What is a Mobile Workforce?
Before we define mobile workforce management, we need to explain what is meant by “mobile workforce.” A mobile workforce is a group of individuals who don’t work in one specific location. These mobile workers could be employees or contractors who work outside of an office environment in a variety of locations. Examples of a mobile workforce are as follows:
We will primarily be focusing on mobile workforce management solutions for field service businesses, such as energy and utilities, oil and gas, telecommunications, infrastructure, and transportation. If you are supervising a group of mobile workers, you definitely need to explore mobile workforce management systems (MWM)!
Why is a Mobile Workforce Important?
A mobile workforce can be beneficial to your business in several ways, as listed below:
What is Mobile Workforce Management?
Mobile Workforce Management is the software and processes used for scheduling and job management of teams who work out in the field instead of in an office location. Mobile workforce management software allows you to have job information, job locations, and customer details at your fingertips. Job orders are easily created, and relevant information is automatically updated within the app. By using mobile workforce management software, you can access real-time information and maintain complete visibility of job details as the mobile work is being performed.
Challenges of Managing a Mobile Workforce
Managing mobile workers can be rather challenging for a variety of reasons, some of which are listed below:
- Employee and job scheduling;
- Tracking completion of jobs, including the amount of time necessary;
- Lack of connectivity in certain places in the field;
- Lack of knowledge and need to collaborate within the field;
- Communicating for quick updates.
Reasons to Invest in a Mobile Workforce Management Solution
- Improved efficiency
- Reduce costs
- Increased productivity
- Seamless communication
- Better service delivery
- Greater customer satisfaction
Your Mobile Workforce Management and Data Security
With a mobile staff, there is the added concern of security breaches due to data being sent to a mobile device that is not secured behind the company’s IT firewall. However, there are actions you can take to minimise security threats to your important data.
- Upgrade your IT infrastructure;
- Secure apps and devices provided to your mobile team for use outside the office environment;
- Educate your employees on how to prevent cyberattacks and breaches;
- Create methods for remotely erasing hard drives in the event of theft or loss of mobile devices;
- Store sensitive data in the cloud instead of in physical devices.
