With smartphones so commonplace both in and out of the office, you are probably wondering how you can cash in on some of the potential productivity gains these devices can provide, all while dodging the productivity pitfalls that are sure to ensue. Well, you’re in luck; we have a couple of practices and tips you can implement to get the most out of your smartphones for work purposes.
Use Cloud-Based Productivity and Communication Tools
The biggest advantage you stand to gain from your smartphone is connectivity, or rather, the fact that you are always connected to the resources you need to be productive. Whether it’s checking your email, communicating with your team, or having access to important files on a whim, you can bet that a smartphone can enable it. In essence, a smartphone is only as valuable for your productivity as the tools it is equipped with, so proper leverage of other solutions, like your cloud-based productivity suite or communication tools, will be vital to getting the most from these devices.
Limit Your Notifications
If you want to maximize your productivity with smartphones, then one thing we recommend you do is turn off notifications for applications that could potentially distract you or disrupt your workday. We know that you might have important phone calls or texts from employees or prospective clients/business partners, but there is no reason why you should have notifications for every single app on your phone pinging you throughout the workday. At the very least, you can disable notifications during your hours of operation and re-enable them when you leave the office for the day.
Minimize Digital Clutter
On a similar note, your smartphones should not be loaded with applications that are unnecessary for work purposes. This is especially true for any company-owned devices; you should have policies in place that prevent your team from downloading unnecessary or time-wasting apps on the device, like games or social media applications.
Consider Bring Your Own Device
Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD for short, is a phenomenon in which your employees use their own smartphones or devices for work purposes. Now, this might seem like a distraction rather than a benefit, but hear us out first. Employees are more likely to be productive with devices they are more familiar with, and when it comes to familiarity, nothing can beat their own personal devices. That said, if you go the BYOD route, you’ll want to have policies in place so that your employees know what to expect when they opt into using their personal devices for work.
If you are looking for ways to make your smartphone more of a productivity tool rather than a hindrance, Business Solutions & Software Group can help by implementing a mobile device management solution. With MDM, you’ll be able to see at a glance just how your employees are using their smartphones and ways to make them more effective in the workplace. You can even go about securing them in a way that makes sense for your business, further reinforcing appropriate behaviors when using these devices for work.
To get started with mobile device productivity, reach out to us at (954) 575-3992.
