Five ways mobile technology could leave your business behind Viewpoint careers advice blog

Five ways mobile technology could leave your business behind Mobile technology is so ingrained in our daily life that we take much of it for granted. Six out of the seven billion people in the world have a mobile phone, according to figures from the United Nations, and when they want something, a quick search means they can have free, relevant, timely information about it in seconds. If your business doesnt have the skills to keep up, it could spell the end. Here are five things to consider if you don’t want to be left behind 1. You fail on mobile In a mobile-native world, users expect to find honest, relevant solutions from businesses online. If a website isn’t optimised for mobile web browsing and is difficult to navigate, consumers will lose interest quickly and move on. The only way to avoid this is by having access to top quality coders and IT-fluent marketers. By studying mobile trends and hiring project design, procurement and development staff with the right skills, you can streamline your website or your app’s content so it is easily viewed and responsive to customers on all mobile devices. 2. You don’t adapt your business model Whatever your business, your strategy needs to recognise the possible impact of game-changing customer behaviours, and invest early in the resources able to seize upon them. Take banking. Mobile banking seems only likely to accelerate a branchless trend that has seen the UK’s banks shed more than 40 per cent of their branches since 1989. Figures from US cyber security expert 41st Parameter estimate that 600 million people around the globe used mobile payments last year â€" up more than 400 million in two years. The trend only looks to continue. Barclays Bank has recently announced over 10,000 job cuts, due in part to changes in the way its customers accessed their finances. But the bank has also invested in new methods of payment for goods and services. The result has been its direct transfer app, Pingit, which allows users to pay individuals or businesses using only their phone number. According to the UK Payments Council, consumer use of such direct payments will rise from 356 million payments in 2012 to around 1.5 billion in 2022. Barclays’ investment in Pingit represents a shift in banking’s infrastructure needs from face-to-face interactions and towards an even greater emphasis on IT capability. And where infrastructure changes, so do skills. 3. Your IT talent gets lost in the cloud Free cloud technologies are now office stalwarts, with services from Salesforce to Google Drive and Dropbox allowing users to share and store all manner of data without investing in huge servers. Cloud services are an efficient way to outsource large amounts of IT infrastructure and manpower, but rather than replace the IT department completely, such services outline the need for a nimble, consultative IT function with the skills to support and empower the whole business. This is for two reasons. While collaborative technologies allow easy access to shared data, keeping it in the right hands demands a responsive and well-resourced IT team. And, although collaboration in organisations offers huge opportunities for creativity and responsiveness, getting the most from it demands IT talent that has a much wider set of creative skills than just hardware procurement. 4. You fail to communicate As collaboration becomes more important, so too does communication, particularly in global businesses. Dramatic improvements in mobile collaborative tools and communications are enabling individuals around the world to work effectively outside the rigid 9-5 paradigm. Services like the video-caller Skype and conference caller Pow Wow Now dramatically expand the potential talent pool available to organisations willing to embrace flexible working practices. It also removes the restrictions on individuals who could be more productive if they had the technology to support them. 5 Your competition works harder, better, faster, stronger Ignoring anything that could make hard-pressed workforces more productive could be a fatal way to lose competitive advantage. While talent will always remain a key differentiator among competitive businesses, augmenting it could be just as important. From generic productivity apps like Evernote â€" which takes notes and stores data such as voice clips and images â€" to wearable mobile technology such as Google Glass, it’s now possible to artificially boost the performance of employees through constant access to resources. In the healthcare sector for example, libraries of evidence-based treatments can be placed in doctors’ palms, allowing them to diagnose patients quickly and easily, and doing away with hours of laborious research. The market for top IT talent is tight, but those organisations willing to find, equip and motivate the star developers of the future will lead the way in producing efficient, accessible platforms. And, with an upcoming generation of young, ambitious coders and IT-fluent marketers, there are no excuses for an unattractive shop window, under-resourced staff, or an IT talent that cannot inspire the business. Engage with fellow information technology professionals across the globe and stay up to date with the latest news, by joining our LinkedIn group. Join the conversation