As we become more mobile-centric by conducting our personal and professional activities via our smartphones, technology firms have identified the need to introduce a solution that balances the best of both worlds – introducing the ‘tablet’. Comprising essential business features such as high-speed connectivity whilst offering a simplistic means of portability, it’s little wonder that the tablet is being embraced by numerous industries throughout the world.
From hairdressers providing style consultation to their clients via a digital photo archive to restaurants utilising booking management systems, there’s a multitude of benefits that can be employed thanks to tablet technology. Find out the top four ways tablets can bolster productivity in the workplace:
1. Mobility
Culture is a huge game changer for many businesses, often attracting vast amounts of interest based on cultural aspects in the office alone. One particular office culture that is proving popular is the ability to work from home; with many businesses integrating this mobility by allowing employees access to company laptops, smartphones as well as tablets. Additionally, the rise of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) has also meant that the tablet plays an integral role in business performance – encouraging employees to engage more when using their own handheld devices.
2. Sharing is caring
With the likes of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G in place, connectivity is seamless more than ever. This means data can be exchanged much simpler and quicker, improving an employee’s workload by offering them more opportunities to share their work (eg such as storage service Dropbox). According to global research agency Forrester, approximately 30 per cent of information workers use tablets for sharing and file synchronisation – compared to just 16 per cent of PC users.
3. Increased interaction
Tablets have also shown to be much more popular than desktops for internal social networking, with 24 per cent of information employees interacting better via tablets compared to 17 per cent of PC users. Additionally, research body Gartner Inc forecasts that half of larger businesses will comprise internal social networks by 2016; with 30 per cent of these companies hopeful such networks will add significant value to its integral communications.
4. Visual effects
A vital tool when it comes to holding presentations, tablets have been found to encourage higher sales as well as better inform potential buyers, according to Forrester. Sales professionals employ presentations when pitching to prospective clients, whilst marketing teams can showcase their services with interactive product displays.
American Airlines has implemented tablet technology into its operations by giving these handheld devices to flight attendants, enabling them to do a wide range of tasks – from taking down food orders to checking details on connecting flights. And with roughly a third of employees working on the move (using three or more tablets whilst working from numerous locations), Forrester predicts that these devices will triple to a staggering 905 million for work and home usage by 2017.
Early adopters of tech workplace solutions are also gaining valuable insight into how this can boost employee engagement as well. Engaged employees are 22% more productive, according to a new meta-analysis of 1.4 million employees conducted by the Gallup Organization. With this new tablet technology, employees are given bigger autonomy and a more effective tool to channel their work effort, minimizing stress levels and bureaucracy.
With instant gratification a must-have in the fast-paced consumer market, tablet technology ticks all the right boxes – enhancing real-time communications in a bid to improve real-time customer satisfaction. So, for a solution that will help boost profits as well as productivity, mix business with pleasure by investing in tablet technology today.
About the author: Post contributed by Rachael Pegram in collaboration with The Snugg.
Rachael Pegram is a freelance writer and blogger who likes to write about technology and its many applications in every day life. She also loves to write about graphic design and art as this is a passion of hers.
Image via StockSnap.io under C.C.0 license
Much like everything that leads to productivity in life, ensuring your employees are happy is among one of the top priorities that anyone of management position (or higher) should definitely have! Totally agree.