Business app use lifts productivity levels

Although mobile phones and tablets tend to be a nuisance in a business, distracting and wasting time, new research from the UK suggests they could potentially be used to boost employee productivity.

Technology firm SalesForce, at its UK conference earlier this month, released their research data based on interviews with nearly 500 staff members in both small and large organisation across the country.

The research found that 60 per cent of workers use mobile apps during the workday, and 21 per cent used apps that had been specifically designed for functions in their department. It was encouraging to note that 60 per cent of respondents with industry-related apps had experienced or witnessed a lift in their productivity levels.

Almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of the app users said the technology changed their way of thinking and had taken them out of the comfort zone, lifting their personal productivity levels.

President of Salesforce Miguel Milano said apps are becoming a useful tool in businesses to collaborate with clients and customers no matter where they are based.

"Apps give employees real-time access to business-critical information no matter where they are, making them more productive and effective," he said.

The main issue to come out of SalesForce's survey was that 59 per cent of employees thought their business was too slow in adopting workplace apps.

The market is there, all businesses need to do is understand what apps are necessary and what apps can boost the productivity of their workforce. According to VisionMobile's research more than $28 billion was spent on business apps in 2013 and this is predicted to increase to at least $58 billion by the end of 2016.

Another piece of technology that businesses could consider implementing into their company is productivity software. The software can improve employee work rates by streamlining systems and this will increase the overall efficiency of the organisation.