Yes! We Use Smart Phones More than You Think…Is Your Organization Prepared?

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As I was preparing to write this article, I recalled a study, published on PLoS ONE¹ in October of 2015, about how we use our smartphones close to 80 times per day (!), and usually only for a very brief period of time (30 second for less). I found the results astonishing, and a great opportunity and validation for the future of mobile analytics.

You have to wonder—how does the use of smartphones impact our brains, our ability to consume information, and our expectations for instant gratification? More specifically, how can analytics evolve in a world where we are so used to getting answers to our questions instantaneously, and without the constraints of an office, a desk or a laptop?

What can your company do in terms of analytics to make sure data is available and actionable? Are you prepared to provide true mobile analytics access to your workforce?

4 Tips to Succeed in Mobile Analytics Environment

With this in mind, here are four key points to help you succeed in this ever changing environment:

1.  Beware of the “spin” of death. In pure mobile use cases, relying on connectivity via a network, versus having access to the data locally on the device, can make a significant difference in adoption rates. One of our customers, ALDO, actually has a 95%+ adoption rate on their mobile initiatives. Having that local access to data makes a tremendous difference for mobile users.  (Read Article)


2. Less is more. Instead of providing large amounts of data that will be impossible to consume in ≤ 30 seconds, it’s better to provide a set of predefined reports that answer specific questions. Defining these reports is another determining factor for adoption rates. Remember, users have questions, and want answers in seconds.


3. Design with mobile in mind.Many products underestimate the importance of a great user interface (UI).  From my perspective, a modern and well-designed UI can make the biggest difference.


4. Finally, keep the focus on the end-user and their needs.As one of my colleagues mentioned in her recent blog, ROI on Mobility, mobility should bring a clear return on investment (ROI), and this should be apparent to the organization via high adoption rates.

The future is bringing more and more mobile users to the game, and all of us will continue to spend significantly more time using our smartphones.

Ask yourself, is your organization prepared? Are your mobile users getting value out of your current mobile initiatives? What do you think?

Learn More

To learn more about our mobile solutions, read all the blogs in our mobile series.

¹Andrews S, Ellis DA, Shaw H, Piwek L (2015) “Beyond Self-Report: Tools to Compare Estimated and Real-World Smartphone Use.” PLoS ONE. 25 October 2015.