By 2016, an estimated 63 million American workers will telecommute. And that number doesn’t include employees who come to the office or store and then depart to perform their jobs wherever they are needed, whether it’s on the floor, in the field, or on the road. The mobile workforce is booming, fueled by portable technology that is helping keep workers connected.
Sales managers face a challenging task in directing a mobile workforce. Associates must have the information, skills, and updates necessary to perform their jobs, but because they aren’t sitting at a desk every day, getting them this vital knowledge can be tricky. However, tablet technology is not only solving this puzzle, but also improving the efficiency and productivity of these employees. Here are three issues sales managers encounter with the mobile workforce and how a tablet-based solution can offer an answer to those challenges:
Issue No. 1: Training the Mobile Workforce
To be effective, the mobile workforce must continually learn new skills and update the ones they currently use. Yet, when these employees are on the move, finding time and a stable environment to undertake necessary training is difficult. You could send them written training materials, but who wants to carry a three-inch, three-ring binder around, much less find the energy to study such a tome? You could have them stream videos and other training content, but an Internet connection might not always be available or convenient. Tablet technology offers a solution to this problem by making content accessible, and convenient, on devices such as an iPad or Surface. This approach encourages the use of video, which studies have shown makes a bigger impact on the quality of learning. Finally, content resides on the tablets, thus negating the need for a constant Wi-Fi connection.
Issue No. 2: Delivering Content to the Mobile Workforce
Delivery of content, whether it’s training or operational materials, to the mobile workforce isn’t always smooth. Email methods deal with size limitations and junk folders. Cloud solutions and internal systems still require Wi-Fi bandwidth may not always be available. Snail mail and other traditional shipping methods are just slow. And many of these solutions don’t allow sales managers to regulate what content is out there, much less to easily make updates and revisions as needed. A tablet-based solution automatically pushes, and pulls, content from the devices of your mobile workers with a minimal amount of effort on your part. Updates occur almost instantly, without the need to plug in dozens of tablets or iPads. Content arrives on your employees devices no matter where they are, and even if their tablet or iPad is asleep.
Issue No. 3: Communicating and Collaborating with the Mobile Workforce
Communicating with your mobile workers has improved by leaps and bounds over the past 15 years, but drawbacks still exist. For example, if an employee has a question about a piece of training content, he or she still must call, hope the sales manager picks up, and then try explaining what exactly the concern is on what file. By switching to a tablet-based platform, you can eliminate many tedious steps. Collaboration, including audio and video messages and annotations can be easily be shared to the sales manager. Moreover, other employees around the country can contribute to the conversation, thus facilitating collaboration as easily as if everyone was in the same room.
How does tablet or iPad technology help your mobile workforce?
