Using Mobile Technology and Mobile devices in the workplace - Essay Example

? Using Mobile Technology and Mobile devices in the workplace Contents Contents 2 3 Memorandum 4 Executive summary 4 Introduction 5 Purpose 5 Scope 5 Method 6 Background 7 Findings 7 Discussion 8 Schedule (updated) 12 Conclusion 13 Recommendation 13 Using Mobile Technology and Mobile devices in the workplace Abstract As mobile technology continues to advance and mobile devices become much cheaper and evolve with regard to their portability, interfaces, bandwidth, features, and context awareness, people are constantly making these devices part of their social and professional worlds. Collaborations are at their verge as people use mobile devices to integrate, communicate, distribute the work, and coordinate (Katz, 2011). As of today, workers are becoming mobile, majority of organizations are focusing on supporting the growth of the number of employees who apply the use of mobile devices which include tablets and Smartphone to perform their duties while at their homes, while travelling, and at work. In fact, a research carried out by the Foresights Networks and Telecommunications, Q1 2011, indicate that 64 percent of all firms in North America and Europe identify the provision of adequate mobility support for their staff as a top priority (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Memorandum To: Leslie Anderson President, SC Technology Company From: Lehua Lashua IT Administrator Subject: Mobile Devices in the Workplace Date: November 14, 2012 Executive summary The benefits that come along with mobile devices and mobile technology usage at work places are many and influence the employee’s accessibility, quality, and ability to make meaningful decisions based on the given information timelines. People use mobile devices in addition to other office tools to mediate the tasks and activities required to fulfill certain responsibilities at work (Brennen, 2011). Thus, it is essential for organizations to apply the use of mobile technology and mobile devices with respect to the need to achieve goals set and objectives allocated by an organization. Today’s world is so technologically vibrant such that in order to attain the set targets and meet every customer’s demand, organizations should find it imperative to adopt and integrate the application of mobile devices and mobile technology (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). This report will seek to propose why organizations such as SC Technology Company need to acquire, integrate, and coordinate the use of mobile technology and mobile devices at workplace. Introduction As mobile technology continues to advance and mobile devices become much cheaper and evolve with regard to their portability, interfaces, bandwidth, features, and context awareness, people are constantly making these devices part of their social and professional worlds. The introduction of the so-called “Smartphone” has irreversibly revolutionized the way people conduct business. Whilst laptops and desktops continued to dominate the last decade and half, the advent of mobile computing technology has become much more novel, changed the presentation even though not necessarily the way people currently do business (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Exponentially, the business world has injected new and sophisticated technological devices and other products that are transforming they way companies view profit margins, competition, and time. The application and use of mobile devices have erased working boundaries and replaced them with substantially portable, integrated, and accessible gadgets. These devices are suitable for doing away with the distance involved in cases where employees used to take time and resources before realizing the intended objectives (Katz, 2011). Purpose The main of this essay is to prepare a report based on an ongoing research regarding the application and use of mobile devices and mobile technology in workplaces (SC Technology Company). It will also report on how mobile technology and mobile devices can help increase an organization’s productivity and how such devices can help facilitate training within an office environment. Scope While seeking to establish the advantages that result from the use of mobile technology and mobile devices, it proved important to look at the risks associated with using mobile technology and mobile devices in working places (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). The investigation also indicated that there was the need to analyze the portability and durability of these devices as well as consider the devices’ standard features, suitability for corporate application, warranties, and optimal benefits. Method The report employed the use of questionnaires to get the required data. It also incorporated the use of telephone surveys since they are the fastest in gathering information from relatively huge samples. Since SC Technology Company is a large entity, the report still included personal interviews in order to get in-depth, comprehensive data. To reduce the cost of gathering the information, the report integrated mail, e-mail, and internet surveys while gathering the relevant information but above all, researchers talked to people and reviewed every readily available source of information regarding SC Technology Company (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). These literature materials consisted of newspapers, relevant trade publications, internal company information, annual reports, magazines, online databases, and company literature, as well as any other documented material with information about this company. Limitations Intensive use of mobile technology and mobile devices called for drastic measures aimed at securing the company data due to the rise of “hacking” problems. The cost of acquiring new mobile devices and state of the art technological devices is always high. The amount or resources needed to train employees on how to use these devices is high. Health related issues always crop up whenever the use of mobile technology and mobile devices debate sets in motion. Improper and unmonitored use of use mobile technology and mobile devices prompted employees to use the devices for the wrong jobs. Probable violation of privacy issues at work. Background The SC Technology Company is a firm with specifically built company name and appears as a respectable user of just a few mobile devices. The SC Technology Company has a nationwide representation with strategies to expand its state boundaries within the next one year (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). SC Technology Company has a demand of supplying the new customers with numerous technological software and courses. With such level of demand, it is imperative that sales and marketing agents, ground training staff, and field agents as well as any other employee at SC Technology to have computer and/or Smartphone access for training presentations, instant close of sales deals, and all round the clock working (Brennen, 2011). Findings By reviewing the company literature, it came out that SC Technology Company is using only two types of mobile devices as of now. Knowingly, mobile devices have become very essential in conducting businesses everywhere and new technologies are now available in order to facilitate the use and dissemination of mobile devices. Since the company uses only two mobile devices, some employees are still tied to their desks. The level of production is still crawling behind schedule and time management is still a problem (Katz, 2011). Employees at SC Technology Company are finding it hard to make out between the whether to embrace the use of mobile technology or feel threatened by the ever rising challenges in maintaining mobile technology and mobile devices. Although mobile technology has facilitated the use of mobile devices to complete any assigned to an employee at any place, any time, many health practitioners are challenging extended use of these devices on medical grounds. With reference to the World Health Organization, the use of portable technological devices on a daily basis particularly cell phones can lead to carcinogenic possibilities (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). Based on that fact, employees at SC Technology are basing their arguments with regard to use mobile devices such as mobile phones on health related matters. Their arguments are real and make a whole lot of sense but according to those who feel fully integrated, engaged, and involved claim that through portable devices and technology at the palm of their palms, SC Technology Company can realize not only increased productivity but also increased profit margins (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Discussion Ideally, the use of mobile technology and mobile devices is a strategic policy that SC Technology can employ and realize more than it gets on a yearly basis. Through observations, it was noticeable that employees at this company require Smartphone in order to be in apposition to access the internet whenever and wherever they need it. Currently, Smartphone has the fastest network reception speed (4G) and is slicker, portable, and accessible making it the best-fit mobile device that SC Technology Company staff requires (Brennen, 2011). Generally, introduction and use of mobile technology and mobile devices will automatically declare war against distance and complex computation, as these complexity and distance are some of the challenges that employees at SC Technology Company have to face when performing their daily tasks. After going through the company blog the research documented that, in order to see the level of production at SC Technology increase, employees need more mobile devices and portable technology devices. Substantially, these devices are capable of increasing the number of time employees have to work on a normal routine day or week since they can resolve to carry them to their homes or wherever they go and continue to work as they please (Katz, 2011). Portable devices and portable technology is significant appears capable of revolutionizing the amount of output obtained at SC Technology simply because they can away with distance. Employees will not have to work only when they are at their workplace but will be in a state to perform whatever task given since they are what they need to continue with their work (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). Mobile technology and mobile devices will increase productivity at SC Technology because employees will be able to do the amount of work done in a full day in half a day. This is because, if employees have to either walk from their homes or within and around the working place in order to get or access the internet or a computer or a storage device, this will not be essential any more. With mobile technology and mobile devices, employees will be able to start working at their home places thus increasing the amount of time an employee works in a day at SC Technology (Katz, 2011). Mobile devices and mobile technology will also reduce the time spent by an employee to complete one given task since he or she will be able to access the necessary tools while at home, while travelling, and/or while out for some other businesses. Mobile devices such as cellular phones allow easier communication. Wit cellular phones, a senior employee is able to monitor the operations of an employee working on the field without a supervisor. It is also possible to keep constant communication with customers and employees representing the company in the field (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). They also provide constant feedback hence suitable for making enquiries since there is no distance barrier. Presence of Ultra mobile PCs and Blackberries permit employees to access electronic mail services instantly and other information products while at a wide range of locations (Brennen, 2011). SC Technology needs to note that application and use of mobile devices and mobile technology has whatever it takes to increase the productivity of the company and ease the processes involved in training employees. Use of mobile technology and mobile devices has given many companies the ability to work away from the company premises, increased efficacy, and led to faster communication. Flexible working abilities, faster passing of valuable company information from one place to another , and increased efficiencies develops the capability to increase productivity of a firm (Teicholz & IFMA Foundation, 2012). Presence of new technology opens doors for more opportunities for employees and firms interested in exploring non-traditional work policies and arrangements. Via personal interviews, employees recommended that they would like to work at their homes occasionally (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). On the side of employees, telecommunicating can provide a platform for more flexibility and an off from working place rules and policies which include formal office hours and dress code. Pertinently, it is believable that relief from such policies and rules can result to flexible functioning of employees whereby they can perform more efficiently. With this respect, their performance increases which in turn increases the productivity of an entire company. At SC Technology, employees require the introduction of mobile technologies and mobile devices to bring about effective presentation and flexible training of either employees or any other intended personnel (Brennen, 2011). New mobile technology comes along with a new kind of team. With mobile technology and mobile devices, SC Technology can form virtual teams hence help bring together the best individuals in spite of time and location. Indeed, employees need to have mobile devices and mobile technology in order for companies to fulfill the dream of achieving maximum or optimum production (Katz, 2011). With portable devices and portable technology, employees can access emails every time, everywhere. It is easy and possible for employees to hold video conferencing and teleconference with fellow employees or customers any time, any place. Systemically, new portable devices and portable technology are helping people anywhere keep in touch and collaborate efficiently and rapidly (Katz, 2011). Presence and availability of programs and applications that can host internet services are enabling, streamlining, and stout the level of production that a firm can achieve within a particular period. As of now, employees can have face-to-face conversations with their managers and customers among others by using portable technology devices specifically mobile video conferencing like Face Time and Skype. Such conversations can take place between and among employees, customers and vendors from different branches of the globe thus increasing the amount of customers an organization can acquire while using other methods (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). However, understanding that the report did find a number of employees having some negative yet vital thoughts about the adoption and use of mobile technology and mobile devices at a workplace is crucial. Through emails and internet surveys, some employees showed concern that the use of these devices at all times could increase their chances of developing health complications caused by increased use of technological portable devices. Portable devices such as cellular phones can cause brain cancer (Katz, 2011). Arguably, despite having dismissed as urban legend stuff, scientific research alleges connection between cellular phones and frequent illnesses and increased risk of glioma in people exposed to constant radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Moreover, through questionnaires, employees pointed out that integration and adoption of mobile technology and mobile technology calls for extensive security systems (Brennen, 2011). It is easy to lose data when stored in portable devices such as cellular phones, memory cards, and laptops through either damage of that device or loss. Schedule (updated) Tasks Date carried out (weeks) Task 1: Research on the use of mobile devices and mobile technology at SC Technology Task 2: Research methods (questionnaires) Task 3: Data collection Task 4: Report preparation 10 15 24 28 30 2 14 16 21 24 October November Ref: Represents completed tasks Represents ongoing tasks Represents yet to be completed tasks Conclusion Irrespective of the current mobile devices and mobile technology in use at SC Technology, it is seeable that productivity and training will reach their peak when this company resolves to acquire latest programs. Employees showed they have intense zeal to work for SC Technology but their efforts are limited due to inadequate mobile devices and mobile technology (Wright, Mooney, & Parham, 2011). After successful completion of task 1 and 2, I am shifting focus on completing task 3. Nevertheless, things will be different this time since I am now conversant with the use of mobile devices and mobile technology at SC Technology Company. Recommendation Having seen that, this report recommends SC Technology Company to acquire mobile technology and mobile devices such as Android devices, iPhones, laptops, and PC tablet. These devices have hardware that can allow programs to run as good as those other employees use in the working place (Brennen, 2011). This company can realize maximum production through adoption and integration of mobile technology, mobile devices as employees will be able to function fully, and flexible hence feel motivated. Brennen, J. (2011). Mobile devices in the workplace: Risk versus reward. Metropreneur Columbus. Retrieved from http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus on October 22, 2012. Katz, J. (2011). Mobile communication: Dimensions of social policy. 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