It was only when mobile apps first appeared in Apple’s App Store in mid-2008 that enterprises slowly began to see the value in mobile app development. Now over 10 years later, and with nearly four million apps available for download in two of the world’s biggest app stores, integrating a mobile strategy into an enterprise’s overall corporate strategy has become an unavoidable necessity for overall growth and success. However, while previous mobile strategy efforts were centered on customer pain-points and developing customer-facing apps, the focus has now shifted towards developing employee-facing apps.
Internal enterprise apps are changing industry-wide discourse in many ways. Forcing enterprises to evaluate and revamp their mobile strategies and the internal processes and workflows that have established their businesses. This article will outline four ways that introducing and implementing an internal app can streamline workflows, drive better communication, and ultimately boost employee productivity.
What is an Internal Enterprise App?
Internal enterprise apps typically focus on the mobile workforce and operational improvements. They are specifically designed to carry out business functions such as training, internal communication, and project management. Currently, businesses may use a variety of apps to complete some of these tasks. An internal app can reduce app fatigue by incorporating one or more of these functions into one app.
As the remote work culture continues to gain popularity, an employee-facing app can be an effective tool for connecting remote workers, freelancers or non-contract employees. It’s essential for enterprises to embrace this mobile strategy as a means of enabling employees to easily manage business data and reap the benefits of a technically-equipped business environment.
How Internal Enterprise Apps Drive Efficiency and Better Communication
Connectedness
Internal apps enable everyone within a company to be connected to the same system. This allows employees to communicate in real-time, receiving messages instantly. This reduces communication breakdowns, especially for those employees who are working remotely. If your employees feel disconnected from your business and don’t understand why decisions are being made, or are aware of corporate business goals, teams are less likely to meet project targets. The ability to communicate freely and instantly allows remote workers to feel as they are part of the team. Ultimately, good internal communications support employee engagement and drive desired business outcomes.
Empower Middle Management
Most enterprises follow a top-down hierarchy when it comes to transmitting important business communications. Communicating important and timely information to employees in this manner often results in delays, and poor feedback. Often the information is not passed onto the appropriate individual. An internal app can make this process much more effective. By allowing middle management to access required resources and information they will be able to direct their teams to the best of their ability. Additionally, by disseminating non-specific information through a central communication system, middle management can focus on providing their staff with essential information.
Transparency
Communication amongst employees can sometimes help employees to interpret managerial information and help nurture relationships amongst employees. However, this informal communication can also lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding, and rumors. By implementing an internal enterprise app, enterprises ensure they reap the positive benefits of informal employee communication while negating the negative aspects. Communicating frequently and immediately will help employees to interpret information and instructions.
Streamline Work Processes
Communicating information through multiple platforms often leads to confusion and missing details that can sometimes be crucial to a project. Integrating an internal app, allows employees to streamline their processes. For example, spending less time logging in, searching and jumping from one channel to another. Additionally, internal apps present the possibility of categorizing each user, delivering tailored information relevant to their specific job requirements and circumstances (i.e. department or location). This eliminates the need for employees to scour through the information that is not relevant to their work. As a result, streamlining workflows can save enterprises both time and money, and empower employees to work more efficiently.
Final Thoughts
Internal enterprise apps aim to address the inefficiencies in current business processes and workflows. In particular, internal apps increase productivity, communication, and work flexibility. Implementing an internal enterprise app is essential to developing an environment that will be able to adapt to a tech-based work culture. It is important, however, to keep in mind that internal apps, just like external apps need to be maintained, tested and improved upon as business and employee needs evolve.