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Users have the power these days, when it comes to mobile applications, and the situation is no different with enterprise tools – so give them something they like and they will use it to be more productive. The key? A top-notch user interface.
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While businesses expect their workforce to be more effective and more productive with the apps, the same workforce, used to easy and joyful consumer applications, is rather frustrated and often neglects these applications.
Several studies discovered though that the key to higher user adoption rates is improving on the user experience, especially creating a more engaging interface. This will indeed increase productivity by 38% and cut process costs by 30%, according to Forrester figures.
In our whitepaper released recently, we at SCOLVO have compiled some common pitfalls in mobilization and 10 effective tricks to prevent the whole project from failing:
#1: Too much effort learning the app
It’s not enough to build a mobile application around functionality: they could simply be too much to oversee, and users will end up spending days and weeks just trying to figure out how it works.
How to prevent the fail? Aim for intuitive navigation and easy customization.
#2: Inconsistency and non-standard solutions
Searching for the right function distracts the workers from doing their jobs, instead of helping them.
How to prevent the fail? A good UI with a consistent layout and standard procedures reduces the time of searching.
#3: You recreate a desktop or web app on mobile
What works behind the desk will not necessarily work while on the go. Mobility requires a different approach to the workflow.
How to prevent the fail? To add value to your mobile app, you should concentrate on the distinctive features that make it more suitable for work outside the office.
#4: People go around using the app
Unlike with consumer apps, enterprise mobile applications are not the user’s choice and they’re not even allowed to uninstall them. But if they don’t find them attractive enough, they can always find ways to ignore them.
How to prevent the fail? Make sure the business app is attractive and likeable, as much as it is useful.
#5: You only focus on user benefits
A mobile app with a good user interface is not only beneficial for the actual user but other departments as well. And all should be on board when deciding about an app development.
How to prevent the fail? Your IT-guys and your management are the two target groups that could benefit just as much from the app – think reduced troubleshooting and increased productivity improving the bottom line.
#6: Too general functionality
Off-the-shelf products are comfortable but a user interface lacking industry-specific expertise might result in reduced effectiveness.
How to prevent the fail? Make sure the UI covers all industry-specific aspects of your workflow. Retail and utility need very different support for their processes.
#7: Hard to manage data
If either (or both) the input or the output of the data is made hard, the user adoption rates will fall, with smaller screens not helping to ease the frustration.
How to prevent the fail? The data entry should be facilitated and major navigation points made easily accessible at all times.
#8: Users are not involved in product development
No good intention in the world can replace practical knowledge about the job. The common challenges will not reveal themselves without feedback
How to prevent the fail? Field research and user interviews are great ways to discover the weak point in time.
#9: Ignoring design patterns
Being innovative doesn’t mean you have to invent everything from scratch. Non-standard design makes it harder to recognize even the most common functions and is disengaging.
How to prevent the fail? Use standard UI design patterns for controls and notifications.
#10: Slow or no feedback on user actions
There’s only one thing that is worse than getting a bad feedback, and it is not getting any. The older your workers are the more scary it is to click or tap on an unknown territory, especially if your actions result in a blacked out screen.
How to prevent the fail? Your app should help the user all along the way, with step-by-step instructions, little question marks, or simply showing a process is underway.
Do you want to learn more about what makes an app implementation successful? Do you want to know why the user interface is especially important in preventing mobilization fails?
Download our white paper: “10 tricks to prevent mobilization fails in B2E apps – User interface: a focus point that pays off in enterprise mobility”
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