Impact of Mobility in business functions

Enterprise Mobile Apps
Empower your Business Functions

As enterprise mobility becomes ubiquitous, organizations are moving beyond plucking the low lying fruits
of mobile technology e.g. mail, messenger, contacts and calendar etc., and are taking the next step towards
mobilizing their business functions. There is a near unanimity on the benefits of arming the workforce with
mobile devices. But, how mobility in business processes would pan out? How will it impact the bottom-line?
Higher up-front costs on acquisition and deployment of enterprise apps do raise such questions in the minds
of decision-makers before they opt for full scale integration of mobility in their organizations. Here, we look at
key business functions in organization and how mobile devices and applications would impact them.

Mobile Apps for Sales
mpower your selling

Sales professionals need continual access to customer and company data to optimize their efficiency.
Mobile applications can immensely power sales team by providing all key information such as CRM, client
information, lead data and analytics; right on their fingertips. Real-time access to all these would help on-
the-go sales professionals optimize time, spread reach, accelerate decisions and, most importantly, seal deals
on-the-spot.Mobile applications for Sales can help you in -

• Account management to give you a comprehensive view of your customers, prospects and channel
partners.
• Leads management by providing you real-time new lead notifications as updated in your CRM.
• Allows your vendors and channel partners to view prices, requirements, stocks etc.
• Retailers and salesman at shops can get the latest price list of products, stock availability, booking
orders and payment processing etc., on their device.
• Enable product demonstrations and other selling activities.
• Get easy access to your ERP system and get stock of the inventory,track orders and delivery.
• Plan your travel, visits and other work activities with a calendar and scheduling app.
• View and create reports, update and analyze your sales & revenue data.

“ Your sales executive is travelling to meet a client. Midway he gets a call from a long-ime client
t
who wishes to book order for certain products. Your executive immediately logs into the inventory
management system from the device, checks the availability of products and places the order. He then
turns to your client and assures him that the order will be delivered within two days. All in a few minutes!
That’s what mobility brings to sales-instant access to key information thereby reducing the sales cycle,
on-the-spot closure of deals and thereby higher revenues and customer satisfaction ”

Furthermore, you can also customize the functionality of your application by adding other value-added features
like maps,languages etc., to empower your sales team.

Enterprise Mobile Apps - Empower your Business Functions 1

Mobility in Sales
Industry Specific Challenges and Answers

S
BFSI Automobile
Challenges Challenges
• Transparency • Product Description/Demonstartion
• Sales Cycle • Stock Availability
• Financial Literacy/awareness of customers • Financing
• Documentation • Post-Sales
• Regulatory Compliance
•

Mobility Solutions Mobility Solutions
• Mobile based benefit illustrators, product brochures, • Interactive and Augmented Reality based mobile apps,
premium calculators etc. Videos etc., can be used.
• On the spot form fill-up, premium payment processing • Mobile access to Inventory Management
on the device. System, ERP etc.
• Videos, Audios and other content on mobile for • Mobile apps featuring loan eligibility calculators,
creating awareness. application forms for consumers.
• Document scanner as an add-on device for mobile. • Roadside assistance ticketing through a mobile
Digital signatures, soft copies for the device. app. Digital manuals, Servicing records can be accessed
• Reference literature on the device. on mobile.

Retail Hospitality
• Consumer Awareness • Promotion / Pre-sales
• Pricing • Booking
• Stock Management
• Payment Processing

• Facility for virtual product demonstrations on handheld • Virtual tours, Interactive apps, videos, maps,
devices. Augmented Reality apps etc., on the device.
• Price Lists, Product-price comparison tools on • Mobile apps featuring Ticket/ Hotel Search,
smartphones and Tablets. reservations, tour planners.
• Mobile access to Inventory Management System, ERP
etc.
• Mobile based Bar code reader and Credit Card
processing add-on devices.


Mobile Apps for Service and Support
for the problem solvers

Another key function in an organization which is constantly on the move and requires anytime, anywhere
access to corporate data is service and support. Enterprise mobile apps can streamline your service operations,
provide easy access to your clients and bring quicker trouble-shooting processes thereby enhancing your post-
sales services.
In addition, mobile enterprise apps for service and support can help you in-

• Providing comprehensive view of client complaints, problems and history.
• Enable systematic workflow information between various participants in the process.
• Plan your travel, visits and other work activities with a calendar and scheduling app.
• Enables your customers to log complaints and get real-time solutions as they do on your website.
• Minimizes the role of customer support centre and reduces costs.
• Analytics and Reports.

“For a company providing car breakdown services, mobilizing services will enable its clients to log
complaints from the remotest of location and call for immediate help. The service team which is on
field can get access to all complaints on their devices and accordingly plan their movements. It will not
only help the team reduce its travelling (which otherwise will have to go back to office to know about
the next complaint) but will also help reach the customer quickly. The support team can also instantly
update the status of complaint.”

The mobile apps can further be empowered to use device features like mapping, languages, camera etc., to
add more tools and resources to your customer support team.


Mobility in Services & Support
Industry Specific Challenges and Answers

S
BFSI Automobile
• Policy Management • Complaint Management
• Consumer Awareness • Resource Management
• Portfolio Management • Services
• Customer Support

• Access to policy details on consumer’s mobile. Premium • Mobile based complaint logins, Ticketing, FAQ based
Payment Reminders, Policy change notifications etc., apps, Digital Manuals, Knowledge Centre on mobile.
can be sent to customer’s device. • New assignment alerts, Dashboards, Offline work
• Market updates, Mobile compatible newsletters. support, Location based Services, Maps
• Forms, brochures, Investment Management, Switches, • Vehicle servicing reminders, best practices notifications
Liquidity processes on mobile. etc
• Voice, text & chat based services, FAQs, Knowledge
Centre, ATM/Branch locator, push alerts, mobile logins

Healthcare Telecom
• Patient Information • Customer Support
• Expert Consultation • Complaint resolution
• Awareness

• Patient records, diagnosis reports, LAB results, Clinical • Voice, text & chat based services, mobile recharging,
summaries, Prescribed Medicine lists etc., on the mobile. new plan notifications, bill payment reminders, mobile
• Appointments via mobile, Online chat, messenger and payment processing etc.
mail based services. • Mobile based complaint logins, Alerts to field
• Health based calculators, monitors, bulletins and daily engineers, FAQ based content, Interactive apps and
tips on mobile devices. Maps etc.


Mobile Apps for Supply Chain
for smooth flow

Mobile applications can be an excellent tool for people managing supply chain of a company. So far,
organizations that have embraced mobility have mostly limited themselves to using smartphones in their
interactions and sending alerts. However, mobile apps can bring much more to the process in terms of real-
time control, monitoring, management and timekeeping which can speed-up the process, make operations
leaner and resolve production problems quickly.

A supply chain app will make it easy for-

“In supply chain, mobile apps can provide basic functions of warehouse management-shipping and
receiving orders, barcode labeling, reports & queries, tracking movement of goods etc. On getting an
order, your sales personal will immediately note it into his sales app which is then automatically updated
into the inventory management system. Warehouse manager will immediately know that there is an
order to be delivered and then he will update the movement of goods and track it as it is shipped and
reaches to the client.”

• Inventory Management by providing information on stock, raw materials, procurement etc.
• Track movement of goods, orders and supply.
• Shop floor management to forecast, deploy, monitor, and manage your workforce.
• Update inventory information through barcode scanning.
• Enable common warehouse and shop floor transactions.
• Analytics, reports and other documentation.

Challenges and Mobility Solutions

Mobility Solutions
• Mobile access to Inventory Management System, ERP etc.
Challenges Mobile data capture validation, mobile barcode readers,
mobile scanners etc.
• Inventory Management • Mobile Apps with Dashboards, employee details, order
• Process Efficiency booking, assignments, approvals, work orders, equipment &
• Stakeholder Collaboration materials etc.
• Monitoring • Quick mobile voice and text based communication tools.
Need based access to required information on devices.
• Mobile barcode scanning, Mobile delivery tracking, System
record updates and status alerts on mobile devices.


Mobile Apps for Human Resources
for your most‐valued assets

In a new-age organization, the workforce is geographically dispersed; working at different time zones and
a large part is on the move. The challenge before an HR department is to get connected to the workforce,
engage them in various HR activities, and provide access to HR processes to put right men at the right jobs,
record performance, process approval requests and facilitate coordination between various business functions.
A mobile application for HR will provide-

• Human Resource Management system to forecast, organize and manage human capital.
• Enable your employees to enter leave requests, travel requirements, bills etc., from their device.
• View various approval requests like leaves, travel, relocation etc.
• Take inputs from managers on team requirements.
• Get access to other corporate metrics and provide insights to top management.
• Performance Appraisals and other key meetings via video-conferencing.

“Mr. John, working in US office, wants to take leave for a week. He applies to his HR office based in
another city. The HR needs to take input from John’s Manager before the leave is approved. John’s
Manager is on an official tour to UK. In short, concerned people are at different locations and at different
time zones. Connecting to them and coordinating would take time. A mobile application for HR with
employee management system would enable John to put his leave request anytime, anywhere; the HR
and his Manager can immediately see the request and John’s Manager can recommend granting the
leave. So, within a few hours, the entire process gets complete.”

Using mobile apps in HR activities will streamline operations, speed-up the process and help HR managers take
decisions, on the move and at lower costs.


Mobility Solutions
• Collaborative platform on the mobile featuring hiring
requirements, job boards, recruitment service providers etc.
Challenges • Mobile access to Human Resource Management software.
Mobile apps incorporating employee details, payroll, leave
• Recruitment and travel approval system. Company notice board and
• Employee Management information sharing platform on mobile.
• Competency Management • Mobile apps featuring competency, skills, talent pool & job
• Internal co-ordination architecture. Mobile access to Performance Appraisal and
Review system.
• Voice and text based communication tool on mobile. Need
based access to required information on the mobile. Mobile
apps featuring dashboards for key decision makers.


Mobile Apps for Production
power your production line

Information on orders, inventory management, workforce etc., on their devices will allow Managers and
Supervisors to make better decisions on the floor leading to effective utilization of resources and reducing
wastage. Mobile Apps for production will offer-

• Process Management by giving access to various information and data for work hours, approvals, raw
materials, manpower, finished products etc.
• Access to supply chain management.
• Performance overview and information sharing through reports and analytics.
• Manager and supervisors can view and review product design.
• Deep insights for delivery heads and other decision makers.
• Interface between suppliers, vendors and other stakeholders.

“Mr. Mark is the floor manager in an organization. One morning, he is informed by the vendor that the
expected raw material supply will be delayed by a day. The delay will not only affect his floor but will
also impact production in other floors. To avoid losses, Mark has to immediately inform various people
and coordinate between floors. If there was a mobile app for production, then Mark or his vendor
‐
would have updated the status on the system and the information would have been instantly relayed
on the devices of concerned parties across the organization resulting in preventing losses and better
management of resources.”

The production apps can further make use of cameras, gyroscope/accelerometer etc., to customize the apps
to meet their individual requirements. The production department can improve the coordination within the
department by maintaining a lean and faster information flow and boost its productivity by embracing mobile
applications into its work culture.

Mobility Solutions
• Mobile based platform integrating operations and
information. Mobile Apps with dashboards providing
Challenges employee details, work hours, assignments, time sheets,
scheduling and approvals.
• Efficiency • Voice, text & chat based services on mobile. Mobile access to
• Co-ordination Inventory Management System, ERP and other corporate
• Production cycle time systems. Mobile based record updating.
• Employee Management • Mobile based real-time tracking of production activities.
Recording inventory data on mobile for up-to-date status.
• Mobile app featuring employee records, time sheets,
assignments, floor requirements, approvals and notices etc.


Mobile Apps for Top Management
decisions. on the spot. on the go

People at the top of hierarchy needs to constantly take decisions and resolve issues on-the-spot to accelerate
downstream productivity. Accuracy and timing is highly important. Business decisions are based on sound
logic which requires constant business workflow.
Mobile Apps for Management offers-

• Dash board providing information on various corporate metrics on sales, production and other
business functions.
• Top executives will have real-time access to sales, project status, revenue and margins etc.
• Advance Decision Support System and Analytics.
• Reports, charts and other company information.
• Information sharing with other executives and unit heads.

“A Sales President of any company would always require on‐time data on sales, revenues, retail etc., so
as to plan ahead or to take critical decisions. Similarly, for a President‐Operations, access to information
on project status, client feedback, expenses etc., would help in effectively managing the project. Now if
you have a mobile app that will be a dashboard presenting key performance indicators of the company
then all the top executives of the organization can log into it whenever required, get all information and
take on‐the-spot decisions.”


Challenges Mobility Solutions
• Mobile dash boards providing information on business
• Real-Time Information functions. Mobile apps featuring reports on various corporate
• Communication metrics.
• On-the-move decision making • Voice, text and chat based communication tools for mobile.
• Mobile integration with Sales Force Automation, CRM,
Advance Decision Support System and Analytics


The Road Ahead . . .
The potential with enterprise mobile apps is everywhere- from HR to Sales and across all industry verticals.
We have only seen the major areas in which mobile apps can be leveraged, and there are many industry-
specific, business-specific functions which can also adopt mobility to capacitate its operations and step-up
its efficiency and productivity. Also there are multiple interwoven utilities of mobility across various business
functions in the organization. As enterprises grow in their mobility experience, we will see more innovative and
comprehensive deployment of mobile applications.

Mobile devices, Mobile apps, Mobile workforce and Mobilized processes will be the drivers of enterprises in the
days ahead. While embracing mobility whole-heartedly will fetch huge dividends, indecisiveness can push you
behind your competitors. Act now and deploy mobile applications in your enterprise and reap the benefits.

About [x]cube LABS
[x]cube LABS is one of the leading mobile apps development
and consulting firm, headquartered in Dallas, U.S and with
offices in New York and Hyderabad, India. With expertise across Reach [x]cube LABS
all the major mobile platforms, [x]cube has delivered over 500 connect@xcubeLABS.com
apps till date and has an enviable client list comprising of some
of the biggest brands like GE, Intel, Texas Instruments, Hasbro,
Mattel and 24 Hour Fitness. [x]cube’s understanding of the
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mobile space and technology, suitably complimented by its
rich experience across all the major industry verticals and the
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capability to deliver end-to-end solutions makes it a perfect fit
to be the mobile consultant of choice.

To integrate your enterprise ; people, process and products with customized, avant-garde mobility solutions or
to explore mobility opportunities in your enterprise with our experts, please feel free to contact us at
connect@xcubeLABS.com.
We also encourage you to continue exploring our website ( www.xcubeLABS.com ) to find out more about
our services.

[x]cube is the premier mobile solution partner for companies and individuals creating the next generation of digital applications. [x]cube
develops custom solutions for the iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Mobile platforms.
[x]cube is a division of PurpleTalk, Inc.

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