Getting your employees to buy into a mobile solution?

Posted on 19 August 2010

So, you’ve selected the software provider, settled the “Do I go bespoke or do I buy a packaged application?” question and you’re now looking at the most appropriate hand held devices.

—– STOP! —–

It is important that the people who understand the working conditions and constraints of your business – your workforce, should have their say at this point. Pick a number of your staff to form a steering committee, with each member representing a faction or group of your employees. An experienced workforce member and a younger staff member, a skilled worker and a novice, a technophobe and a tech geek, and task them with agreeing which hardware to use.  The first thing they’ll do is disagree but this will actually prove why this committee was put together, to ensure that agreement is met. Remember, the likelihood of everyone agreeing on the same solution is highly unlikely; the aim here is to find a common middle ground where everyone can benefit.

Individually they should consider factors which affect their specific job role, but most likely they will be looking at;

1. Screen size, resolution and brightness
2. Number of keys, alpha and numeric, QWERTY or mobile phone type
3. Ergonomic design, weight and ease of handling
4. How rugged the device needs to be
5. Battery life and if an extended battery will be needed
6. Will it be put in the pocket or in a holster when not in use
7. Does it need any accessories or a case

If you ask them to give a score out of ten for each of the above, for each device you are considering, the resulting scores should give you a clear winner.

But by scoring the elements you may discover there are two or more devices with a similar score but which have widely different total costs of ownership. To select a device which is less expensive, but which scores nearly as high as the top scoring product can be justified on cost and could determine the viability of the project.

You’d then want to pilot the device running your chosen software by asking your steering committee members (who selected the product) to trial it in the field. Their natural enthusiasm in taking part in the project will prove infectious with their peers, providing excellent feedback helping to design the training requirements.

On successful completion of the pilot, the system is rolled-out through the rest of your organisation with all employees fully aware of the project and how some of their colleagues, the steering committee, view the system. Your foresight in involving them with every aspect of the project, particularly the elements that directly affect them, will stand you in good stead. When the doom and gloom brigade try to wriggle out of having their working lives monitored, measured and managed, you’ll be able to counter;

“If it’s OK for the youngest and oldest, technologically challenged and technologically aware, experienced and novice – it’s OK for you!”

If you install your mobile solution with this inclusive and consultative methodology, your workforce will be with you. It will be quickly evident who wants to work productively and who wants to be free to occupy their time unobserved. You’ll have the evidence to let the latter go and replace them with those that seek to be productive. In other words you’ll be concentrating on the benefits the system provides rather than trying to manage a workforce that hasn’t bought into the project.

What do you think? Is all this obvious or did your company try doing it differently and how did it work out in the end?

Let me know.