A Future-Proof Enterprise Mobility Solution

The Retail Ecosystem

From warehouse to the customer point-of-purchase (buy online; pick up in store; delivery; in-store experience) — needs to have mobile technology that’s integrated and well- managed. An enterprise mobility strategy is a critical factor in an organization’s ability to deliver the customer experience as well as retain customers, acquire new customers, and engage/increase share- of-wallet.

But few organizations have the resources or experience to successfully design and deploy such solutions and then manage and upgrade them on a regular basis. That’s where managed mobility services come in. Managed mobility services can simplify and streamline the enterprise mobility solution. They can also provide practical ways to integrate mobile technologies, from the warehouse to the cash registers, into the enterprise to engage and attract customers and transform your business. And while organizations can use managed mobility services for a full-scale business-transformation initiative, they’re also just as appropriate for a more limited project to upgrade endpoint security or add new capabilities to a POS system.

A good managed mobility services provider can encapsulate the whole enterprise mobility solution, including:

Selecting and assembling the optimal hardware and software components from best-of-breed providers.
Adding in payment sleds, data services, applications, and even headsets or other devices.
Delivering integrated hardware and software solutions.
Providing ongoing lifecycle support, including help desk, repairs, and updates

A managed mobility provider should also be able to provide organizations with instant access and visibility into their mobile assets — what’s where, what’s being repaired, and what’s in the pool.

VDC Research

In addition to enabling organizations to take advantage of the mobile technology opportunities outlined on the previous page, there are number of other benefits to deploying a managed mobility services solution, including:

Reducing or eliminating functional silos - Deploying mobile devices across the enterprise in a DIY approach can result in functional silos — mobile solutions designed only for merchandizing or only for distribution, thus limiting corporate agility. The ideal mobility solution should break down functional silos, unifying the distribution process with merchandizing decisions for a more responsive and consumer-friendly organization.

With today’s mobile technologies, you can design the right mobility “eco-system” that can work seamlessly across the organization, effectively eliminating ‘silo’ issues.

Simplifying staff training - Mobile devices will only help your organization achieve its objectives if your employees can effectively and efficiently use them as intended. That requires the right level and type of training for each different device and user. Devices must be charged, kitted, and shipped out with all the necessary accessories (e.g. payment sleds). Once devices are deployed, employees need access to ongoing support and device repair. What happens when devices are dropped, moved, or lost? Good managed mobility services can help you manage all those requirements and support scenarios, making sure the right device is in the right hands at the right time, with the appropriate training and support.

Complete lifecycle management - Mobile devices don’t exist in a world by themselves. Instead, large organizations have all types of new and old IT infrastructure, from printers that churn out shipping labels to custom scanners for warehouse inventory control to the latest consumer handheld devices. Managed mobility services can ensure your mobile solution works seamlessly with critical existing components and technologies. It can also help you manage the complete lifecycle for mobile devices.

Optimal platform flexibility - What’s the right solution for your enterprise mobile platform: Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows, or some

other operating system? The answer will depend on your IT infrastructure, your current and future needs, and application availability. Managed mobility services providers should beThe answer will depend on your IT infrastructure, your current and future needs, and application availability. Managed mobility services providers should be able to deliver solutions that provide the optimal match according to your business needs. Doing so will ensure you benefit from the scalability and agility that unified commerce can provide.

• Support for different personas - To be effective, the mobile device, configuration, and capabilities need to be designed to meet the end-user persona — down to the organizational role and job function. This adds layers of complexity to mobile support. IT’s traditional “one-size-fits-all support” doesn’t work when it comes to mobile device deployment, since workers in the warehouse have different needs than salespeople on the floor. Ideally, managed mobility services providers intimately understand the range of devices used across an enterprise, how the organization
functions at the operational level, and how everyone in the enterprise uses mobile. In addition, organizations need different types and levels of support for different deployment scenarios.

A Clear Next Step for Enterprise Mobility

Delegating the whole of enterprise mobility to a managed mobility services provider allows corporate IT staffs to focus on the technologies, systems, and solutions that move the business forward. Collaborating with a managed mobility services provider extends the reach of corporate IT and helps keep mobile technologies in sync with the enterprise’s technology infrastructure and roadmap.In addition, delegating mobile solution design, device rollout, support, maintenance and repair, and retirement can cut costs too. Blue Hill Research recommends enterprises earmark two to three FTEs to manage every 1,000 deployed mobile devices —

at a cost of as much as $256,000 per year. Retailers that delegate responsibility for enterprise mobility to a partner can reduce such in-house costs — costs that can be palatable initially but become prohibitive as mobile scales up.

By working with a partner exclusively focused on enterprise mobility, a retailer can dedicate its resources to capitalizing on current market opportunities rather than trying to keep up with the confusingly fast-paced, changing world of mobile devices, platforms, and solutions. A partner with deep enterprise mobile talent can use your business goals to guide and

time investment in enterprise mobile’s expansion, allowing you to optimize operational value from your investment in enterprise mobility.

Supporting 1,000 mobile devices requires 2-3 FTEs, costing up to $256,000 per year

Blue Hill Research

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