Explore the risks and benefits of this hot topic for mobile field workers involved in service, repair, renovation and safety inspection work.
There is no ignoring the buzz about BYOD (bring your own device), especially in an inherently mobile industry like field service.
Last year, BYOD and enterprise mobility market size was valued at USD 54.69 Billion and is projected to reach USD 165.25 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 15.99% from 2022 to 2030.
With BYOD’s continued spike in popularity, we can’t help but wonder: what’s all the hype about?
BYOD policies let employees use their own smartphones, tablets, and laptops via cloud applications in the workplace, instead of company-provided devices. These devices typically store training videos, photos, inventory, mobile schedules and more for easy data access.
BYOD is becoming a workplace norm in the field service industry. Watch this video to explore the pros and cons of BYOD in field service.
Looking for even more information to guide your decision? Read on for the benefits and risks of this much-hyped solution.
Benefits of Bring Your Own Device Policy
Reduces Technology Costs for Field Service Companies: BYOD programs shift costs to the individual user, saving companies money on buying devices up front with monthly voice and data service fees. Even subsidizing employees’ cell and data plans costs much less than buying devices paid in full with a company-wide mobile initiative.
Improves User Enhancement: The millennial generation and Gen Z are making today’s workforce even more tech-savvy. With BYOD, technicians use devices they already understand, requiring less training. Field workers will know how to take full advantage of device features, which boosts worker productivity and maximizes business revenue.
Retains Happy Employees: Retaining strong field technicians is extremely important, but also hard. When techs use the devices they already know and love, they will be happier working for your company and also more productive. Studies have shown employees enjoy using their personal devices over the bulk issued devices by IT departments, despite being responsible for their own costs and cell coverage.
Takes Advantage of Newer Devices and Cutting Edge Features: Individual users usually upgrade to the latest hardware, gaining access to faster, sleeker, and more capable devices. Newer devices with features like 5G are ideal for field work tasks, with upgrades in speed, storage, photo, video, billing documentation and more.
Provides Easy Information Access: Fast turnaround time means happy customers and more revenue. Field service technicians need information available at any time and place to do their job well. Old devices retrieve information slowly, leading to slower turnaround times. Implementing up-to-date, flexible content platforms gives employees on-demand data access, which increases productivity.
Cross-Platform Field Service Apps Make BYOD Possible
It can be difficult to move to a new service management app if the app isn’t cross-platform. Ultimately, a cross-platform app will provide the flexibility to switch, meaning it’s best to use a service app which runs on any device or major mobile platform.
Many service companies are creating new tech policies and overcoming these operational challenges. Remember, the transition isn’t always easy. It takes the right supporting technology, apps, and programs for successful implementation at any company.
Want to see how field service software can be a game changer for your service business?
