Networked mobile devices are completely redefining how employees collaborate, contribute and find information at work. Designing solutions to accommodate the latest capabilities and new demands of mobile enterprise systems takes innovative thinking.

1. Designing
Mobile Apps for
Enterprise Use
Jeff Steffgen
UX & Design Director
at SuperConnect

2. About SuperConnect
• Chicago-based mobile software start-up (Apr ‘12)
• Enterprise Apps – Mobile productivity & learning
– mLevel: Flagship Gamified Learning App
– Connections: Mobile Enterprise Directory App
– Scheduler: Calendaring App (iOS/Outlook)
• Clients – Advocate Healthcare, AT&T & more
• www.superconnect.com/blog

3. What is “the Enterprise”?

4. USS Enterprise?
I always preferred Star Wars… the first trilogy, anyway

5. Enterprise Apps
Use mobility to redefine how
employees find & access information

6. Enterprise Apps
Employees in the field want to
easily complete work tasks on the go

7. Understanding the Enterprise

8. Enterprise
aka “The 800lb Gorilla”
Finding the right info can be challenging for workers

9. Geographically decentralized & distributed environment

10. Disparate business units (silos) with authority & power

11. Use of mobility & cloud to redefine the enterprise

12. System Users
Typically 2 types of users…
- End-users
Using the app on the devices
- Administrators
Managing the set-up and usage
(licenses, permissions and roles)
via a back-end website.

13. Major Enterprise Trends
• Mobility – Paradigm shift in how information
is accessed and consumed
• BYOD – Captures real productivity from
employees via personal devices
• Cloud/SaaS – Makes solutions scalable,
easy and fast to implement
• Gamification – Use of games, leaderboards and
achievements to drive learning and performance
• Social Media – Connecting people, facilitating
communication and collaboration

14. Unique Challenges for Enterprise

15. Platforms

16. Platforms
HTML 5
Typically easier, cheaper
and faster to develop a
mobile-optimized version
of a website

17. Hybrid approach, HTML 5 wrapped in iOS native shell

18. Platforms
Native Apps
Allows access to device-
specific controls, inputs
and features such as GPS,
accelerometer, multi-touch
gestures, built-in security
and offline storage

19. Native apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8

20. Platforms
Mobile Enterprise App SyBase for broad enterprise
SAP solutions
Platforms (MEAPs) PhoneGap wraps HTML5 apps
Allow you to develop in native containers
jQuery Mobile open source
the app once and mobile Web framework
deploy it to a variety of Appcelerator multi-OS app
devices with no changes development leveraging
Web-based skill sets
to the underlying Unity 4 powerful game
business logic development platform with
multiplatform publishing

21. Published to iOS, Android & Web via Unity platform

22. Platform > UX Takeaways
• Choose the platform that fits your needs
• Use consistent layouts across platforms,
but use platform-specific UI/UX patterns
• Test your apps on as many versions of
the OS and different devices as possible
• Be mindful of screen sizes and resolutions

23. Performance

24. Performance > Back-end
• Users won’t always have a reliable connection
• Be mindful of how long actions requiring
server calls might take and how the end-user
will react to waiting for data to load/refresh
• Optimize data for mobile so that it’s fast and
can seamlessly integrate with existing IT
systems

25. Performance > Platform Integration
• Incorporate platform features (location
services, maps, messaging, camera), and
integrate with other apps and social media
• Create interfaces that are built for touch
gestures – this can further enhance an app's
functionality and appeal to users

26. Incorporate and integrate with native platform features…

27. …although iOS6 maps users may end up in Lake Michigan!

28. Build interfaces for touch gestures to enhance user appeal

29. Performance > Network Connectivity
• Offline – Users want offline mode features
that can take advantage of local storage
• WiFi – Usually a reliable, high-bandwidth
connection, so default to WiFi if possible
• Cellular (Edge, 3G, 4G, LTE, etc) – Make sure
the app is able to function promptly across all
cellular connection types, tier data if needed

30. Security

31. Security > App Security & Data Integrity
– Remote access admin controls
– Governance of users
• Role mapping to appropriate apps and data stores
– Compliance rules based on user roles or job functions
• Identity management to auto provision/de-provision access to
resources
– Network authentication
– Password/PIN protection
– Use of encryption technologies for
data transfer & local storage on device.
– Integration with third-party enterprise security systems
• i.e., Good Technology, MobileIron

32. Remote access admin controls

33. Governance of users by role mapping to appropriate
apps and data stores

34. PIN protection on app start-up configured by admin

35. Network authentication via SSO login

36. SAML login, when access to passwords is restricted by IT

37. Integration with 3rd party enterprise security systems to
comply with IT requirements (secure communications)

38. Branding

39. Branding
• Ability to customize and manage
enterprise brand (custom logo and
corporate colors)
• Applied across a suite of apps,
or specified individually if needed
for separate business units or
channel partners/resellers

40. Upload logo and select color schemes via admin
console, server deploys and updates on all devices

41. Productivity
& Workflows
5 Key UX
Takeaways

42. 1. STRATEGIZE
Rethink workflows to put mobile productivity first

43. SmartSearch
Quickly search for
contacts and discover
unknown connections
SmartSchedule across company-
Easily schedule meetings specified fields
while on the go, seeing
coworkers’ availability with
ide-by-side calendar views
Dashboard Tiles
Birthdays
Anniversaries
SmartConnect New Hires
Real-time availability Favorites
intelligently determines Recently Viewed
the best way to connect My Team
with colleagues Up to 3 Custom Tiles
2. IDENTIFY
Focus on a few popular tasks that can be used on the go

44. 3. CONTEXTUALIZE
Display relevant content specific to each user’s situation

45. My contact preferences My profile page
4. PERSONALIZE
Personal content accessed smartly via user preferences

46. 5. OPTIMIZE
Keep it simple and design task-based workflows

47. Mobile Enterprise Apps - Recap
• Platform – Choose based on enterprise needs
• Performance – Optimize for connectivity
• Security – Secure data, app and devices
• Branding – Allow minimal customized branding
• Productivity & Workflows – 5 UX Keys…
1. Strategize
2. Identify
3. Contextualize
4. Personalize
5. Optimize

48. Q&A