Are You a Mobile Enterprise? Unisys-Sponsored Study Shows Tangible Business Returns from Formalized Mobility Strategies

New research from Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) shows that enterprises worldwide are realizing measurable business results by implementing formal programs for using mobile strategies and technologies to support their workers and reach customers more effectively.

The study shows a wide gap in success among organizations that have implemented comprehensive mobility strategies and those that have not. "Mobile enterprises" - defined as trendsetters with a mobility strategy and technology roadmap, clear success metrics, and an overall governance plan that integrates mobility - achieve demonstrably better results than organizations that have limited or piecemeal strategies.

"This study clearly shows that success in mobility requires a concerted, holistic approach encompassing strategy, business applications and formal measurement of results in addition to infrastructure engineering," said Darren McGrath, global director, Mobility Solutions, Unisys. "A fully planned, cohesive approach can make mobility a true business enabler, while an incoherent program creates the risk of a jury-rigged solution with tactical rather than strategic value to the organization."

Unisys commissioned research organization IDG Connect to conduct the global study, which surveyed nearly 450 business and IT decision makers in 13 countries worldwide.

Superior Measurement Points to Better Results

Three-fifths (61 percent) of study respondents say that their companies have mobile strategies in place. However, there are marked disparities in the way the respondents characterize the maturity of those strategies and policies:

- 21 percent of respondents characterize their company as a trendsetting "mobile enterprise."

- 40 percent label their organization as" mobile enabled," with strategies and policies in place but no proactive governance.

- 28 percent call their organization "mobile aware," with pockets of mobile initiatives and some policies in place but with no overall strategy or governance.

- 11 percent say that their organization is a "mobile void," lacking any established strategy, policies or governance.

Overall, the respondents indicate that implementing mobility-based programs has benefitted their organizations. Fifty-three (53) percent of respondents say mobility has enabled them to create new customer channels and enhance customer interactions. Slightly more than half (51 percent) of respondents say that mobility has enabled their organizations to redefine business processes by allowing mobile access to information. In addition, 50 percent of respondents say that they have been able to enhance existing products with mobile capabilities.

However, organizations that classify themselves as trend-setting "mobile enterprises "put a higher value on the returns they've seen through their investments in mobility strategies and programs:

- 79 percent of mobile enterprises say that their organizations have been able to measure a return on investment (ROI) for mobility vs. only 58 percent of overall respondents.

- 84 percent of mobile enterprises report an increase in productivity over the past year through their mobility programs vs. 70 percent of all responding organizations and 52 percent of the "mobile void."

- 75 percent of mobile enterprise respondents say that mobility generated new revenue for their organizations in the last year, compared to 30 percent of "mobile aware" and "mobile void" organizations.

The study results point to a number of factors that are driving these higher results for mobile enterprises:

- 65 percent of mobile enterprises say that they use a formal, technology-enabled process to measure return on investment. Just one-third of all worldwide respondents report doing the same.

- Another 32 percent of respondents are using formal but manual processes, while36 percent are using informal, ad-hoc measurement processes.

- 16 percent are not measuring ROI at all.

"These results demonstrate that success in mobility is a function of careful planning, smart strategies and consistent execution," said McGrath. "By taking a holistic, disciplined approach to mobility, organizations can increase the productivity of their people, grow revenue, unleash innovation and find new ways to serve their customers."

Source : Equity Bulls

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