How Mobile Apps Boost Productivity

There is no doubt that the mobile revolution has changed all of our lives. Mobile devices enable us to stay in touch with friends, learn new skills and get news and entertainment. The power in our pockets helps us to pass the time when waiting in a queue or sitting on a train. But, mobile also enables us to connect with our businesses, to work regardless of time or location and, you guessed it, to be incredibly productive. 

This is where mobile apps can make all the difference. If you’re able to empower your employees and customers to connect, communicate and collaborate with you, it can have a transformational experience. And, when it comes to enterprise apps, that results in a huge boost to productivity. Mobile-enabled employees can work seamlessly wherever they are and collaborate with colleagues and customers around the world. In short, mobile apps have the potential to quickly drive efficiency and effectiveness across the whole business. Whether it is sales and marketing, training or operations, you can improve experiences, connect dispersed teams and enable enhanced collaboration. 

Businesses across all industries are investing in mobile technologies. However, despite the huge growth in mobile phone app development, many companies still struggle to see the potential of mobile apps. Without a doubt, the biggest advantage is increased productivity. In fact, there have been estimates that productivity could increase by 40% or  more by making all enterprise apps mobile. 

The Different Types of Mobile Apps

There are two main types of mobile apps that you can use within your business, both of which hold the ability to increase your business’s productivity. The first are widely available collaborative apps, many of which are made for project management and teamwork. There is a good chance you already use some of these within your business; a few examples include:

• Microsoft 365 – a software platform including three big software apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 puts power in your pocket. OneDrive can also be used for online backups to ensure data is safe at all times. 
• Asana – a collaborative project management solution, the app enables you to boost productivity by creating to-do lists and reminders and even integrates with other apps. It also puts a huge emphasis on tracking to ensure everything stays on schedule.
• Salesforce – a customer relationship management (CRM) application, Salesforce enables you to store all customer information in a database. By having this information available on mobile, you can empower your sales and marketing teams to work from anywhere. 
• Trello – another app made specifically for teamwork and project management, Trello uses boards, lists and cards to ensure teams can prioritise and stay on track with projects. Updates are synced across all devices, so everyone stays up to date and in the loop. 

While off-the-shelf mobile apps have the ability to change the way your business functions, custom-built in-house applications are even more powerful. These apps can do more than help you manage your teams; they can be designed to streamline your business data and solve specific problems. Ultimately, custom apps are built with your unique business needs in mind and have the potential to deliver enhanced productivity as a result. 

The Productivity Benefits of Mobile Apps

Custom-built business apps are an excellent way to increase efficiency throughout your workplace. A well-made app improves communication, reduces paperwork, eliminates mundane tasks and ensures vital data is reliably stored and accessible. With a custom-built mobile application, you can realise many productivity benefits:

• Increased accountability – instead of an unreliable paper trail, mobile apps allow you to access data wherever you are. Everything is stored neatly in one system instead of in multiple systems or dreaded filing cabinets. What’s more, employees are motivated to take care in what they do, knowing it will be monitored and measured.  
• Increased engagement – by giving your employees modern tools to do their jobs, they become more engaged. Easy-to-use apps will make it easier for your employees to do their work, meaning that they can complete tasks faster and be more productive and, ultimately, more profitable. 
• Connected data – custom-built apps enable you to centralise data and ensure that everything your employees need is in one place. This means that it is easier and faster for your employees to work, communicate and collaborate. 
• Reduced errors – by using automation and reducing the number of manual tasks, you can greatly improve accuracy. With less human error to account for, your employees can focus on being more productive and pushing the business forward. 
• Increased automation – with custom mobile application development, you can eliminate time-consuming, mundane tasks from your workplace. Apps may automate reporting, data storage and more. Without manual tasks in the way, your employees have more time to be creative and innovative. 

How to Build a Custom Mobile App

As businesses have realised the potential of implementing a mobility strategy to empower their employees and connect with customers, there have been rapid technological advancements. Today, it’s possible to develop high-end, enterprise-grade custom mobile apps in weeks rather than months or years. And these apps can be seamlessly aligned with existing processes and systems to ensure productivity is as high as can be.

However, developing a mobile app is no mean feat and finding the right mobile app development company is fundamental. While there are countless platforms available for building your own mobile app, working with an industry expert will ensure you get the best return on investment. What’s more, it helps to be able to work with someone who will ensure you are developing the right solution for your needs. After all, the most important part  of building an app is understanding why you are building it. Every mobile app should solve a core user need and make their lives easier. Only by  doing this can you truly boost productivity. 

How Could a Mobile App Change Your Business?

While not the cheapest option, custom mobile apps are most certainly a solid business investment. By increasing automation, improving communication and ensuring data is connected at all times, you can help your employees to be more productive. What’s more, with a mobile app, all of those benefits can be realised from anywhere at any time. In an age where mobile has become so entwined with our day-to-day lives, a mobile app has the power to boost productivity like never before.