A recent study conducted by the Forrester Research Group reveals that tablets and other mobile devices significantly improve employee productivity. Portable electronics such as the iPad, iPad mini, or Windows Tablet give workers the flexibility to seamlessly access files and continue working while commuting, traveling, or even in the comfort of their own homes.
Roughly 30% of Americans are using some type of mobile device as part of their daily work ritual, and an increasing number of corporations are starting to distribute these products to employees to ensure productivity outside of the office. American Airlines, for instance, now provides tablets to flight attendants to improve the efficiency food orders, flight updates, or any special passenger requests. Physicians often rely on portable devices to access patient records, take notes, or even write prescriptions. The Forrester Research Group has furthermore predicted that tablet usage will triple to 905 million by the year 2017.
So what’s the catch? As we all know, there are both pros and cons to most groundbreaking, innovative technologies. For starters, most of these items come installed with a multitude of applications, games, and savvy gadgets that can tempt even the most dedicated worker. Twenty minutes on a solitaire app in the morning turns into an hour or two of real estate browsing, stock checking, and Fantasy Football recruiting. The next thing you know, it’s 5 pm and you’re reading an article about employee productivity on LinkedIn.
ipads and tablets are not made for all jobs. Marketing Specialists or Sales Managers can use tablets to easily access presentations, client data, or social networks. However, positions such as Data Analysts or Software Writers require much larger systems with ample memory.
An ideal solution would require some form of compromise on behalf of the companies providing tablets to their staff. Perhaps a way to maximize employee productivity would be to restrict certain apps, games, or websites on company tablets, in an effort to eliminate the temptation to procrastinate. Company tablet usage could be limited to those tasks requiring little to moderate memory, with the understanding that functions such as data processing or spreadsheet usage should be reserved for work or home desktops.
What are your thoughts?
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A relevant youtube video on tablets:
by: Suzanne Ostrander
Bryan E. Wilson 