Courtesy of Kromkrathog
“Bring your own app” is an effort intended to increase personal productivity at work. Employees have a choice to use alternate applications that lie outside the “suggested” apps that an enterprise has provided. Along with many other things in the “Bring Your Own” craze, BYOA is another way people can bring their individuality to work. While some revel in the opportunity to be unique in their workplace, there are many risks that are connected to the uprising of BYOA. Let’s explore two indisputable cons of BYOA.
Collaboration Limitations
When everyone is using his or her own app of choice, how do you effectively collaborate? The simple answer is that it does not work. Formatting hiccups, feature inadequacies, and redundancy are inevitable. Ultimately, everyone will have to decide on one. If the platforms change, and people continue using their own preferences, how can productivity within the workplace increase? Converting files in one place then moving it to another is more of a high school student move rather than an efficient business process.
Security Leaks
With collaboration comes sharing. If co-workers are passing files back and forth on an unsecured network with different apps, hacking vulnerability skyrockets. As more information is shared through mobile devices, it has become prevalent to know that protection should the users’ number one concern. Strong encryption and multi-tier access permissions are crucial features that are not included in many apps. In short, you’re putting a lot of internal data and collateral at risk for theft or manipulation.
When project collaboration, sharing documents, or sensitive company information are not on the agenda for app utilization, go right ahead and use whatever works for you. But when it comes to sharing ideas or documents, look for an app that your enterprise has either suggested or is available for download. This decreases risk and will always have the support of IT.
For those who have found an honest solution to your work woes through applications, more power to you. The thing that you have to consider, however, is not just how it will organize your individual ideas, but how your company’s ideas might also be at stake on your road to productivity bliss. An app that is being implemented for an enterprise should be a secure and shareable space where coworkers can increase company productivity rather than personal ones.
How has BYOA helped or hurt you in the workplace?
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