88% of UK adults own a smartphone and pretty much all of us are glued to them. Whether it’s for messaging, scrolling through social media, checking our bank accounts or online shopping, the first place we now look tends to be on those devices that come with you everywhere you go.
And yet, for some reason, this behaviour still hasn’t translated fully to the office. Of course, for so many organisations, work phones or use of personal devices at work is commonplace, but many still seem to be stuck in the dark ages. How many offices today do you still see filled with old school landlines? And email continues to be the dominant form of workplace communication.
For those lagging behind, here are just some of the reasons why your business should embrace mobile communications today.
- Better communication, for you and your customers
It may be stating the obvious to say that mobile adoption brings a new level of flexibility and agility to workplace communication, but it’s worth repeating for the businesses at the back who still haven’t embraced the idea. The tools so many of us were pushed into using for the first time during pandemic lockdowns have unlocked a whole new world of collaboration and creativity.
Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack have enabled real-time communication, creating regular contact, faster decision-making and cutting down on time-consuming face-to-face contact. On-the-go messaging and video calls have not only saved huge amounts of time and resources, but created an environment more suited to the modern worker and their personal lives. These tools are only going to keep developing, getting smarter and providing new ways of talking too.
Whether it’s a quick coffee catch up, a collaborative brainstorm session or even an important meeting with key stakeholders, the growth in mobile tech has created a revolution in how we communicate at work. Now that we can interact at any time, from any place, we’re seeing a more diversified, creative collaboration process.
This isn’t restricted to just internal communication either. Through existing messaging platforms and purpose-built apps, businesses can be more creative than ever with the ways they engage their customers. By delivering service in more flexible, mobile methods that suit evolving customer needs, businesses will find they not only reach a wider audience but are building more resilient relationships.
- Welcoming in the next generation
Gen Z are now well and truly part of today’s workforce and, as the first fully digital generation, they’ll have no time for outdated, clunky systems. More than any generation before them, they are the ones who do everything through their mobile phones.
Whether at home or in education, young people today have worked with modern, agile tech for years and expect to do the same in the workplace. The idea of using a landline is alien to many and a lack of up-to-date communication technologies will ultimately harm the value they bring.
By updating your work environment to fit the needs of upcoming talent, you are providing the best possible platform for them to take advantage of their digital native capabilities. This generation can become the core of your organisation for years to come, so it is important to embrace and allow them to drive change going forward with fresh perspectives.
- The bottom line
For many business leaders, limiting immediate spend – especially in times like these – tends to take priority. However, choosing to hold onto old tech rather than investing in modernising will inevitably lead to costs catching up with you.
Older tech needs more maintenance and updates to keep it usable for modern needs, costing significant amounts of money over a period of time, as well as taking up valuable time for IT teams. Refusing to take the plunge on upfront investment could end up costing your business thousands. It is those who are quicker to invest, with a forward-thinking mindset, that will quickly reap the benefits of updated systems.
