The Future State

Some of mobility’s impacts will likely directly affect people, changing the way individuals and teams work together, and the ways customers receive service and support. Others will likely affect how companies manage their internal process flows and their alliance relationships, changing the nature of business processes and opening the door for new, transformational business models. Mobile technology will likely also require changes in the systems and infrastructure that support the business, with implications for networks, devices, databases and applications.

These changes are both interrelated and interdependent, requiring the commitment of all parties involved. Workers will need to adapt to new methods of collaboration. Companies will need to recognize the potential for new approaches to task management and be open to establishing systems that allow more direct and immediate communication with their supply chain partners. IT departments will need to support a broader portfolio of devices and operating systems in a more open architecture, while ensuring that security is maintained and privacy protected.