What is mobile workforce management?

Mobile workforce management refers to using processes and tools that empower and support mobile workers while doing their jobs. Mobile workers include those not at a desk, in a traditional work environment, co-working setting, or remote role. Examples of mobile workers include independent contractors, field service technicians, home healthcare providers, delivery workers, field sales representatives, and travelling consultants. As many fields rely on mobile workforces to deliver products and services outside the typical office, it can be beneficial for businesses to understand the benefits, challenges, and solutions regarding mobile workforce management.

Although each industry and workforce is different, the goal of MWM remains the same—simplify, improve, and increase productivity, satisfaction, and cost savings. Effective MWM applies modern technologies and streamlined workflows to schedule, dispatch, monitor, analyze, and track your mobile team’s performance as they support customers and deliver services. Mobile workforce management tools can consolidate data into one central source to increase efficiency and transparency for every level of your organization. Employees, coordinators, and management typically have access anytime, anywhere:

• Managers can make data-driven decisions to streamline operations and identify potential cost savings.
• Employees can organize their work more efficiently and access related information for updates and changes.
• Coordinators have more flexibility with real-time data and can reschedule, reassign, and notify employees of changing circumstances.

Related: 4 Technical Skills Needed For Remote Work

Field service management vs. mobile workforce management

You can maximize the value of your mobile workforce with a clear understanding of the main difference between field service management and mobile workforce management.

• Field service management refines processes around physical assets. Examples include sales, consultations, customer support, repair and maintenance, and regular inspections.
• Mobile workforce management optimizes processes surrounding human assets.

Since either can be highly beneficial, it’s best to identify your organization’s unique needs before deciding on a solution.

Advantages of a mobile workforce

Business leaders know that their employees’ well-being directly impacts their business’s success. A mobile workforce has benefits for companies and employees. For example, it can help maintain a better work-life balance , preventing burnout. Happy, healthy workers are generally more productive and engaged and have a higher retention rate. Businesses managing a mobile workforce typically have an easier time filling gaps with talented part-time employees, giving companies access to staff and skills without the expense of providing benefits. Fewer workers onsite mean a smaller real estate space and lower overhead costs.

A mobile workforce platform fosters better collaboration and communication with the convenience of meeting anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Many businesses use this strategy to promote flexible work options and attract and recruit new talent.

Mobile workforce management benefits

Many companies don’t have effective MWM systems in place. Instead, they use siloed systems that don’t communicate with one another. Storing critical information on paper or spreadsheets can waste valuable time and create risks. Operations can quickly become inefficient due to scattered data and the lack of an overall view of business results. Although an effective mobile workforce management system is an investment, organizations with a mobile workforce realize its many benefits:

• Improved productivity: Your mobile workforce can accomplish more when you eliminate mundane tasks or multiple steps to achieve simple goals. Arming them with the right resources to streamline processes allows your team to focus on doing their job efficiently and effectively, which means less downtime, better performance, and improved productivity.
• Increased visibility and transparency: Knowing where your mobile workforce is, strategizing for capacity, and resolving pressing issues can be nearly impossible when you can’t see a complete view of your day-to-day operations. An effective MWM system can provide transparency, seamless integration into other systems, real-time status updates, and location tracking.
• Better customer experience: One of the most significant driving factors for any business with a mobile workforce is an exceptional customer experience. Missed appointments, lack of communication, and delays can threaten your team’s ability to provide positive customer interaction. With capable mobile workforce management, your employees can access key client information with real-time communication tools to ensure higher levels of personalized service.
• Employee satisfaction: A mobile workforce management system can make your employees’ jobs easier, aligning them with other team members to work toward the same goals. They can use the MWM tools and see real-time results, creating incentives and building self-confidence.
• Cost savings: Mobile workforce management can help your organization minimize errors, allocate resources, and cut expenses. Most cost savings include reducing time by cutting out redundancies and inefficient processes.
• Stronger communication: Mobile workers can communicate in real time and share relevant material with other team members or management to eliminate time delays and decision-making bottlenecks.

Read more: Communication Barriers in the Workplace (With Examples)

Mobile workforce management challenges

Along with many benefits, MWM also has its challenges:

• Isolation: Mobile workforces can often feel isolated and disconnected as if they’ve lost touch with leadership and coworkers. Mobile workforce management systems have robust communication channels that make staying in touch with everyone in your organization simple.
• Burnout: Although flexible and hybrid work options can improve work-life balance , some workers may feel pressured into being available 24/7, leading to burnout. Partnering with them to create acceptable schedules or set boundaries can help reduce pressure.
• Security: There’s generally a security risk when working with mobile devices, especially when employees use their personal devices. Providing the necessary devices with secure software and cloud access to your workforce can mitigate risk. Consider using advanced data encryption and multifactor authentication against possible security threats.
• Implementation costs: A new mobile workforce management system can be costly.
• Complex processes and change management: Some long-time employees and managers may resist the change and struggle to navigate new software.
• Disengagement: It can be more challenging to know and understand your employees and their skills, sentiments, emotional status, and performance.

Read more: How to Conduct An Employee Engagement Survey

How to manage a mobile workforce

Managing a mobile workforce can be enjoyable and productive with consistent processes and the right tools. Here are some tips to efficiently manage your mobile workforce:

• Specialized features that manage labour and time, health and safety, and absence management can be beneficial. To ensure your business remains productive, provide multiple channels for ongoing collaboration and communication, project and performance management , and access to other HR documents and tools.
• Provide adequate training to ensure management and employees understand company expectations and where they can find guidance and support. Encourage your leaders to get to know their team members, practise empathy, and focus on results and performance rather than hours worked. Prioritizing performance and results can boost your employees’ mental health and well-being and ensure they don’t experience burnout .
• Ensuring your employees feel happy and valued can encourage them to stay with your company long-term. Aside from providing the tools to do their jobs effectively, you can offer support, acknowledgement, and appreciation. Ask for frequent feedback and listen to what they say. Consider biannual or quarterly surveys to monitor sentiment, take necessary action, and share results. You can also provide them with opportunities to collaborate and connect outside their work duties to give a sense of inclusion and engagement.

Importance of mobile workforce management technology

You can make it easier for your employees to manage their responsibilities with compliance, accuracy, and safety using an MWM system. This software can help manage the following tasks:

• Dispatching: Mobile workforce management software allows your coordinators to dispatch workers to new job sites quickly or reroute in real time when schedules or appointments change.
• Scheduling: MWM software can create, automate, and manage employee scheduling, empowering your employees to know where they should be and when to show up.
• Availability: Your mobile workers can update their schedules and sync their digital calendars to their work calendars.
• Communication: Workers and dispatchers can conveniently communicate through the app and simplify sharing updates, instructions, and assignment changes as needed.
• Mobile tracking: Employees can log start and finish times and share their location with clients and supervisors to know their work status and arrival times.