Apple sold 21.4 million iPads in Q1 of 2015. After Microsoft released the Surface 3 last year, sales of the product line jumped to $908 million for the subsequent quarter. Tablet sales continue to boom, and not just for personal use—the technology is establishing itself in retail sectors and at franchise support at individual stores and locations. Companies are discovering the convenience and powerful capabilities that the iPad and Surface have to offer.
However, simply purchasing tablets won’t deliver the franchise support many organizations hope for. Yes, some workplace functions can translate to the technology, but without dedicated applications to run those processes, companies will most likely be using programs designed for personal use. A dedicated tablet-based solution geared for business use is the best option for incorporating the iPad or Surface into retail operations. Here are some reasons why tablets alone won’t necessarily help with franchise support:
Inadequate File Sharing
File sharing is a welcome franchise support benefit on tablets, allowing documents to be easily shared with mobile workers on the floor or in the field. However, most companies use cloud-based solutions such as Box or Dropbox, which weren’t designed to fully take advantage of the technology, much less to promote ease of use. The result is a process that takes too long to share files and runs the risk of multiple versions of the same document floating around. Dedicated solutions enhance file sharing on tablets by not forcing users to wade through hundreds of folders to find a document, by facilitating the actual sharing (placing only relevant and intended files on individual devices), and by ensuring version control.
Poor Collaboration
Tablets don’t lend themselves to efficient business communication. Users can Snapchat or Skype, but, again, these are applications more suited for personal use. If someone wanted to comment on a document or training video, more than likely, the user would need to send an additional email or text and refer back to the file. The process is inefficient, at best. Tablet-based platforms allow for comments, feedback, discussions, and even audio and video messages to be included and attached with any files delivered through the solution.
A Lack of Security
Here’s the extent of security on most tablets—even company tablets: the four-digit passcode. It’s a measure that’s easily bypassed by most hackers, potentially allowing them access to important company files on a cloud-based file-sharing program (which, often, are also barely secured). With dedicated tablet solutions, any thief who gets past the passcode would still need to break through the program’s security to gain access. And even if he did, he would only have access to any files downloaded to the iPad rather than whole company directories. Furthermore, these solutions also offer the ability to pull files back so that they aren’t residing on the tablet anymore, and include remote wiping if the breach is serious to warrant that step.
Inefficient Video
Video on tablets is great for franchise support; employees can watch training videos and learn a process much faster than they could from a book. However, the devices are innately designed for leisurely streaming, which simply doesn’t occur in a retail environment where bandwidth is needed for other store functions. Today’s tablet solutions solve this problem by compressing videos to a fraction of their original size, then automatically downloading the svelte files onto the devices. Employees can watch the videos at their convenience, without the need of an Internet connection.
How have tablets helped with franchise support at your company?
