Communications Vodafone Transforming the Mobile Workforce

7/31/2019 Communications Vodafone Transforming the Mobile Workforce

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Transorming themobile workorce

Exploiting the benetso the tablet computeror better business


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Executive Summary

Something unusual is happening in the workplace. Technological

innovation has traditionally been top-down, initiated by the CIO and

corporate technology specialists. But we have recently started to witness

consumerisation a growing trend or novel IT to emerge rst inthe consumer market and steadily inltrate business organisations.

Its driving convergence between IT and consumer electronics, as our

technology usage and habits at home inuse, inspire and inorm our

proessional lives.

The use o the tablet computer or business appears to be one such

grass-roots phenomenon: a swell o employee energy and enthusiasm

is building behind the enterprise deployment o tablet computers and

applications. Many users are proactively buying devices with their own

money and integrating them into their day-to-day roles, connecting them

to enterprise networks with or without permission. This willingness to

bring non company-issued devices into the workplace is prompting many

organisations to consider an enterprise tablet strategy earlier and in

earnest.

This paper reveals the ndings o a joint internal tablet trial by

Accenture and Vodaone Global Enterprise, which indicates that it is in

organisations best interests to capitalise on this momentum. However,

this raises the need to address some key strategic and practical issues

prior to ull-scale deployment. As well as the compelling business

benets o tablet use, this paper explores the IT, user support, security

and procurement considerations associated with incorporating tablet

computers into an enterprise mobility strategy.

1(Source: IDC report IDC Worldwide Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, Q3 2011)

IDC orecasts tablet shipments

will grow rom 19.5 million units

in 2010 to 124.8 million units in

2014, representing a compoundannual growth rate o 45%.1

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The rise o the tablet computer in enterprise

The impact o the tablet computer has been nothing short o astonishing.

These devices have captured the imagination o millions: according to

orecasts by IDC , tablet shipments will grow rom 19.5 million units in

2010 to 124.8 million units in 2014, representing a compound annual

growth rate (CAGR) o 45%. 1

The app concept quickly established itsel as the de acto means o

delivering specic capabilities and unctionality. As a barometer, by

July 2011, Apples App Store had already despatched its 15 billionth

application in just three years. 2

This phenomenal take-o poses an unprecedented challenge: tablet

computers have ound avour at such a rate in the personal domain that

enterprises have ound themselves behind the technological curve, trying

to understand whether and how best to deploy this innovation. The

number o tablet computers in enterprise use is growing rapidly, thanks toa combination o internal demand and the prolieration o such devices

in the consumer market. Industry analysts predict the use o tablets will

eventually become the norm among mobile, technology-literate business

users.

Tablet computer vendors, along with mobile network operators and

systems integrators, are now assessing the benets that tablets can bring

to the enterprise, and responding with tools and capabilities that better

support enterprise application distribution and device management.

The Accenture-Vodaone Global Enterprise tablet trial

Aims and intentions

The purpose o the trial conducted by Accenture and Vodaone Global

Enterprise was to assess the value and suitability o tablet computers

or wide-scale enterprise adoption. The trial was carried out across a

ve-month period (between November 2010 and March 2011) using

a representative sample o employees rom Accenture (49 users) and

Vodaone Global Enterprise (62 users). The overwhelming majority o

participants (92%) were high and/or competent users o tablet computers.

Feedback was collected rom participants through a series o regular

questionnaires.

Outcomes and fndings

The joint research revealed that participants primarily used their tablet

computers or internet browsing and email, which increased their

productivity and enabled collaboration. It emerged that tablet computers

are particularly suited or reading and presenting documents, but

have limitations in creating and editing documents. Around hal o all

participants ound their tablet computers better than laptops or checking

emails, viewing or making presentations, and browsing the internet.

1(Source: IDC report IDC Worldwide Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, Q3 2011)2 (Source: Apple Press Ino http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/07/07Apples-App-Store-

Downloads-Top-15-Billion.html)

By July 2011, Apples App Store

had already despatched its 15

billionth application download

ater just three years.2

Around hal o all participants

ound their tablet computers

better than laptops or checking

emails, viewing or making

presentations, and browsing the

internet.

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Most agreed the tablet computer was better suited to presenting and

reviewing documents than to originating content. For this reason, nearly

all regarded the tablet computer as a supplement to, rather than a

replacement or, other enterprise devices (mobile phone and laptop). In

act, only one participant expressed willingness to use only the tablet

computer.Since using their tablet computers, participants reported using both their

laptops and smartphones 23% less. For highly mobile presenters, the

percentage was still greater.

Overall, trial participants summarised the main advantages o tablet

computers as portability and speedy access to inormation, and the

primary challenges as document creation and editing, and compliance

with corporate storage solutions.

The trial identied particular benets or highly mobile users o business

inormation in externally-acing roles. Such employees are typically

required to travel rom site to site, locally, nationally or globally, workingin the eld or on customer premises. For such highly mobile users, the

tablet provides convenient and rapid access to email and the internet. It

enables the sharing and viewing o video and presentations at planned

business meetings, as well as acilitating spontaneous collaboration in

less ormal settings. Being able to tap in to back-oce data or online

content on the go can enhance perormance as well as productivity,

which benets customers and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Conclusions and recommendations

The enterprise deployment o tablet computers plays to some o the

behaviours that companies have been seeking to inculcate or some time:fexibility and collaboration.

Trial eedback strongly suggests that or enterprises, the tablet computer

is a portable, cost-eective alternative to laptops that increases

productivity by enabling people to work more fexibly and eciently both

in the oce and elsewhere. Tech-savvy employees can gain advantage

by using these devices to present to key clients and sta, projecting an

image o a orward-thinking and technologically advanced company.

However, tablet computers arent a panacea: the trial concluded that they

dont oer a wholesale alternative to laptops and smartphones in the

oce environment. Firstly, despite oering the potential or Voice over IP,

they are not telephony devices. Secondly, the current generation o tabletcomputers does not match the power or utility o the laptop or desktop

PC when it comes to content generation. Content creators still preer

the ergonomics notably the screen and keyboard o more traditional

machines. But the tablet computer unctions admirably as a portable

collaboration tool and instant presentation resource, and can serve as a

laptop/smartphone replacement or eld sales and service personnel or in

the retail environment, or example.

Trial highlights

One third o the trial

participants used personal

devices, refecting the

consumerisation phenomenon Users reported typical

productivity gains o3-5 hours

a week by making better use

o downtime between meetings

and while travelling

9 out o 10 participants

perceived tablets to be a

complement to, rather than a

substitute or, their laptops

Users downloaded an average of34 apps

Cellular data consumption was

benchmarked at 250-300 MB

per month

Participants provided peer

support via social networking,

reducing the number o help

requests logged by centralised

support

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Enterprise considerations

The ull integration o a tablet computer estate into an existing corporate

inrastructure requires attention to be paid to a range o considerations

nancial and technical, strategic and practical. These would typically

span:

Procurement i the tablet computer is a supplement to, rather than a

replacement or, a laptop and smartphone, its vital to evaluate the total

cost o ownership against the tangible and intangible business benets

gained through increased fexibility.

IT technical considerations o an enterprise mobility strategy include:

access to corporate data, increased network complexity, operating

system and platorm diversity, compatibility with cloud-based storage,

le transer between tablets and PCs, hard copy outputs, activity

management and enterprise application development.

Security security is a concern or both the enterprise, in terms o devicemanagement and data protection, as well as or users who bring personal

tablets into the workplace.

Policies, procedures and practices introducing tablet computers into

the enterprise setting may require an element o business process

re-engineering to mitigate risk and ensure adherence to best practice.

However, tablets can equally have a transormational impact on some

business processes, particularly those perormed in a mobile environment

rather than behind a desk, improving process experience, eciency and

productivity.

User support while tablets have been developed with an intuitive user

experience at their heart, some users may require a level o support tobecome procient enough to ully exploit the devices capabilities.

The majority o typical transition challenges can be addressed to a great

extent by a managed mobility service, one designed to support seamless

tablet deployment and simplied ongoing operation.

Support or enterprise implementation

To help businesses address the aorementioned considerations with

condence and accelerate value rom any tablet initiative, Accenture

and Vodaone Global Enterprise are able to provide a broad complement

o services to support enterprise deployment and ongoing management.

This oering combines Accentures capabilities in mobility consultancy

and systems integration with Vodaone Global Enterprises strengths

in managed services, customer insight and delivery, and broadly

encompasses:

A combination of managed mobility services, transformation and

consultancy to address an enterprises concerns around tablet adoption.

A transparent managed service, governed by a commercial framework,

ensuring ull cost control and standardisation through global service

level agreements and support arrangements.

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Developing a clear picture of enterprise mobility and mobile device

adoption architectures, mapping out the levels o unctionality

required according to user proles and the wider business landscape,

and dening the mobile device management requirements and

corresponding levels o support.

Selection of an appropriate tablet device, taking into consideration IT,

user and security precedents within the business such as asset tracking

and device wiping, and managing the roll-out and adoption o the

preerred model.

Enterprise application development to identify, create and install

applications that maximise the utility o the tablet devices. This is the

primary driver or tablet adoption, creating a purpose beyond merely

being a third device.

Incremental services such as ordering and activating SIMs, bundling of

minutes, providing asset replacement or a lost/stolen device, device

and activity management, customer care or a sel-service portal, andconsultancy to support new and incremental business requirements.

Let tablet transormation commence

Supported by a managed service, tablet computers can bring real value

to the enterprise, enabling the mobile workorce to readily access

and exchange inormation and content with minimal barriers. As the

joint trial has shown, tablets can acilitate communication, encourage

collaboration and improve capacity, allowing the user to illustrate

concepts, techniques, products and services in a variety o environments,

rom the coee shop to the gol course, as well as ormal meetings andconerences. Rather than being a primarily executive tool, they enable

highly mobile users in any role whether on the shop foor, the airport

concourse or out in the eld to achieve more rom their working day,

resulting in greater operational eciency and value or the enterprise.

Accenture and Vodaone Global Enterprise are able to help organisations

realise this value sooner by pooling their knowledge and experience in

a bespoke tablet computer development and implementation service.

Global in capability as well as reach, it can help businesses to minimise

the risks inherent in the deployment o novel technologies. Above all,

it allows companies to benet rom enabling their people to work in

more fuid, collaborative and unstructured ways that would have been

impossible to imagine only a ew years ago.

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About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services

and outsourcing company, with more than 244,000 people serving

clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience,comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business unctions,

and extensive research on the worlds most successul companies,

Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-

perormance businesses and governments. The company generated net

revenues of US$25.5 billion for the scal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its

home page is www.accenture.com.

About Vodaone Global Enterprise

Vodaone Global Enterprise provides managed communications servicesto many o the worlds leading global companies. It operates across ve

regions: Northern Europe; Central Europe; Southern Europe; the Americas;

Asia Pacic, Middle East and Arica, with teams based in 40+ countries.

Copyright 2012 Accenture

All rights reserved.

Accenture, its logo, and

High Perormance Delivered

are trademarks o Accenture.

Communications Vodafone Transforming the Mobile Workforce

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