Recently I posted on how to develop an intranet strategy and how to develop a digital workplace strategy. One of the key factors either strategy must consider is the growing needs of people who use mobile devices to access information needed to help with their work. I believe it is so important that it justifies its own strategy to help achieve the full benefits.
When developing a strategy for people who are mobile it is important you consider the following factors:
- Research with mobile workers what exactly their requirements are. Don’t guess! And don’t accept the experience is good enough just because the content or app can be accessed from mobile devices.
- Involve mobile workers in testing as you develop your intranet to make sure it will be a good experience for mobile devices before it is launched. Don’t assume it will just be alright on the day.
- Be clear how many different operating systems your organisation can justify supporting. While wanting to support the different operating systems for mobile devices it is stupid to aim to support every system. A balance between IT costs and capabilities with mobile users’ needs to be agreed.
- Decide on your approach to responsive or device specific designs for mobile users. Do you want/need to publish the same content in more than one place? Is the management of one piece of content too heavy for all types of devices that need to access it?
There are some key principles which you can apply to help you create a mobile strategy for your organisation. Find out more information on how to develop a mobile strategy.