Technology in the workplace has advanced greatly in recent years with the appearance of the smartphone. Prior to smartphones, business communication took place through email, fax, or telephone, and voicemail. Even the typewriter was still a common sight in the office in the 2000s. Here are some ways that the smartphone has modernized the workplace.
How Smartphones Have Changed the Modern Workplace
Working Remotely
Fast internet speeds and security advancements make remote work possible. This means that more employees have the option to stay at home and be productive from their home computers or company-issued laptops. The only drawback is that employees can’t stay connected if they step away from their computer and something urgent comes up. Smartphones have changed all of this by freeing the employee from their desks. Smartphones are powerful enough to run all of the productivity apps that are found on desktop computers. Employees are able to do their work anywhere that they have a data connection. No more lost connections, no more waiting on a file transfer, and no more wondering where that employee is when they’re needed. It is so easy to connect through smartphones, no matter where the employee is working.
Bring Your Own Device Policies
Businesses have found it less expensive to allow employees to bring their own devices to work and set up a separate work account from the phone. The rationale behind such a policy is the fact that employees are far more likely to have the most recent technology. Instead of spending money to upgrade the existing equipment, the company piggybacks on the tech owned by the employee instead. It’s wise to have a straightforward BYOD policy in place. IT needs to have access to the devices for security reasons, and employees have to keep personal and professional profiles separate. This is done by using software on laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Work files stay on the work profile, and personal data stays on the personal profile. By doing so, IT can get company data quickly without ever touching the personal files.
Faster Communication
Email, messages, texts, and voice calls are routed directly to employees instead of waiting for them to get to a computer. It’s simply a matter of reaching into the pocket or purse to check the latest message and reply. Communication is one of the reasons why certain smartphones are dominating the professional space. Smartphones that run fast and have a high-speed data connection prevent hardware or the network from delaying the message. Some of the more popular phones include the Samsung Galaxy J7, LG G6, LG V20, and the Apple iPhone Plus. Using a phone such as the iPhone 7 Plus on the T-Mobile network brings together high-speed communication, reliable connections, and a phone that never misses a thing due to its solid engineering. Samsung and LG offer larger screen sizes, something that those who wear glasses tend to appreciate when using their phone for work functions.
Increased Productivity
Computers eliminate the need to use paper in many instances. What was once printed on paper is now saved in an electronic file. This speeds up an office considerably, but it requires someone to be seated at their computer to perform the task. If that someone is out of office, there’s no way to access the files if they have the only copy. With a smartphone, files are accessible anywhere that the employee is. No more waiting for a specific person to get back into the office to their computer. They can now log in from their smartphone, grab the file, send it, and get back to what they were doing.
The smartphone is an incredible piece of technology that was once only a dream. It has improved how the office operates from top to bottom. It’s now possible to get in touch with people and access databases from almost anywhere in the world.
Images Courtesy of Canva.
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About the Author: Patricia Davis Brown
