New WashingtonExec Series:
WashingtonExec reached out to executives in the community for their insights on issues concerning the mobility industry. Can mobility remain cost effective while being efficient, and how does it reduce cost for clients?
Our seventh participant is Anjana Arora, Vice President of Infinite Convergence.
Top 3 Ways Mobility Reduces Costs:
Improve customer experience: Armed with mobile phones, consumers are more empowered and ‘always-on’ than ever before with access to a virtually limitless amount of information at their fingertips. Connecting with these consumers on the device they use most can be a powerful business driver and cost-saver. One example of how mobility can save businesses money is in the healthcare industry. Many physicians now use text messages to send reminders and confirm patient appointments. As a result, patient “no shows” are significantly reduced, saving time and money not only for doctors, but patients as well since it’s easier to avoid fees associated with missing appointments. This makes it easier for staff to accurately gauge a physicians availability and reduce patient wait time.
Maximize ROI on marketing campaigns and increases engagement: SMS-based marketing campaigns are much more effective than snail mail advertising. In fact, SMS-based marketing campaigns generally produce ad-to-sale conversion rates of 30 percent, while snail mail-based campaigns typically realize conversion rates of less than 1 percent. Another example of how companies are using text messaging to engage consumers and increase loyalty is in the banking industry. SMS-based balance checks and alerts can significantly enhance the level of engagement between consumers and banks. I personally appreciate these features and it gives me comfort to know transactions have cleared and receive balance updates via text. It’s a real driver of customer loyalty, which can certainly increase revenue and user-base.
Reduce enterprise operational costs: Smartphone penetration has also had a major impact on the enterprise space, bringing about a new phenomenon known as “bring-your-own-device” (BYOD). Although some companies might be hesitant to throw away corporate-issued smartphones in favor of employee-owned devices, this actually offers significant revenue and productivity gains. Connected employees are able to work from virtually anywhere in the world – on the bus, shopping mall, and even grocery store – at any given time. Also, employees with access to email, contacts and documents on smartphones and tablets tend to work more on average, which translates into a real rise in productivity. These benefits coupled with the improved customer support, greater operational efficiency, and more effective marketing campaigns add up to significant savings.
In short, information is power and mobility gives us greater access to information. Therefore, it can be said that mobility empowers people and companies to meet their potential.
