50 million people in the United States qualify as frontline workers. As of 2018, 94% of the US population owns a phone, whether smart or not so smart. What we know, is that in addition to simply owning phones, the mobile-first movement has taken hold of the workplace, helping people work better, faster, and stay connected.
Communicating via text and phone call
Modern work is mobile. 80% of employees cannot do their jobs effectively without a mobile phone. 37% of people use their smartphones primarily for making actual phone calls (1). Their devices are essential to workflows. It begins with staying connected to management. Whether you work in a 3,000 square foot or 30,000 square foot facility, texting to calling a manager is critical when last minute questions come up about incoming deliveries, changes to SOPs, or even callouts.
Landline telephones haven't completely gone away from work settings, but many businesses now rely on cell phones, smartphones and digital voice technologies to stay in touch with customers and employees.
Taking photos
It's no secret that phones have replaced cameras. They are now a single device. The benefit of taking photos at work is that they can be used for training and to verify if products or procedures are done accurately. Prep cooks take photos of completed tasks. Receivers take photos of damaged deliveries. Managers take photos of prep and checklists, texting them to their team.
Schedule apps
Mobile is more than just calls and texts. Scheduling apps give hourly employees more control over their work schedules and decrease manager time in the office (2). When a business goes mobile-first, this is oftentimes the first tool that is provided to employees. In and outside of work days, employees can easily change their schedules or request coverage.
Translation Tools
25% of American workers are limited English speaking. With mobile translation tools, employees can translate twice as much as they might if they were to use a dictionary. Translation tools are the first step toward learning English as a new language. They support healthy conversations at work and increase understanding of new tasks.
Google searches
Over 2 trillion Google searches are done every year around the globe. The number of Google searches grows by approximately 10% every year. When manuals are unclear or new words appear on employee checklists, a simple google search can make employees more efficient. Rather than having to go grab a manager or ask a coworker, employees can do a quick search in order to answer an even quicker question.
