Are you seeing results from your enterprise mobility strategy?

Enterprise mobility strategies must beyond hardware adoption to reap the full benefits of a mobile workplace.

In theory, companies implement enterprise mobility initiatives to make their resources more readily accessible and convenient. Bring your own device policies, corporate-owned mobile gadgets and remote working options all contribute to this trend toward greater flexibility and empowerment for employees.

However, simply embracing smartphones and tablets won't do much to actually transform the way workers are able to complete their tasks and approach problems. Rather, organizations also need the right tools to supplement the hardware - usually in the form of mobile apps. And because each enterprise has its own processes and requirements, many companies are turning to custom application development to furnish their staff with the resources they need.

Mobile devices don't equal mobility

Mobile Enterprise recently reported that although the number of workers utilizing smartphones and similar gadgets for professional purposes has doubled since April 2010, reaching about 60 percent of the workforce in 2013, few employees experienced a similar increase in mobility. In other words, simply using portable devices for work doesn't necessarily empower staff members with the flexibility promised by mobile initiatives.

That's because enterprise IT hasn't changed much, the source explained, and limited budgets have constricted mobile projects that otherwise would have benefited from more robust tools, such as apps tailored to employees' unique workflows and requirements. Additionally, for a sustainable mobile enterprise strategy, organizations need to streamline their app development, distribution and management processes, automating wherever possible, the source added.

Filling the gaps

To get the most out of their mobility plans, businesses should ensure they have the right programs and tools in place so their employees can complete tasks, access mission-critical data and stay connected even when they're away from the office. Because company needs often fluctuate and evolve as businesses grow and market conditions change, enterprises should be prepared to adjust their system resources accordingly. Because time is usually of the essence for these projects, rapid app development is the way to go.

With the right services in place, companies can craft the perfect tools for their employees in-house rather than waiting for third-parties to develop custom products, which can be an expensive venture. To expedite the process and enable workers with limited coding experience to excel at app creation, decision-makers can turn to intuitive point-and-click application development platforms.

Enterprise mobility is all about immediate accessibility, convenient tools and flexible options. Companies should have equally user-friendly resources to create the tools they need so they can usher their mobility strategies beyond the uninspiring hardware phase.