3 Ways to Leverage Mobile Technology (part 2)

Leveraging mobile technology is not only limited to consumer behavior.  Taking advantage of mobile allows you to access information from virtually anywhere in the world, providing valuable insight almost instantly.  In the past investigators would be confined to a desk, sorting through large of amounts of data using excel or complicated SQL statements.  This process was time consuming, and in some cases gave analysts tunnel vision, preventing them from seeing the bigger picture.  Mobile technology changes this by letting you get out from behind the desk and into the field where real action can be taken.

Here are some things that make a data analytics application truly mobile:

1)  Agility

Speed is an important factor in the data analytics game, but agility can be more vital.  When it comes to your field users and corporate investigators they can be responsible for tens if not hundreds of stores at once.  This can make analyzing data and solving problems difficult if trapped behind a desk.  By using analytics applications that are mobile ready you give your users the ability to work from anywhere on any device, making them more agile and effecting in the long run.

2)  Full Functionality

This is where you need to be careful when selecting a mobile ready data analytics application.  Many applications offer mobile versions, but these have a tendency to be watered down versions of the real application with limited functionality.  There are solutions, though, that don’t skimp on capabilities when utilizing mobile.  Keep your eye out for solutions that send alerts to users that need immediate response, give access to reports for quick access to trends and anomalies, and even let users build queries right from their phone or tablet.

3)  Data Access

Similar to the functionality item mentioned above, you need to be careful when analyzing applications when it comes to data access and availability.  Some solutions think that basic alerts are all you need, but what if your users need to look at alert history for a specific employee, or what if they spot something odd in their stores and need to run a query?  Truly mobile technologies don’t limit your users’ data access, instead they give your users the ability to do a complete analysis of data while traveling from store to store.

Truly mobile technologies offer users a wide range of functions and tasks while on-the-go.  Just like your customers, you can utilize these technologies to become more flexible and solve problems faster.