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With businesses worldwide finally getting the message about an inevitable digitalization and mobilization, we surely welcome the large-scale improvements it will bring. However, there will be challenges along the way, and the more you’re prepared the more likely you are to exploit the benefits of new technologies.

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Challenge #1: Speed

Now that the early adopters’ time is up, every other business has to act quickly and commit to digitalization. In a research done by McKinsey last year, figures show some industries clearly emerging, not so much for digitalizing their assets, but for a faster adoption of digital processes and interactions and a larger amount of digital workers. Tech’s lead is no surprise, but media, finance, and professional services are also in the top league. Companies operating in these sectors have workforces that are 13 times more engaged digitally than others – thus that much more of a chance to improve productivity.

Businesses are not just going digital, but many are going mobile-first. New processes and workflows are translated to mobile procedures before anything else. This trend requires a lot more applications though (the market segment is expected to double in five years’ time), so development cycles have to be quicker. Those procedures that can’t be mobilized can still be automated with technology.

Challenge #2: Security

Wherever sensitive data is being created there will be a chance of a cyber-attack. Fortunately, not only the criminals’ tools are improving. Mobile devices with access to business-sensitive information can be protected either with an Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) tool, or with mobile threat defense, or combining the two. Choose what fits your company best but don’t choose to ignore the threat – a mobile data breach can cost the enterprise as much as $26.4 million.

Challenge #3: New devices

No need to fight this: employees will continue to bring in their personal devices (mobiles, tablets, and increasingly, wearables), but this is going to be your smallest problem in the coming years. The Internet of Things (IoT) will pose a much greater challenge: with over 30 billion devices connected in a few years, you will need the proper business apps for them, just as you have them for other devices. It will require more complex platforms to have everything under control, together with a solid backend infrastructure.

Besides the technical challenges, there will also be the task of finding where to fit these new devices in the business processes. On a more positive note, if you succeed, you will be rewarded by extra productivity gains and even more cost savings.

Challenge #4: New user demands

Users have grown together with the digital age already have high expectations towards digital tools in the workplace, only to be outdone by the digital native generation. Millennials had caused quite a shock when taking over the workforce, demanding, even more, accessibility, even more functionality of the tools, and, most of all, a seamless user experience.

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