5 Essential tools for supporting a mobile workforce

There’s no denying that the future of work is mobile and that the days of the 9-to-5 job in front of the office desk are steadily disappearing. A study by Deloitte recently found that more than two-thirds of business leaders agreed that workforce mobility was a key enabler of business and talent strategies.

Here are five essential tools to help you prepare for the future of work:

#1. Digital signature software

The need for people to sign contracts and agreements is one of the main reasons businesses are still heavily reliant on paper documents. On one hand, it’s a necessary part of business. On the other, it’s corporate bureaucracy at its worst. Fortunately, many companies are finally moving away from pen and paper to electronic signature solutions.

Digital signature software helps reduce expenses and enhance productivity. Instead of having to wait for the mail or emailing forms for people to print, scan, and sign, an electronic signature can be applied at the touch of a button. They’re much more difficult to forge than traditional means, enabling faster and more secure transactions.

#2. Cloud document management

Not so long ago, taking work home typically meant copying documents over to a flash drive or optical disk. Then, along came faster internet connections, which allowed people to send large attachments. Still, this process was woefully inefficient, since it was time-consuming and often led to important documents getting lost along the way.

A cloud-based document management solution greatly improves accessibility by keeping all your digital assets in a centrally managed online repository. That way, employees can access the documents they need for work no matter where they are or the device they’re using. This also simplifies security, since there’s no need to store documents across several disparate systems.

#3. VoIP phone systems

Communications have always been the backbone of business, which is why landlines are quickly falling out of favor. Landline phone systems are expensive to use, lack the scalability of modern solutions, and make it difficult to work with remote employees and freelancers.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies like Skype for Business use your internet connection for voice and video calls to greatly reduce costs, improve scalability, and enhance call quality. Calls between internet-connected devices are also free, making VoIP a must-have for video conferencing on a global scale.

#4. Mobile device management

The rise of mobile technologies mean cybercriminals have many new potential access points to your corporate network. They’re also at a greatly increased risk of theft or accidental loss. But worse than losing the device is a thief having access to your data.

Mobile device management (MDM) lets administrators regain control over how their data is stored, on which devices it’s stored, and who has access to it. With MDM software, they can immediately revoke access rights on devices reported lost or stolen, see who’s accessing their networks in real time, and enforce company bring your own device (BYOD) policies.

#5. Online productivity tools

One of the most common fears business leaders have about letting their employees work from home or elsewhere is that they’ll start slacking off. They’re often worried about losing control, and a consequent lull in productivity and reliable communication. If you don’t empower your remote employees with the right technologies, then that’s likely exactly what will happen.

Together, online productivity tools like Office 365, Skype for Business, and Slack can provide full-blown virtual workspaces that employees can access from any location on any device. There are loads of online tools that help boost productivity, including time tracking and billing apps, scheduling solutions, and much more.

Are you gearing up for the future of work? Safebit Solutions offers mobile workforce solutions that allow businesses across Houston to be more productive and outperform the competition. Call us today to learn more.