Mobile applications are soon becoming an integral part of businesses worldwide. But in the last few years, businesses looked into mobile applications with very limited scope. They built an app just for one specific function of their business and that would be all. Today we have seen a fair shift from this pattern. Businesses are looking at comprehensive solutions across all business units and across all geographical locations. They are looking at solutions for their customers and for their employees. So if your company is beginning to implement a mobile strategy given below are few things that could set you on the right path.
Have set objectives: Firstly, you need to have a good strategy for developing your mobile app program. For a good strategy to work you need to have a clear set of goals of what you wish to achieve with automation. You need your mobile objectives to align with your organizational goals. Further the mobile strategy needs to be aligned with your business strategy. You need to see that you don’t make functions (within the mobile application) that redundant to your business. You should have a precise set of objectives that match with your business objectives and avoid anything that does not add value to your business
Identify all the potential areas of application: Investigate all set of areas where mobility will impact your business. Whether it is client facing, employee related, partners related or devices related. Make sure you look into every aspect of your business carefully. Make sure you don’t miss anything important
Involve people from various departments of your organization: Mobile strategy and solutions are not formed with the technology team sitting in a room. Involve people from different departments of your organization. They will come up with good ideas on viability and usability of the application. This will lead to long-term success.
Understand your customers view: Many businesses think they know what is best for their mobility needs. If you’re aiming to make designs and functionality that will finally be used by your clients or employees then you need to involve them in the process from day one.
Make sure innovation is a part of the plan: Many companies look at a quick fix solution for their mobility needs. They just want to drive an initiative which fixes the problem immediately, does not cost the company much and is very easy to implement. Make sure there is room for innovation. Try to include a mobility lab where new and innovative ideas can be explored.
Make sure you look outside your industry for innovation: Many mobile companies only look at mobility solutions and apps within their own industry. It is very important to look outside of your industries. This leads to companies forming many apps that are similar to other firms in the business and serve the same or similar purpose. There are many ideas to be found outside of your industry that can help drive your business’s functionality.
Make sure you prioritize and work your way through: It is pretty obvious that you can’t do everything at once. Prioritize on what really is important and work your way through keeping your long term and short-term mobility objectives in mind.
Make sure the architecture of the applications developed remain open ended: Sometimes companies get so much into design and the current functionality of a mobile application that they forget to leave scope for improvement. Instead of working on what they can do on a larger scale. They begin to narrow down thinking about only what they can do with their existing resources and infrastructural set up. Make sure that mobile architectural flexibility is kept in mind while designing and implementing your mobile strategy.
While making an application for mobile we sometime forget ease of use of the functions the app was built for. It is also important to keep the applications light as mobile devices have limited space and memory.
Create an integrated system: The final roadmap of your mobile strategy should not just be about building mobile apps. It should be about integrating IT, architecture, design, governance and analytics together for seamless functionality.
Create of Centre to manage mobile strategy: The apps as well as the infrastructure that is built around an app is used and managed by many departments in an organization. Marketing uses and manages some apps whereas the finance team uses and manages some apps. It is important to have a center that is managing and overseeing all these application. This center will make sure there is accountability and clarity and the mobile strategy is in sync with the overall objectives and needs of the organization.
Innovate, innovate and innovate more: Technology is changing on a daily basis. Business objectives are dynamic and therefore your mobility objectives are changing. It is important to review your mobile roadmap every quarter at the least such that you work on a better strategy which is more aligned with the strategy change, technology change or mobility change and thus keeping up with the time as well as the current need of your business.