Keeping people productive – wherever they work – is key to succeeding in today’s business climate.

A decade ago, road warriors were well equipped with a laptop and a BlackBerry. Their counterparts today expect worldwide connectivity to the Internet for their personal inventories of notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Even at the office, workers expect seamless transitions between wired and wireless networks as they move about the office with their devices.

The good news is that it’s getting easier to meet those expectations. The bad news is that easy solutions are not always the best solutions.

Because users expect to be able to work in any location – and in whatever way they want to work – they will create workarounds if their employer does not fill this need. If your mobility strategy has grown organically on an as-needed basis, it’s likely that you’re not meeting users’ needs. If that’s the case, you may be encouraging workers to get “creative” to achieve their mobility goals. That creativity could end up compromising the security of your network and your business.

The mobility experts at Zones can help you create a well-designed mobile infrastructure that enhances the user experience for workers, while significantly simplifying management and security.

Benchmarking and goal setting

It starts with a Solution Definition Workshop. The Solution Definition Workshop follows a detailed discovery process encompassing internal and external components of your existing mobile strategy and infrastructure, as well as your goals for its future state.

Using a vendor-agnostic approach, we’ll review business use cases for applications and devices, and discuss possible BYOD and CYOD scenarios. As one of the nation’s largest IT solution providers, we maintain relationships with hundreds of device and networking equipment manufacturers as well as all major carriers. This vendor-agnostic orientation ensures that we develop a mobility plan that favors your business needs over any other business relationship.

Your Solution Definition Workshop will also provide you with security policy guidance and risk assessment, as well as a review and discussion of relevant compliance and IT governance policies. Scheduling one of these half-day to three-day workshops starts with your Zones account executive. If you do not have an assigned account executive, call 800.408.ZONES, and we’ll get you set up.

Different environments call for different solutions

Business mobility is not a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why our workshops are so successful. They allow us to surface key details about your infrastructure, your operations, your business goals, and the needs of your workforce.

Here we highlight some of the scenarios and expected outcomes for mobility initiatives in four industries:

Retail

Typical Scenarios

»Mobilize Point of Sale Interactions

• Design and create concept accounting for environment, form factor, user experience, and payment standards
• Set profiles and secure access to mobile devices
• Deploy and install point of sale devices, ensuring connectivity between front and back of house

»Arm Sales Force with Devices to Transform Task Workers into Knowledge Workers

• Ensure form fit and function for devices deployed to the sales floor
• Assess Wi-Fi networks to ensure connectivity throughout location

»Smart Store Solutions

• Integration between signage and social feeds
• Beacon technology to allow for in-store traffic analytics

Expected Outcomes

• Improved customer experience at POS
• Compliance with emerging payment standards
• Increased sales force knowledge and productivity
• Increased customer loyalty

Healthcare

Typical scenarios

»Healthcare Staff Mobilization

• Replace workstations with tablets and mobile devices
• Enroll and establish device policies through mobile device management
• Assess Wi-Fi networks to ensure connectivity throughout location

»Secure Content and Ensure Compliance

• Assess current policies and permissions throughout all locations
• Improve content and network security through, encryption, secure messaging, and single sign on solutions

»Create Future Proof Data Management Strategy

• Analyze current data management issues
• Implement data performance and analytics
• Optimize data storage through cloud and on-prem solutions

 Expected outcomes

• Improved patient/provider interaction
• Improved check-in/discharge process
• Reduced paper forms
• Ensure security compliance
• Improved data management

Transportation/Logistics

Typical scenarios

»Logistics Mobilization

• Enable remote vehicle monitoring
• Deploy connected devices into fleet
• Manage devices through mobile device management and geofencing
• Implement real time remote fleet management

»Implement Digital Data Logging Solutions

• Analyze current data management issues
• Implement data performance and analytics
• Optimize data storage through cloud and on premise solutions

»Create Electronic Warehouse Environment

• Address current workflow processes
• Develop solutions to assist in warehouse automation and optimization
• Assess Wi-Fi networks to ensure connectivity throughout location
• Configure devices, accessories, and software for rapid deployment

Expected outcomes

• Improved efficiency within transit vehicles
• Track assets while in warehouse and transit
• Optimize warehouse workflows

Education

Typical scenarios

»Create a 1-to-1 Environment

• Deploy the right devices to the right classrooms
• Assess Wi-Fi networks to ensure connectivity throughout location
• Ensure physical security and implement mass charging solutions

»Central Device Management

• Deploy applications to students through mobile application management and central learning consoles
• Push updates to devices automatically through mobile device management
• Manage policies for students, teachers, and administrators

Expected outcomes

• Optimize digital classroom experience
• Reduce helpdesk tickets
• Enable easier management of student devices

Regardless of your business goals for a comprehensive mobility solution, the solution architects and systems engineers at Zones stand ready to advise and guide you. To schedule a Solution Definition Workshop, contact your Zones account executive or call 800.408.ZONES.