Increasing productivity with a BYOD program

BYOD solutions increase workers’ productivity, improve customer service and facilitate companies’ communications, according to a report carried out by AirWatch. Thus, it is becoming more common that employees use their own mobile devices as their work phone. 

Although the term BYOD emerges by the end of 2011, it is part of a trend that began in early 2000 when the expansion of computers and the Internet allows many people to realize that they can work from home and also, they feel more comfortable doing it using devices that they had chosen themselves, rather than corporate devices. Thus, as the connectivity has been increasing and prices of the devices have been cheapening, BYOD has grown to the point that today, 49% of the directors of the IT departments in the United States express their full accordance to the fact that “BYOD improves workers’ productivity”, increases their satisfaction, commitment and retention level, and improves the quality of the relationship with the customer.

According to a report prepared by Gartner, implementation of BYOD programs increases significantly the mobile workforce of a company. Moreover, considering that workers have multiple devices, BYOD could expand the total number of mobile users in an organization by 50% or more if all these devices are connected to the company.

How to convert BYOD programs in productivity engines?

Implement a BYOD program is not enough. It is necessary to take measures in order to ensure and promote the increase of productivity. The following factors contribute to BYOD becomes a success for the company:

1. Implement the necessary security measures to minimize unauthorized access to corporate networks and keep the organization safe from security breaches. This includes educating employees on safe use of BYOD tools at their disposal.

2. Ensure that the network architecture of the company is able to support the increased traffic, and management platform devices can be increased to accommodate a larger number of terminals. In addition, it should be able to support all types of devices and the main platforms in order to avoid problems of incompatibility and exposure to security breaches.

3. Establishment of clear policy terms of use according to current regulations and security policies of the company that also ensure data privacy by separating the personal from the professional in the devices of the employees.

4. Facilitate the BYOD transition to the employees, for example, covering the cost of the terminal, while the responsibility of any hardware upgrade, repairs, problem or anything related to the device itself rests with the employee.

5. Implement an expense management program in telecommunications to keep them within budget.

6. IT departments of companies should also exercise a role of consultant, helping employees to connect their devices or solving different problems.

“The way we work is changing”, says VDC researcher Eric Klein. “Not just the next generation of employees, all of us. IT must consider these challenges and threats now. Implementing a solid BYOD program, policy and management tools may be the best way enterprises can prepare for the hyper-connected future.”