Staying ahead of the curve
This is the fourth of four postings on considerations that need to be factored in getting started with the mobilization of the enterprise. In the first post we dealt with envisioning mobility, in the second post I covered where to start, in the third post we went through a policy framework, and in this final post I will speak to platform considerations.
One critical point to keep in mind as you plan for business mobility in your organization: there is absolute certainty that you will eventually want to scale that solution and other mobile applications far beyond the initial implementation. Once you reach this stage, you’re going to find yourself dealing with a complex, dynamic, mobility infrastructure with many workers, workgroups, workflows, applications, and device types.
What is the best way to deal with this complexity? There is an on-going debate in the industry about the merits of deploying low-cost mobile point solutions, or taking a more holistic approach and adopting a Mobile Enterprise Application Platform (MEAP)-based solution. A point solution is a specific application designed to address a specific business problem, and is typically an out-of-the box solution based on a generic business model. Point solutions are easy to deploy, but they are difficult, if not impossible to customize, and they are stunningly difficult to scale. By contrast, MEAP-based solutions are built on a platform that includes standard tools for application customization and management. They are designed to access a broad variety of back-end data, and they typically support a wide range of device types. One MEAP-based mobile application can roll out to many varied devices in the organization.
As mentioned in earlier blogs, the availability and declining cost of business mobility solutions is making it easier to adopt mobile business solutions, and many companies, who are oddly enough, unsure if this “mobility thing” is going to be around for the long haul, start with low-cost point solutions. Short-term gain, long-term pain. This can morph into a spectacularly expensive strategy in the long run, especially as you try to add more mobile applications and scale the applications to more users.
As you evaluate mobile solutions, it is important to look at the solution scaling plan referenced in the second posting. Then decide if the mobile products you’re considering support your scaling strategy. MEAP-based solutions often have somewhat higher entry costs, but they provide a solid foundation for the future expansion of business mobility through the organization. They also provide tools that enable you to adapt your mobility strategy to changing business needs.
It is important to recognize that adopting a mobile strategy has significant organizational implications. Someone will need to manage the mobile application and the devices that run it. If the mobile application captures data, others in the organization will want to see that information. If the mobile application is critical to a business process that has other business process dependencies, then people and applications involved in those other processes will eventually need access to the mobile application. No mobile application and its associated workflows are an island in the enterprise.
As you plan for business mobility, take into account the broad organizational implications, but start small. Start with a team or a work group so that you can work out technical and policy issues. But even as you start small, plan for the future, and plan aggressively. Adopt solutions that give you the ability to adapt to changing technology and allow you to streamline your business processes over time.
Make no mistake here: this is the future of the enterprise; of all the curves that are headed in your direction, this is the one that is critical to get ahead of, and the sooner you start, the easier your life will become.