This guide will provide the reader with insights into mobile and distributed teams, including the benefits and challenges of this type of workforce. It will also offer recommendations for mobile apps that will support various business functions and industries, as well as tips on how to sell-in technology to teams.
Scroll through this guide to find out:
- Industries with the most mobile and distributed teams
- The best SaaS mobile apps by business function
- How to sell-in technology to your teams
What are Mobile or Distributed Teams?
Mobile or distributed teams are groups of employees, collaborators, or professionals who work together on projects or tasks while being physically located in different places. These team members may work remotely from their homes, co-working spaces, or different offices in various cities or countries. They rely on technology, such as internet-based communication tools and project management software, to collaborate, share information, and stay connected despite their geographical separation.
Mobile or distributed teams offer several benefits, including:
- Flexibility: Team members can work from locations that best suit their needs, enabling them to balance work and personal life more effectively.
- Access to global talent: Companies can hire the best candidates for a job, regardless of their geographical location, which helps create a diverse and skilled workforce.
- Cost savings: Businesses can save on offices pace, utilities, and other overhead costs by allowing employees to work remotely.
- Increased productivity: Many studies have shown that remote workers are often more productive than their in-office counterparts, as they can work in environments that suit their individual needs, and they tend to have fewer distractions.
- Business continuity: Distributed teams can help ensure business continuity during unexpected events, such as natural disasters, pandemics, or other emergencies, as employees can continue working from various locations.
To effectively manage and maintain productivity in mobile or distributed teams, organizations need to adopt the right tools and technologies, such as communication platforms, project management software, and collaboration tools. Additionally, fostering a strong company culture and ensuring clear communication channels are essential for successful remote team management.
of organisations have visibility, control and remediation over work devices
Report from Absolute Software, Zero Trust solutions, titled ‘The Future of Work.’
of businesses workforce use devices owned and managed by the IT team
Reportfrom Absolute Software, Zero Trust solutions, titled ‘The Futureof Work.’
What UK industries have mobile or distributed teams?
In the United Kingdom, several industries have mobile or distributed teams as part of their workforce. Some of these industries include:
- Construction: Construction projects often require teams to work at multiple sites, with workers and managers moving between locations as needed. Mobile and distributed teams are crucial in ensuring effective communication, coordination, and project management.
- Healthcare: Healthcare professionals such as community nurses, paramedics, and home care workers frequently work in mobile or distributed settings, providing care and services to patients outside of traditional healthcare facilities.
- Sales and Marketing: Sales representatives and marketing teams often work remotely, visiting clients, attending events, or working from home. These teams require effective communication and collaboration tools to stay connected and productive.
- Field Service and Maintenance: Industries with field service operations, such as telecommunications, utilities, and facility management, rely on mobile teams to perform maintenance, installations, and repairs at various locations.
- Transportation and Logistics: Drivers, delivery personnel, and logistics coordinators work in distributed settings, ensuring the efficient movement of goods and services across the country.
- Consulting and Professional Services: Consultants, accountants, and lawyers may work remotely or travel to client sites, requiring efficient communication and collaboration tools to stay connected with their colleagues and clients.
- IT and Software Development: Many tech companies have adopted remote or distributed work models, allowing software developers, engineers, and IT professionals to work from home or other locations, fostering a more flexible and collaborative work environment.
- Education and Training: Teachers, trainers, and tutors may work remotely or travel between schools, universities, and training centers, delivering education and training services to various locations.
- Emergency Services: Emergency responders, such as police, fire, and ambulance services, operate in mobile and distributed settings, responding to incidents and emergencies across their jurisdictions.
These industries, among others, benefit from modern communication tools and technologies that enable efficient communication, collaboration, and coordination among mobile or distributed teams.
of the UK workforce is employed in occupations that require them to be out and about.
Office for National Statistics(ONS)
What business SaaS products are ideal for mobile and distributed teams?
Business SaaS (Software as a Service) products that are ideal for mobile and distributed teams offer flexibility, ease of access, and collaboration features, enabling remote workers to stay connected and productive. Some popular SaaS tools for mobile and distributed teams include:
Project management:
- Trello: A visual project management tool with boards, lists, and cards for organizing tasks and collaborating with team members.
- Asana: A task and project management tool that helps teams plan, organize, and track work progress.
- Basecamp: An all-in-one project management and team collaboration tool with to-do lists, file sharing, and messaging features.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
- Salesforce: A comprehensive CRM platform that helps businesses manage leads, opportunities, and customer interactions.
- HubSpot: An all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and CRM platform that offers tools for lead generation, email marketing, and sales automation.
- Zoho CRM: A CRM software with sales force automation, marketing automation, and customer support features.
Document collaboration and storage:
- Google Workspace: A suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools, including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive.
- Microsoft Office 365: A cloud-based suite of productivity tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive.
- Dropbox: A cloud storage and file synchronization tool that enables teams to share and collaborate on document sand files.
Time tracking and productivity:
- Toggl Track: A time tracking tool that helps remote teams monitor their work hours and productivity.
- Harvest: A time tracking and invoicing software with features for project tracking and team management.
These SaaS tools can be easily accessed from multiple devices and locations, making them suitable for mobile and distributed teams. By adopting these tools, remote teams can streamline their workflow, enhance collaboration, and improve overall productivity.
For the full list of SaaS products including Communication,
How to Measure the Success of a Remote Team
Many businesses are now using remote teams. This is due to a number of factors, such as the rising cost of office space, the increasing availability of high-speed internet, and the growing popularity of mobile devices. Once you have a remote team in place, it's important to measure its success. This will help you to identify areas where you can improve and make sure that your team is meeting your expectations. There are a number of ways to measure the success of a remote team. Some of the most common metrics include:
- Productivity: This metric measures how much work is getting done. You can measure productivity by tracking the number of tasks completed, the amount of time spent on tasks, and the quality of work.
- Collaboration: This metric measures how well team members are working together. You can measure collaboration by tracking the number of team meetings, the amount of communication between team members, and the level of satisfaction with the team's collaboration.
- Communication: This metric measures how well team members are communicating with each other. You can measure communication by tracking the number of emails sent, the number of phone calls made, and the level of satisfaction with the team's communication.
- Employee satisfaction: This metric measures how happy employees are with their work. You can measure employee satisfaction by tracking employee turnover, employee engagement, and employee satisfaction surveys.
By tracking these metrics, you can get a good understanding of how well your remote team is performing. This information can help you to identify areas where you can improve and make sure that your team is meeting your expectations.
Here are some additional tips for measuring the success of aremote team:
- Set clear goals and objectives: It's important to have clear goals and objectives for your remote team. This will help you to measure their success against a specific benchmark.
- Use a variety of metrics: Don't rely on just one metric to measure the success of your remote team. Use a variety of metrics to get a more comprehensive view of their performance.
- Track progress over time: It's important to track progress over time to see how your remote team is performing. This will help you to identify areas where they are improving and areas where they need improvement.
- Communicate with your team: It's important to communicate with your team about their performance. This will help them to stay motivated and focused on their goals.
By following these tips, you can measure the success of your remote team and ensure that they are meeting your expectations.
How to get your colleagues to use new technology
As an IT Manager, you know that new technology can be a great way to improve efficiency and productivity. But getting your colleagues to use it can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you get your colleagues on board with new technology:
- Start by understanding the challenges your colleague sare facing. What are their pain points? What are they struggling with? Once you understand their challenges, you can start to think about how the new technology can help them.
- Be clear about the benefits of the new technology. How will it make their lives easier? How will it help them to be more productive? Make sure you communicate the benefits in a way that is relevant to them.
- Provide training and support. Once you've sold your colleagues on the new technology, it's important to provide them with training and support. This will help them to get up and running quickly and to use the technology effectively.
- Be patient. It takes time for people to adopt new technology. Be patient with your colleagues and don't give up.
- Make it easy to use. The new technology should be easy to use and understand. If it's not, people will be less likely to use it.
- Make it fun. Gamification can be a great way to get people excited about using new technology. Create challenges and rewards for using the technology.
- Make it social. People are more likely to use new technology if they can use it with their friends and colleagues. Create opportunities for people to collaborate and share ideas using the technology.
By following these tips, you can make the new technology more appealing to your colleagues and increase your chances of success in getting them to use it.
