Painting Oregon by Peter Roome | CC BY 2.0
When we consider what it takes to achieve success with mobility, one thing we cannot overlook is talent. Each time I bring up talent as part of a mobility strategy, I’m often met with that “deer in the headlights” look. I understand that talent management is typically used in the context of human resources, but I also see it playing a crucial role with mobility.
In my last post, I discussed the importance of executive leadership in mobility projects and briefly described how mobility initiatives demand, as I refer to it, a different kind of leadership. The same thing is true for talent: Mobility requires a different kind of talent—a talent with more than just technical skills.
Do We Have the Right Talent for Mobile?
The first question we need to ask is: Do we have the right team in place? When we talk about talent, we need to consider non-technical skills that compliment all aspects of the mobile user experience. Of course, it helps for team members to have a technical background, especially in mobile technologies, but we can’t stop there. More than anything, mobility requires a holistic approach to mobile applications and users.
This means that mobility teams must clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. There are, of course, best practices that can be applied. However, in many cases mobility teams may be forced to solve complex and demanding business problems that cannot be addressed using traditional solutions. Hence, technical skills alone won’t be sufficient. Soft skills such as customer service and critical thinking can supplement the overall makeup of mobility teams, providing them the best chance to increase adoption.
Attitude Makes a Difference
Our teams need to push forward despite the challenges they face or the resources available to them. And not every challenge (be it business or technical) comes with standard formulas or templates. When our teams face unique business problems, their talent, ingenuity and dedication will be the differentiator.
This brings up the topic of design. Many of the issues post-implementation can be avoided if the right investment is made on the design of a mobile solution. However, this requires an awareness of more than just the mobile solution you are providing. It also requires awareness of its delivery and support infrastructure—two areas that are often neglected. Marketing teams won’t be able to increase adoption and support a user base without the right talent in place.
Understanding the Big Picture Matters
When developing a mobile solution, it is important to paint a clear picture of what the solution should achieve, not just for ourselves, but also for all members of our extended teams. Besides, if this point is not clear within your team, how can we expect to avoid confusion among our customers (our users)? When marketing teams can examine the big picture, they’ll be more motivated to understand and execute the details of their mobile strategy.
For any mobile solution, it is crucial that your overall strategy is clearly defined and the business value of your solutions is clearly articulated. This ensures that everything your team accomplishes contributes to your overall business goals. When developing new features for a mobility strategy, always consider relevancy; and ask yourself, Is it helpful? It’s a simple question, yet we often overlook its significance. Understanding the big picture matters because it provides the right context to every line of code we write.
Bottom Line: As with all other technology projects, mobility initiatives require us to effectively manage three basic resources: technology, processes and people. Of the three, I believe talent is perhaps the most crucial in order to achieve success with mobility.
When you find the right talent for the right role, it is important to continue developing their skills and provide ongoing support so that mobility can deliver true business value: Growth and profitability.
Kaan Turnali is Global Senior Director, Business Intelligence (BI) at SAP. He is responsible for the development, oversight, and execution of strategy for the BI platform across SAP’s Global Customer Operations (GCO) Reporting & Analytics Platform. In addition, he manages special mobile BI projects for the Office of the CEO and the GCO senior management team.
Prior to joining SAP in 2006, Kaan worked as a senior BI consultant specializing in strategy, design, and development of enterprise BI solutions for SMB and Fortune 500 companies. His background and experience in the integration of business and technology span over two decades. He is an adjunct professor, teaching BI in the doctor of business administration program at Wilmington University.
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