How identifying the most effective mobile solution can help in promoting productivity

Part 6: Evaluating and deploying the right mobile technology

Welcome to the final instalment of our legal pain points blog series, where we look at the telecoms challenges that are keeping lawyers up at night and consider the solutions to resolve these.

In this post, Juliette Lee, Enterprise Director at Adam Phones, a specialist in enterprise mobility for the legal sector, looks at how firms can best evaluate and deploy the most effective mobile technology for their business needs.

Keeping pace with the evolution of technology, alongside the increasing demands of clients in a complex environment, has placed great pressure on law firms in recent years. With many organisations operating across multiple time zones in a growing but competitive sector, the pressure is on for law firms to have the most effective technology in place to ensure their employees are both contactable, but productive.

However, evaluating and deploying telecommunications technology can often be a complex and time-consuming task, leading businesses to often rush into decisions that can fail to provide a return on mobility investment.

Law firms are choosing to improve the efficiency of their field operations by deploying mobile technology throughout their workforce. Due to the low upfront cost and convenience of consumer-grade devices, many firms will opt for mainstream devices which are neither cost-effective in the long run, nor equipped for the demands of a business environment.

For a productive workforce, employees need to be equipped with the most effective smartphone technology that aligns with business needs, to remain contactable on the move and to be able to access critical documents regardless of their location.

Whether companies are looking to implement an enterprise mobility management solution (EMM) or streamline and standardise mobile deployments using Apple’s Device Enrolment Program, for example, (which can provide immediately configured devices with account settings, apps and access to corporate services without the need for staging services or setup) a telecommunications partner with access and experience in solution deployment, support and management will provide great value to the business moving forward.

A full audit of business requirements, historical transactions and future forecasting is critical to understand the usage level required by employees as well as the equipment needed. Not only does this allow the law firm to determine who requires what, but it can also identify the correct tariff(s) required – particularly for employees who often travel overseas or rely heavily on mobile data to access information. With the correct arrangement in place, employees can use their devices with little worry, generating efficient productivity across the business.

The next step is to consider the mobile device estate to ensure that the technology roadmap in place meets the current but also future requirements of the business. The appropriate technology must support corporate applications, demonstrate ease of use, whilst also ensuring security.

The device must then be linked to the most effective networks to ensure that the user remains contactable and connected.

For any evaluation of mobile technology, law firms must also consider the transition process, should any changes be required. To ensure a smooth transition or provisioning process and migration from one network, device or solution to another, a law firm must work with a telecommunications provider that can provide a team on hand for any issues with may arise during the process. In addition, a planned alternative in place should any downtime occur – which, for law firms in particular, can cause economic consequences.

Telecommunications are the backbone of nearly every business and particularly vital for the legal industry. It’s crucial to ensure that the communications infrastructure is watertight and that the organisation is guaranteed the level of support it demands. Whether this is through access to the best networks, carriers or services, a flexible solution tailor-made to specific business challenges is key.

For more information on how Adam Phones can help you address your telecoms challenges, or to access our checklist of what makes an effective telecommunications provider, contact us today on 0800 123 000.