Bringing Business Information into the Field

by Gard Gibson

Consumer demand is driving a great deal of this innovation, but there are business benefits as well.

If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then mobile computing and access to data are in high demand. Some of the biggest advances being made today in technology are focused on giving the right people access to the right data, no matter when or where they want it. This covers everything from being able to take your music with you on a device the size of a pack of gum all the way to carrying your personal medical history with you on a small USB flash drive.

Consumer demand is driving a great deal of this innovation, but there are business benefits as well. Today it is commonplace when traveling to check e-mail with a wireless device—something that just a few short years ago was the province of “techies” only.

Everything from e-commerce to web publishing has gone mobile. The ability not only to access information remotely but also manage that information while acting upon it presents a tremendous opportunity for business. The key is to understand what information truly needs to be available and how to manage it.

When looking to “mobilize” information for your business, there are some key factors to keep in mind.

How—How are you going to handle it from a technology standpoint? Will you buy something “off the shelf” or will you custom-build an application? When evaluating choices, it is important to first lay out very specific goals. These goals need to be strong enough to justify moving towards mobile data, so strong you want to hold true to those goals.

If it seems less expensive and less risky to buy or license something already built make sure it meets your needs. Often it appears less expensive to use licensed applications, but compromises made to get the product to fit your business can sometimes actually remove the original benefit you sought. If you do choose to build, make sure to build with technology that is well supported, offering greater flexibility for management down the road.

Who—Who has access to what information? It is easy to forget that the real benefit of mobile data is that it reaches the right person when they need it. Make sure you determine who is most likely to benefit from having access and what types of information offer them the most value.

For example, an area manager for a national restaurant chain most likely would be interested in service and sales numbers in real time. That information can be acted on immediately so it has value.

Content—What content or information do you want available and what is the best format for easy access? Consider the data needed and how it will be received. It’s likely you will be delivering it through a browser on a mobile phone, a process entirely different than formatting that same data for download to a PDA or portable disk drive. Always bear in mind how the information will be viewed at all times so there are no surprises once your solution is up and running.

Security—How can you secure the data? While there are ways to secure data, even in remote transfers, anytime you share information outside of a closed network you are at risk. Take the time to evaluate how you will secure your information and determine potential security breaches. Hoping for the best and planning for the worst is the best approach.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of things to think about when it comes to making data and information mobile, but it is a good starting point. As with any business decision, clear goals and a well-calculated plan will serve you best.

Gard Gibson is an Account Director at VML (www.vml.com), a marketing and technology company. He can be reached at (816) 283-0700 or via e-mail at ggibson@vml.com.