There are many levers that impact an organization’s ability to improve business performance and gain an edge over competitors.

From streamlined processes, optimized employee productivity, cost take-out and faster service to reduced turnover, higher employee satisfaction, simplified supply chains, and many others — it is an ongoing goal in any industry.

But every decade or so, a technology comes along that impacts us in a profound way. It just so happens in this decade that it’s more like the perfect storm of multiple, disruptive technologies that have turned the enterprise on its proverbial ear:

• Cloud computing
• Social media
• Mobile (smart phones, tablets and phablets… oh my)
• Business intelligence/analytics/Big Data

Enterprise Mobility and the Competitive Edge

Organizations cannot ignore the fact that these technologies are transforming how business is conducted every day — from the front office to the back office and everywhere in between. They also cannot ignore the need to figure out how to use them to improve operations and gain an edge, as well as to optimize the mobile worker’s time and productivity.

Mobile workers now carry 3.47 mobile devices for work (up from 2.68 in 2011)†

But while all of this technology was conceived to make our lives faster, easier, better… it could indeed be doing just the opposite: over-complicating, distorting and distracting us from how we could or should be managing the business every day.

Mobile workers now carry 3.47 devices (up from 2.68 in 2011). Is that making anything faster or easier?  98% of mobile workers multi-task 3 to 4 activities at a time, even though 35% of those that do feel less productive.

The mobile workforce means employees have a near seamless transition between work and personal time, since a physical presence at the office is unnecessary for many roles such as sales, services and some management teams. What that also means is that employees are adapting to the new work paradigm and compensating for the fact that many businesses have not yet caught up.

Technology and Data Consumption are Evolving Faster than Business Infrastructure and Mobile Networks are Able to Adapt.

So what do mobile technologies really bring to the business then, and where’s that competitive edge?

First, mobile access can clearly drive productivity to new heights, especially where employees can bring their own device. More than just access to email, employees can conduct core business transactions almost anytime, anywhere.

With the advancements in mobile technologies resulting in faster mobile computing power for today’s smartphones, there is a huge shift in the consumption of mobility devices. A recent study by emarketer suggests that the global smartphone audience surpassed the 1 billion mark in 2012 and will total 1.75 billion in 2014.

The latest slew of smart phones and tablets enables your mobile workforce to interact seamlessly not only with customers and other stakeholders, but also in real-time with enterprise systems and other business applications.

Are You at the Tipping Point Yet?  If Not, You May Soon Be.

Many businesses are close to the tipping point… if yours isn’t there yet, I suspect it will be soon.

Any business that cannot demonstrate its ability to empower employees to work while on the move will undoubtedly start losing ground against competitors that do. No organization can ignore the fact that we all live in a mobile driven world.

So enabling a mobile workforce within the organization equates to generating process efficiencies across the organization and improving business productivity at multiple layers. Those who do not do it TODAY, will find themselves falling behind their industry peers in today’s increasingly global and competitive marketplace.

I welcome your input into how mobility can play a key role in helping business gain a competitive edge, comment here or if you are headed to Orlando for the SAPPHIRE NOW show, be sure to come by our booth #330 and we’ll have a lively discussion face-to-face.