybrid working have become an established part of modern business. At the same time, many organisations have teams that have always been mobile, including field engineers, sales representatives, healthcare workers, logistics teams and service professionals.
This creates a different set of requirements from a traditional office-based environment.
Employees need reliable access to business applications, email, cloud platforms and communication tools wherever they are. They may also need smartphones, tablets, laptops, mobile broadband or connected devices to perform their roles.
For IT and business leaders, this can make it harder to maintain oversight.
A growing number of devices, users, locations and services can quickly become difficult to manage without the right systems in place.
The Biggest Challenges of a Fully Mobile Workforce
A mobile workforce introduces several areas that businesses need to consider:
- Connectivity: Employees need reliable connectivity wherever they work.
- Security: Business data can be accessed from a wide range of devices and locations.
- Device management: Smartphones, tablets and other devices need to be configured and maintained.
- Cost control: Multiple users and tariffs can make mobile spending difficult to monitor.
- Communication: Employees need consistent access to voice, messaging and collaboration tools.
- Visibility: Businesses need to understand how services and devices are being used.
- Support: Employees need somewhere to turn when technology stops working.
Trying to manage each of these areas separately can create unnecessary complexity. The key is to build a communications environment where the different elements work together.
Keeping Employees Connected Wherever They Work
Reliable connectivity is the foundation of a mobile workforce.
For employees working away from the office, a mobile connection may be their primary way of accessing business systems. In some situations, mobile broadband can also provide a useful alternative or backup to fixed connectivity.
Businesses should consider where employees work, what applications they need to access and how much data they typically use.
For organisations with employees regularly working from different locations, it can also be worth considering how mobile connectivity works alongside business broadband, leased lines, Ethernet connectivity and other connectivity services.
The objective is not simply to provide employees with a mobile phone. It is to make sure they have reliable access to the services they need to do their jobs.
Balancing Flexibility With Security and Compliance
The more locations and devices your employees use, the more important security becomes.
A smartphone or tablet can provide access to corporate email, customer information, business applications and cloud services. If a device is lost, stolen or compromised, it could potentially expose sensitive business information.
Businesses should consider measures such as:
- Strong passwords and authentication
- Device encryption
- Automatic security updates
- Remote locking and wiping
- Access controls
- Secure business applications
- Regular security reviews
- Clear procedures for lost or stolen devices
Security should also be considered when employees use public Wi-Fi or access business systems from unfamiliar locations.
The goal is to allow employees to work flexibly without creating unnecessary security risks.
How Mobile Device Management (MDM) Helps You Stay in Control
Mobile Device Management (MDM) can make managing a mobile workforce significantly easier.
Rather than managing individual devices manually, MDM allows businesses to apply centralised policies and controls across smartphones, tablets and other supported devices.
Depending on the solution, businesses can use MDM to:
- Enforce security policies
- Manage applications
- Configure devices
- Control access to business data
- Monitor device compliance
- Remotely lock or wipe devices
- Manage updates
- Separate business and personal information
This is particularly valuable as the number of employees and devices grows.
Instead of relying on employees to manage their own devices correctly, businesses can establish consistent policies and maintain greater control centrally.
Managing Devices, Data and Usage Across Your Business
Having visibility over your mobile estate is just as important as controlling the devices themselves.
Businesses can quickly lose track of which employees have which devices, what tariffs they are using and how much data they consume.
A centralised approach can help you understand:
- Which devices are currently in use
- Who is using each device
- Which tariffs employees are on
- Data and usage levels
- Which devices may need upgrading
- Where services are no longer required
- Whether employees have the right services for their role
This information can help businesses make better decisions about their telecoms estate rather than simply renewing services because they have always been in place.
Avoiding Unexpected Costs and Bill Shock
A growing mobile workforce can also mean growing mobile bills.
International usage, excessive data consumption, additional services and unused connections can all contribute to unnecessary costs.
Regular reviews can identify potential problems before they become expensive.
For example, if one employee consistently uses significantly more data than expected, it may be more cost-effective to change their tariff rather than repeatedly paying additional usage charges.
Similarly, businesses may continue paying for devices or connections belonging to employees who have left the organisation.
Visibility is the first step towards cost control.
Having access to clear reporting on users, devices and usage allows businesses to identify trends and take action proactively.
Supporting Collaboration With the Right Communication Tools
Mobile connectivity is only one part of supporting a mobile workforce.
Employees also need effective ways to communicate with colleagues and customers, whether they are working from home, travelling or visiting a customer.
Microsoft Teams Calling, hosted telephony and mobile services can help businesses create a more consistent communication experience across locations.
For example, employees may be able to use the same business number whether they are working from the office, at home or on the road.
This can help maintain professionalism and continuity while giving employees greater flexibility in how they work.
The right solution will depend on how your teams communicate and the systems already in place. The important thing is to consider mobile, connectivity and telephony as part of the same communications strategy, rather than separate services.
Why Visibility and Reporting Matter More Than Ever
As your workforce becomes more mobile, relying on assumptions becomes increasingly difficult.
How many active connections do you have? Which employees are using the most data? Are you paying for unused services? Which devices are approaching replacement? Are your employees actually using the services you are paying for?
Without accurate reporting, these questions can be surprisingly difficult to answer.
Good reporting gives businesses the information they need to identify trends, control costs and make informed decisions.
It can also highlight opportunities to improve employee experience. If a particular team regularly struggles with connectivity or consistently reaches its data allowance, that may indicate that the current service is no longer suitable.
Creating Clear Mobile Working Policies for Employees
Technology alone cannot solve every mobile working challenge.
Businesses should also establish clear policies covering how employees are expected to use company devices and services.
Your policy could cover areas such as:
- Acceptable use of company devices
- Security requirements
- Passwords and authentication
- Use of public Wi-Fi
- Downloading applications
- Reporting lost or stolen devices
- International usage
- Personal use
- Data protection
- Returning devices when employees leave
Policies should be straightforward and easy for employees to understand.
The aim is not to make mobile working difficult. It is to give employees clear guidance, so they understand how to use company technology safely and responsibly.
Signs Your Current Mobile Setup Needs Reviewing
Your current setup may be due for a review if:
- You do not have a clear record of all your mobile connections and devices.
- Employees regularly experience connectivity problems.
- You are unsure how much mobile data your teams are using.
- You have little visibility over your monthly mobile spend.
- Employees are using a mixture of outdated devices and tariffs.
- Devices are being managed individually rather than centrally.
- You are paying for connections that are no longer required.
- Employees use different communication systems depending on where they work.
- Your business has grown but your telecoms setup has not been reviewed.
- You are approaching contract renewal without knowing whether your current services are still suitable.
Even if your existing setup works, that does not necessarily mean it is still the most efficient or cost-effective solution.
Building a Mobile Workforce That Can Grow With Your Business
A successful mobile workforce is not simply about giving employees a phone and telling them they can work anywhere.
It requires the right combination of mobile services, connectivity, telephony, security, device management and visibility.
As your business grows, your communications infrastructure needs to grow with it. New employees, locations, devices and connected equipment can all introduce additional complexity, making it increasingly important to have a scalable approach.
The right telecoms partner can help you review what you currently have, identify where improvements can be made and put the right solutions in place.
At DRC, we help businesses manage their communications through a combination of mobile, connectivity, telephony and IoT solutions, supported by dedicated account management, proactive support and our Hydra Analytics platform, giving businesses greater visibility of mobile usage and costs. From managing mobile users and devices to connecting locations and enabling effective business communications, we help businesses stay connected and in control.
If your workforce is becoming increasingly mobile, now could be the right time to review your telecoms setup. Get in touch with DRC to discuss how we can help you build a more connected, secure and manageable mobile workforce.
