Mobile applications create a world of possibilities for businesses because of the ability to connect to people and receive data and real-time information from nearly any place in the world at any time. Companies in every sector of the economy are findings ways to use mobility solutions to link employees, vendors, partners, data and products.

More importantly, mobile apps can solve a number of business problems—from business processes to building your client base. Here are three areas in which mobile applications benefit companies and help them solve different business problems and reach their objectives.

1. Gather Usable Information

Custom mobile development advantages for businesses include the ability to gather a variety of information to deliver data, products and services, including geolocation-targeting, barcode captures, audio, video, and authentification. For example, Realtor.com has a mobile app that uses GPS technology to conduct location analysis and targeting to make the home buying experience more personal.

If a user happens to drive through a neighborhood that piques their interest, he or she can simply push a button on the mobile app to receive a display of the available homes for sale near that location.

Mobile solutions are also being used to make transactions more secured. Cybercriminals continually look for vulnerabilities and ways to steal passwords and other sensitive user credentials to illegally access personal, confidential, and financial information from user accounts and servers.

As a result, businesses seek a more secure authentication protocol for both business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions that goes beyond the commonly used SMS-based two-factor authentication, that has proven to be vulnerable to cybercriminals. Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint biometrics replaces SMS codes which will make this two-factor authentication method obsolete because it does not require the use, transmission or storage of passwords or confidential credentials.

Another great example is a custom business application we created for one of our clients that allowed them to gather usable information and solved a business problem in the sales process. A sales order application was created that reduced the time for their mobile sales team to process orders. The paper laden process that used to waste hours of time for data entry is now a thing of the past!

2. Drive Sales Revenue

The proliferation of smart phones and tablets make it natural for people to prefer using their own mobile devices when shopping. In fact, the mobile and web measurement firm comScore Inc reports that 60% of U.S. consumers use a mobile device when they visit the websites of an online retailer. This stat has retailers salivating about the explosive growth potential for mobile sales and transforming mobile browsers into buyers.

Macy has incorporate mobile solutions that rely on RFID technology and POS devices (modified iPads) that enable employees to manage and track inventory to help drive sales. This technology combo was instrumental in helping floor sales staff order shoes for a customer and have a runner deliver the product to the sales floor. The devices have help increase sales by 50% while making it possible to serve the customer faster and more efficiently.

Other retailers like Urban Outfitters and J.C. Penney have also follow suit. Urban Outfitters deployed iPod Touch and iPad devices that can complete point-of-sale transactions as well as returns and restocking.

3. Create an Employee Training Program

For many organizations, employee training has become a high risk, high cost and low value proposition. Often, new hires complete a rigorous labor-intensive training regimens only to leave the company 90 days later. Not only do your managers invest in training new workers, but evolving business processes and practices can quickly make manuals and other training materials obsolete.

Smart companies are integrating mobile solutions into their training regimen as a more efficient and cost-effective way to impart the necessary lessons, knowledge and skills to bring new recruits up to par whether you have five or 500 new hires.

The advantages of mobile training include:

- Centralized quality control for training

- Self-paced training

- Improved employee interaction and build confidence

Mobile solutions can also provide performance support for employees who have a question or need to solve a problem when performing the job.  He or she can pull out their smartphone of tablet to look up the answer. Smart companies are integrating custom mobile development advantages to enhance their training regimen.

Whether you have five or 500 new hires, or a need to retrain your current staff, custom mobile development advantages give you the capability to make the necessary lessons, knowledge and skills available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Conclusion

In terms of mobility solutions, keep in mind that there is no limit to the business issues they can solve and the business opportunities they can help you seize. Basically, the main barrier is the mindset gap between standard ways to solve issues and the agile and mobile way. Reading the guide 10 reasons your business needs mobile capabilities today, will help you shift to a more mobile mindset.

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