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Imagine a company’s mobile operations–PDAs, cell phones, laptops, and voicemail services–actually breaking even on its cost or, better yet, making money on it. One of the biggest problems businesses face today is that the more mobile their businesses become, the more their technology bills soar. That is why one of our goals at Advocate Networks is to develop individual ways for each company’s mobility service to become an enabler instead of a cost center. What if you could actually make money or break even on your mobility costs? Advocate Networks helps companies put a mobility plan into place that over time does that exactly.
Strategic Mobility: From Cost Component to Business Enabler
The cost per unit for long distance phone service has been declining for years and will continue to drop. Wide-spread cellular coverage and rate plans with long distance services has increased significantly, while traditional landline-based long distance usage is in steep decline. The same cost per unit decline holds true for phone lines, Internet connections, and data circuits. However, the usage and overall cost associated with mobility is continually on the rise.
Mobility Baseline & Strategic Roadmap: Where We Are, Where We Are Going & How to Get There
In order for an organization to align its communication goals with its business goals, it should create a strategic plan that lists the actions needed to build a comprehensive roadmap. The roadmap describes how mobility will contribute to the organizations’ information and communication technology strategy. The strategy aligns the stated business goals with specific, respective technologies. The mobility strategy and roadmap should be based on the organization’s requirements, current devices and systems, contracts, and processes.
Implementation: Get It Done Right!
The best way to efficiently define and implement a mobility strategy and roadmap is to understand the users and create user profiles. The user profile should be based on each individual’s roles and responsibilities, not job title. User profiles should be created for current and future situations. A user profile should contain the following information:
After both the current and future profiles have been created, a gap analysis can be performed. Based on the results of the gap analysis, action can be taken.
For example, if an executive assistant currently has an unlimited voice/data plan, when all he/she utilizes is 20 percent of that plan, putting a limited data plan in place could result in cost savings. This savings becomes significant when multiplied across the organization.
Mobility Management: Should You Outsource, Insource or Hybrid?
Once a plan has been created and implemented, companies need to maintain the plan. Process controls and policies executed must be governed and maintained on a regular basis. Mobile management is very time intensive and typically strains people and departments that are already busy, namely the IT department. When organizations do not have the personnel to handle mobile management, they can outsource it to a third party. This third party acts as a liaison between the company and the multiple service providers it works with. However, some organizations are better served by using mobile expense management software internally, and tying it into policies and procedures created for the roadmap. This model typically works for enterprises with a large IT department and more than 5,000 mobile devices.
Mobility Today: Making Sense
With so many mobility choices it can be hard to decide what device and which approach is right for an organization. It is imperative that small, medium and large organizations scrutinize the expenses and labor associated with developing and maintaining a mobile environment. Organizations should create a deliberate and organized strategic mobility roadmap to assist with the long-term care and management of the company’s mobility needs. Otherwise, mobility costs continue to increase year after year without contributing to business goals.