Transitioning to Apps? Tips for Training Employees

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The Technology Adoption Model TAM answers perhaps the trickiest question about tech adoption: why are employees reluctant to adopt technology or unwilling to partake in new technologies?

Based on documented research and empirical evidence, two factors propel people to adopt new technology: perceived usefulness and ease of use. People adopt technologies if they perceive them as handy and easy to use. Your employees are likely to adopt mobile apps if they perceive them as useful or easy-to-use.

So, when deploying a new technology that’s complex or sophisticated, you’ll find that your employees are somewhat reluctant to adapt or learn. While the ever-evolving and improving access to new technology, including mobile apps, is critical for businesses, it’s frustrating for employees.

The key is knowing how to train and equip your employees with the right skills. So, if you’re transitioning to mobile apps, here are some tips for training your employees.

Tips for training employees:

1. Trainers need to know the mobile apps themselves

A vital part of successful change management training is equipping trainers with the relevant skills, knowledge, and proficiency. Your employees cannot excel in mobile app training if the trainers are not competent in handling this transition.

So, in conducting an organizational-wide overhaul of mobile app training, ensure that your trainers are competent professionals proficient in high-end software and best-in-class hardware.

2. Make training a priority

A majority of organizations assume that by asking their employees to reserve time off and learn new software, the employees will automatically alter their schedule in favor of education or learning.

The truth is that employees will forgo learning in favor of their daily work. To succeed in a solid change management training plan, you must allocate the resources and time required for employees to learn.

Make learning a priority by ensuring that the training program is carefully packaged, well-designed and comprehensive in its reach and scope. In addition, offer incentives for the training by conducting tests and rewarding the winners. Incentives will encourage active learning and training.

3. Set realistic deadlines and roll-outs

It’s crucial to set clear and realistic deadlines on project deliverables. Ensure that your employees understand the training aims and goals and meet the underlying course objectives.

For instance, if you’re training them on mobile app security, ensure they can spell out mobile security measures and implement security practices around mobile app use.

Engaging your employees to gauge their understanding of mobile apps is crucial in evaluating the impact of the training. In addition, when rolling out a new mobile app, ask your employees to download it and interact with it days before launching it.

4. Improve learner engagement

Last but not least, improve your learner engagement. That will help your employees appreciate your mobile app transition. Your employees don’t want to be stuck for hours learning how to download, deploy, or manage mobile apps.

Instead, they’re interested in what the mobile app can do in real-time. So, request your employees under training to order product(s) from the app directly and schedule deliveries. You can use these deliveries as incentives to reinforce the learning and training. You can introduce creative and exciting ways to learn, including active demonstrations.

NS804 – Transforming Your Mobile App Experience

NS804 offers custom-built mobile apps for businesses of all sizes and sophistication. Inquire from NS804 the solutions and offers they provide if you’re embarking on your next mobile app design project.

NS804 guides clients, organizations, institutions, governments, and businesses on mobile app design and development. We help clients curate the best-of-breed apps for their establishments, regardless of purpose, sector, or size.

And if you’re transitioning to mobile apps, we advise that you equip your workforce with the relevant mobile app training and education. The forever-changing mobile landscape demands that employees remain proactive to new solutions.

Contact NS804 for inquiries and solutions on mobile app design and development.

4 Ways Service-Based Contractors Can Benefit from a Mobile App

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In industrialized economies, service-based contractors grease the wheels in the market segments in which they compete. They allow enterprises, large and small, to outsource vital business processes to function more smoothly and cost-effectively. And that’s great, but how do contractors reduce their costs while increasing efficiency?

A way to change gears and turbo charge any service-based business is with a mobile app. And why that’s the case is because a mobile app helps automate various crucial tasks. Thus, reducing or cutting out staffing overheads almost entirely. Furthermore, a mobile app never sleeps and provides service around the clock.

And if you’re a contractor, all this may sound very enticing. But a mobile app doesn’t only help automate things, as it’s also capable of so much more. Below, we’ll go into greater detail about what mobile apps can do for service-based contractors.

1. Reporting Tools For Contractors Working Out In The Field

Let’s consider for a minute that you run a data center maintenance service in your area. And you have several technicians that drive out to these data centers, many of which are out of town. Now, you want all these technicians to keep you informed and report on all the maintenance work done at these sites. Preferably, you’ll want to have all reports submitted as quickly as possible to inform the client of any issues that will impact business.

But how do you do this without having your technicians come to the office or engage in costly phone calls?

Well, the most efficient way is by implementing powerful reporting tools in a mobile app, which may run on a tablet or smartphone. And this app may also include a checklist, which technicians need to check off to show that they’re working within established maintenance protocols. Furthermore, technicians can conduct security audits and report any breaches and discrepancies.

Once they input this information, the app will immediately send it to your servers and update the client’s maintenance report in real-time. In case of a breach, you can respond immediately by sending out a cyber security specialist and notifying your client. The quicker you respond, the higher your chances of dealing with a security breach and keeping your client’s data safe.

2. Enhance Collaboration With A Project Management App

It matters not if you’re running a data center maintenance or a packing service, as you’ll be dealing with customer demands, deadlines, and staff management issues. So, you’ll need tools that make collaboration a breeze, regardless of whether your staff comes to the office, works remotely or both.

A well-designed custom project management app will empower you and your staff to make the right moves. It should have an easy-to-understand user interface (UI) that your non-tech-savvy employees can navigate easily. But user-friendliness isn’t what this app is all about, as it will also need several vital features.

It should have a task tracker that can handle multiple projects, even thousands, if necessary. Moreover, it should accurately track and record the following: assigned staff, client information, due dates, project status, task descriptions, and task priorities. To better organize tasks, use a Kanban board combined with advanced filtering features to sort through multiple projects quickly.

And it’s necessary to implement a timer that accurately tracks the duration of all tasks. You may record this information and make it available in a timesheet. It will also help you determine the completion of projects, bill clients, and pay staff. Furthermore, you can integrate multiple payment processing platforms such as PayPal and Stripe for all digital transactions.

So, you can effectively turn your project management app into a central hub for handling the most crucial business processes. And when you grow your service-based business and need additional features, you have options. You can either add these to your project management app or develop another app that integrates with your existing systems.

3. AI Chatbots Apps Make Contractors Available 24/7

Clients hate it when they can’t reach their contractors on the phone or have to wait for an email response. They expect to speak to a company representative immediately to help them with any issues they may encounter. But as we all know, that’s not always possible, especially if the contractor is small in size without enough staff on hand. Or can’t afford to hire a call center to handle all incoming calls.

However, neither is a good excuse as to why contractors of any size can’t respond to their clients. Not only is this unprofessional, but it will also cause clients to reconsider working with contractors that don’t seem helpful.

So how do we solve this problem and provide clients with a 24/7 response channel? Well, a mobile app can act as a viable communications channel. And if we implement AI chatbots within the app’s messaging service, clients can have their queries answered by these chatbots immediately. In fact, AI-powered chatbots will seem so convincing that many clients won’t even realize that they’re not conversing with actual humans.

Furthermore, the beauty of chatbots is that they’re incredibly versatile. You can make them conversational so that they can be more engaging. Alternatively, they can operate as virtual assistants and be very informative to help clients with deeply technical issues.

And from a development standpoint, all the major technology companies have a chatbot or virtual assistant platform. Apple has Siri, Google has Dialogflow, and Microsoft has Azure Bot Service.

4. AR & VR For Interactive Training Sessions

Perhaps your company offers online and offline training services to clients. But you want to stand out by providing them an interactive and meaningful experience they won’t get anywhere else. And the best way to do this is with augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) mobile apps.

You’ll opt for an AR app if your training sessions require interaction and representation of the real world. For example, you may be training a client’s employees to detect and repair gas leaks on actual gas pipes. The AR app will aid them in correctly identifying the fittings, piping, and tubing as they pass the smartphone camera over these. And on the smartphone display, a description of the part with a visualization of the tooling and repair methodology will pop up.

But you may opt for a VR app if you need to simulate various dangerous scenarios related to gas leaks. Perhaps, you need these employees to fix gas pipes located in areas with highly combustible materials nearby. But you don’t want to put these employees in harm’s way, so it’s preferable for them to receive training in a virtual environment that’s completely safe.

The VR app will show a realistic 3D representation of the test environment with the pipe fittings. And each employee will wear a VR headset made exclusively for smartphones, such as the Samsung Gear VR. Then, the app will use a smartphone’s accelerometer to track head movements and the VR device’s controller to execute actions. For most employees, the experience won’t seem much different from playing a game from a first-person perspective.

The Bottom Line

Service-based contractors have become indispensable in modern economies. They help businesses of all sizes achieve their goals by providing services that are beyond the capabilities and scope of these businesses. And with the right kind of mobile apps, contractors can meet and surpass the expectations of even their most demanding clients.

Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create outstanding mobile apps for your service-based contract business!

How Today’s Manufacturers Are Leveraging Mobile Apps

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The fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 has transformed the otherwise legacy, archaic manufacturing environment. Today, mobile app development in manufacturing is making things easier, especially with the uptake of mobile technologies and faster internet infiltration rates.

The fact that consumers, markets, and supply chains are all connected using digital networks means that mobile apps will continue to be a priority in the manufacturing sector. Today, more than ever, the manufacturing sector is experiencing the benefits of mobile apps in driving productivity and optimization. In addition, mobile apps have reduced operating costs, improved efficiency, and enabled better field service.

Indeed, compared to other sectors, enterprise mobility is gradually becoming a top priority for manufacturing leaders. Regardless of the huge potential of Industry 4.0 to transform the traditional manufacturing set-up, few organizations are upscaling their efforts towards tech adoption.

Below we discuss how today’s manufacturing leaders are using mobile apps:

1. Integration with CRM software

Integrating your customer relationship management software with a mobile app helps you mobilize your interaction and communication with clients. This integration makes it possible to communicate with customers on the go. Communication is a major advantage since many manufacturing facilities and shop floors are large, and they require bikes and golf carts to navigate. Mobile apps promise new solutions and fresh capabilities in integrating with CRM software for streamlined communication.

2. Order fulfillment through real-time inventory

For time immemorial, manufacturers and shop floor workers have used hand-held devices to manage inventory. But today, tablet and smartphone technology let users, especially manufacturing leaders, use a single device to manage inventory, perform order fulfillment, send emails and attend virtual meetings.

The use of a single device for multiple tasks helps save on hardware and software costs. The real-time inventory and order fulfillment mobile app lets your procurement teams perform their tasks while automatically updating the database. In addition, it allows for order tracking capabilities and website updates.

3. Energy efficiency

One of the uses for low-code manufacturing is monitoring. In manufacturing, energy usage is a critical expenditure that affects time, resources, and throughput. Leveraging mobile apps is mostly used by manufacturers who are concerned with their energy consumption. These companies use these apps for the following purposes:

  • Monitoring regular energy consumption
  • Monitoring energy utilization
  • Plant, asset, and line analysis
  • Data collection and meter inspection

So, mobile apps are helping manufacturing leaders monitor their utilities.

4. Quality management

Industry 4.0 has ushered in exciting developments in manufacturing and beyond. For instance, low-code QMS apps manage quality in production floors. Low-code platforms and applications have unique flexibility. Low-code platforms help to incorporate tasks that are required to remain compliant with the changing laws.

In addition, QMS low-code applications can be integrated into content management systems. This integration helps track workflows and find documents for internal inspections and external audits. Thus, mobile apps are changing the face of manufacturing by helping manufacturing leaders track down their workflows and identify documentation for internal audits.

5. Production monitoring and management

Imagine you can program your manufacturing line or plant using a remotely located tablet or computer. With Industry 4.0, that’s possible. Manufacturing leaders must work with trusted partners to design automated workflows. New developments in machine metrics have shaped production shop floors, helping organizations leverage programmed instructions to control complex machine parts.

For instance, in computer numerical control CNC, programmed instructions run machine parts using the MTConnect language protocol. On the same note, mobile apps are being used to monitor manufacturing shop floors.

Indeed, if you’re meeting with a client to review and approve a manufacturing project, you can enter your product(s) specs and print-ready documentation and files on your device. Once you key in, the system beams the entered data to your IoT-enabled manufacturing equipment. By keying in this data, the manufacturing project can even be completed before you arrive at the manufacturing headquarters.

6. Real-time machine monitoring

Your manufacturing facility performance and productivity can be affected by a slight downtime. Therefore, your technicians must be quickly alerted when a piece of machinery or equipment goes down. In addition, mobile apps give you the ability to optimize the sensors you’ve installed as part of your IoT interface. By installing sensors and collecting insight and feedback using mobile apps, you can identify machines that require maintenance and repairs.

7. Increasing visibility

One way to increase the productivity of your shop floor workers is to obtain accurate information about their day-to-day activities. GPS technology enables manufacturing leaders to find employees and workers wherever they’re on the shop floor. Most importantly, you can ensure whether safety personnel are available in the manufacturing environment. The GPS technology further provides a detailed and accurate account of your inventory, enabling you to track product usage.

8. Equipment inspection

Ensuring that all your machines are inspected and checked is a sure-fire way of avoiding costly repairs and damages. It has become an issue that most manufacturers are investing in predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance essentially uses condition-monitoring tools and sensors to observe and report on the nature and structure of a piece of equipment during its operation. Equipment inspection is becoming a reality with advanced monitoring tools that provide real-time reporting.

9. Employee productivity

Mobile apps make it easier for manufacturing shop floor leaders to monitor employee behavior and make modifications as needed. By using an app, you can track all employee movements and behavior and evaluate whether the employee’s conduct conforms to the company’s policy. Managers have remote, real-time access to everything, which is beneficial for occupational safety during plant emergencies. These statistics provide insight into how much time was spent on a single task and how many jobs were closed.

10. Resource utilization

By using mobile apps, managers can see everything going in and around the plant. Manufacturers have real-time access to sitting and moving inventory. This means that they can evaluate resource utilization and therefore make informed ordering decisions. In addition, better insight improves resource utilization. Managers can reconcile product orders and supplies and resource consumption or utilization.

11. Decision-making

Mobile apps offer faster, real-time access to accurate and reliable data. Faster access to verified information means that decisions can be made faster to improve the overall manufacturing process. And because mobile apps are easy and faster to use, they can improve the decision-making process. It’s important to note that utilizing customized mobile apps for manufacturing requires an initial investment. However, you must look at the long-term return on investment. Mobile apps foster efficiency and productivity, leading to creativity, innovation, and faster turnovers.

12. Automation

Automation streamlines workflows, especially in contemporary manufacturing environments. Automation software provides time and cost savings, eliminating human errors and improving overall productivity. Automation is becoming a critical element of the modern supply chain. Indeed, manufacturers are using low-code technology to automate process workflows and improve overall productivity gains.

The growth of modern manufacturing platforms has been facilitated by the rise of IoT technology like smart devices and interconnected networks. This automatically means more data streams in contemporary workplaces courtesy of interconnected IoTs. And to effectively tap into this data, low-code is being used to channel data and automate workflows to a central data repository. The repository is an enterprise resource planning system to perform data analysis and obtain actionable insights.

NS808 – Propelling Manufacturing Towards Digital Transformation

Manufacturers are endorsing digital transformation. For instance, 80% of manufacturers said they were ready to invest in new technology to improve their productivity gains. In addition, 91% of manufacturing leaders believe that data from people and machines will reduce costs and improve decision-making. And finally, 20% of manufacturers don’t share data either internally or externally, creating siloed manufacturing floors. Manufacturers must optimize mobile apps to streamline workflows and improve efficiency and productivity.

Contact NS804 to leverage mobile apps on your manufacturing shop floor.

11 Things to Look for in an App Development Partner

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There are two outlooks in mobile app development: hiring an in-house team and outsourcing experts. The latter involves working with an established mobile app development partner; the partner takes you through the end-to-end process of mobile app development, deployment, maintenance, and promotion.

When it comes to start-ups or businesses that cannot take their eyes off the bottom line, you should work with an outsourced expert. Outsourcing experts means working with an established team on a project basis. While both approaches have disadvantages and benefits, we recommend working with an established mobile app developer.

But, what do you look out for in a mobile app development partner?

1. Industry experience and expertise

Experience is a critically underpinning factor when looking forward to outsourcing a software development partner. Previous work experience working on multiple mobile apps is an added advantage. The practical experience of designing and handling another app can make a difference. So, strive to identify experienced and seasoned software developers. You can establish experience by looking keenly at customer testimonials and collecting feedback and responses from potential digital market sources.

2. Development costs

It’s important to inquire about the cost of a mobile app development project. The mobile app development cost is the prime factor determining the selection of a mobile app development partner.

However, cheapest isn’t always the best, quality matters too. One way to reconcile cost and quality is to collect a few proposals. Then, examine the work breakdowns alongside the project deadlines and time estimates.

The emergence of a mobile app calculator has proven important in estimating app development costs. So, when working with professional mobile app development experts, you can obtain accurate project estimates using a calculator. Alternatively, you can only pay for the minimum viable product MVP to get a feel of how your project will be.

3. On-point communication

App development is a strenuous and time-consuming task. This project demands active collaboration and communication between the client and the app developers. Transparent and clear communication is the only way to build rapport with your project players. That’s because building an app is not a one-time project. It demands the input of programmers, UX/UI developers, data scientists, graphic designers, and project managers.

So, before you invest your money, ensure you understand your partner’s communication frequencies. The app development process entails different phrases. Therefore, strive to hire an app development partner who meets before the commencement of any phase. This selection will enable you to make inquiries, suggest changes, and build trust with project players through continued engagements.

4. Standard development process

The mobile app development process is strategic and systematic. App development follows specific technical specifications and meets minimum app requirements, including the requirements of safety and protection of user information.

Most professional mobile app developers follow a straightforward process, making it easy for clients and app users. So, inquire about their app development process before investing your money in a developer. This way, you can rest assured of all the deadlines and when the project will be completed.

Essentially, a standard development process will include the following steps:

  • The meeting, interaction, and association with the clients and project players (designers, programmers, data architects, graphic designers, UX/UI programmers).
  • Examine and carefully look at the client’s requirements to establish a wireframe.
  • Obtain the client’s approval and start creating a minimum viable product.
  • Thoroughly test the mobile app to ensure it conforms to the client’s requirements.
  • Approach app development and further maintenance
  • Test the app and promote it to the relevant audiences

Selecting partners who don’t follow established processes and procedures would cause problems later on.

5. Vision and clarity

You cannot develop a superior mobile application without a clear vision of what you want. It’s by first defining a need that you can establish a clear-cut solution. The same principle applies to mobile app development. It’s advisable to go for a developer who keenly listens to your requirements if you want to build an app that resonates with your vision. While some developers keep their opinions above their clients’, as experts, we carefully guide our clients but do not demoralize them.

6. On-going maintenance

It’s advisable to inquire about the possibility of maintenance after the app launch. That’s because after an app launch, most apps still experience hiccups. Professional app development wouldn’t be reluctant to offer maintenance. Therefore, when hiring a mobile app developer, it’s advisable to hire the one that offers maintenance. And in most projects, the free maintenance timeline would range from 6-to 12 months.

7. Market and competitor analysis

According to documented statistics by Statista, 81,300 Android and 26,000 iOS apps are released so far in 2022. It’s evident that with each passing day, a new mobile app is released, but only a few survive the turbulent market competition. The reason is because only a few mobile apps have detailed market and competitor research behind them.

Therefore, if you want to succeed in your mobile app development project, you should invest exhaustively in market and competitor research. Try to search for a mobile app development company that helps you zero down on your goals and target market. In addition, look for an app development partner that assists you to obtain the latest market trends in your niche.

8. Diversity of app development services

A professional and competent mobile app development partner must offer a diverse suite of development services. Creating a custom mobile app is more than programming or coding. Instead, app development is an end-to-end process that demands you validate the ideas, clarify needs, priorities, and concerns, and convert needs into useful designs.

Therefore, always opt for a mobile app development partner who offers a complete app services package. You should only hire an app development partner who offers extensive services tailored to your business needs. For instance, NS804 offers multiple mobile app development services: iOS app development, Android app development, UI/UX app design, app store optimization, and minimum viable product.

9. Commitment to meeting deadlines

Meeting project deliverables in a timely manner is a critical variable in any project. Failure to meet the project deliverables may lead to costly failures or breaches. So, if you hire a partner with many experienced developers, you’re unlikely to miss critical project deadlines.

10. Security measures

App development captures critical business information and sensitive data. So, it’s crucial to verify the app security measures the developer follows. It’s advisable to contract or hire an app development partner who signs non-disclosure agreements and adheres to security guidelines and protocols.

In addition, it’s crucial to ask whether the business policy covers any cyber liabilities. Clarifying whether the business policy covers cyber liabilities is critical in ensuring the development partner follows all the relevant security protocols in case of breaches, compromise, or data theft.

11. Design aspects

Intuitive design is the cornerstone of any successful app development project. Robust mobile apps meet evolving needs through their intuitive, easy-to-use designs. So, user design should be an underpinning factor when developing an app.

The design takes a prime spot in achieving a superior mobile app project. Indeed, most development partners offer a design mock-up to act as a sample of the project during the proposal stage. So, it’s advisable to examine and evaluate different design elements when selecting a mobile app development partner.

You can contact NS804 for custom mobile app development solutions.

What’s Keeping You from Developing a Mobile App?

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Mobile apps have become quite mainstream following the explosion of m-commerce and the dwindling reputation of e-commerce. Nowadays, organizations are already coming to terms with the fact that mobile is a game-changer, following the rising popularity and uptake of mobile apps.

Unfortunately, despite the rising significance and popularity of apps, few organizations are considering this frontier. Already, mobile apps contribute billions of revenues and turnovers to leading retail brands like Amazon and Walmart. But despite this potential, not all businesses and brands are ready to upscale their mobile app adoption efforts.

So, what’s keeping you from developing a mobile app?

1. Brand awareness

Today, more than ever, organizations are tapping into strategic digital marketing. An important part of this effort is to endorse rigorous, cross-platform marketing and outreach approaches, including mobile apps. A clear benefit of mobile apps is building a strong brand awareness alongside your other marketing initiatives.

Evidence has shown that while traditional advertising and outreach approaches struggle to keep your brand at the top of the mind of consumers, digital outreach puts your business at the fore and the center of mobile screens. The growing phone ownership alongside higher internet infiltration rates has led to the rapid uptake of mobile apps.

2. Customer engagement

There are ways to increase brand awareness and brand engagement with a business. For instance, email marketing is a tested-and-proven approach, and so is social media. But none of these is as personal as push notifications. So, a mobile app ensures that you can ping your customers with a push notification that brings products to their attention. Mobile apps represent ways of directly connecting with customers at a personal level.

3. Cost-savings

Increased brand awareness and more sales are what most brands are after. Regardless of whatever sector you’re in, increasing the sales of products and services is what will ultimately lead to business success. Luckily, mobile apps can help enterprises seeking increased sales, revenues, and higher turnovers. Studies have shown a strong correlation between mobile app adoption and sales. Users who use mobile apps are strongly inclined to purchase from m-commerce stores. Thus, enterprises and brands endorsing mobile apps experience higher sales and revenues.

4. Better customer service

Customer relationship management is the lifeblood of customer retention. Organizations that invest in better customer relationship management systems, including cloud-based data management systems, automated response systems, and call centers achieve efficiency and scalability. Most importantly, these organizations can connect and interact better with their clientele, increasing the chances of repeat business.

So, if you’re looking for a revamp of your customer relationship management, a mobile app would pivot you for success. Alternatively, you can design a mobile app that integrates seamlessly with your enterprise resource planning systems, streamlining operational workflow and meeting productivity targets.

5. Competitive positioning

Running a small business is never easy. You need every advantage to compete with big boy brands by ensuring brand awareness and customer satisfaction. Designing and deploying a mobile app lets you offer the same advantages as popular brands. You get to compete at the same level. Creating a mobile app offers you similar benefits that reputable brands enjoy with mobile app development.

Contact NS804 to kick-start your journey towards mobile app adoption.

5 Reasons Your Sales Teams Wished You Had an App

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Sales teams need the right tools to bring about impressive results. And in today’s mobile-first approach to app development, there are no excuses why they shouldn’t have access to the most effective tools.

But as a long-term business leader, you may argue that sales teams were capable of delivering results long before the advent of smartphones and apps. And that’s true, as talented sales staff would always adopt the right strategies to accomplish their goals, regardless of the technology available to them at a particular point in time. 

However, rival teams will use the best and latest technologies to gain a competitive advantage. So, it makes little sense to sit on the sidelines while competitors eat your lunch! You not only need your sales teams to perform at their best but also have access to the type of app that will set them apart.

1. Help Your Sales Teams Collaborate

Perhaps you have multiple sales teams or only have one but still need all staff members to collaborate. Yet that’s incredibly difficult, especially if you have to manage these collaborations manually. You may need to appoint or hire someone to handle this task, but that’s an additional and ongoing expense. 

But if you utilize an app to automate the process, you allow your teams to collaborate seamlessly across multiple time zones. And the key benefit is that they can make crucial decisions quicker, without having to come into the office or hold meetings.

2. Monitor Each Staff Member’s Performance

Your best sales staff will appreciate knowing that you can accurately track their performance via an app. But why is this so important to them? Firstly, they’ll want you to weed out the underperformers holding the team back. And secondly, they’ll want you to reward the right people with performance bonuses and not those sitting on the sidelines that unfairly receive additional compensation when the team meets certain sales milestones.

3. Analyze Current And Future Market Conditions

Trends change all the time, so sales teams must stay on top of these. But that’s easier said than done, particularly if sales staff operate in different time zones or countries. But having an app where each staff member can report on new and upcoming trends helps the rest of the team gain better insight.

4. Access And Update Client Information In Real-Time

Companies that haven’t kept up with the times tend to rely heavily on their desktop infrastructure. That means that they record and retrieve all client data via desktop PCs. And that data may not have been updated in years, which diminished its accuracy and value. 

But if these companies adopt a mobile-first approach, they can allow their sales staff to work out in the field and collect the latest client data. And then share this information with all the relevant parties in real-time.

5. Enhanced Marketing Capabilities

There’s nothing more frustrating for sales staff than not having access to the latest marketing materials to present to clients. Perhaps the print shop hasn’t delivered your brochures on time, or the latest prices don’t appear on the product sheet. Thus, your sales teams would be at a disadvantage if they were to leave the office without marketing materials. 

To ensure that staff doesn’t go away empty-handed, an app showcasing the latest products and services of your company will suffice. Sales staff can whip out their smartphones or tablets to show clients promo videos and presentations. Furthermore, they can showcase your flagship products via impressive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

In Conclusion

Sales teams will perform at their best when they use the most current mobile devices and apps. And that’s because these tools will radically empower sales staff to move quickly and secure those critical sales based on the latest up-to-date information. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you develop phenomenal custom apps for your enterprise! 

How Can Mobile Apps Help Improve Company Culture?

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Company culture can make or break a business. And that’s because company culture consists of the formal and informal behaviors, values, and systems that impact customers and employees. But it’s easy to ignore or misunderstand these facets of an organization since few people can tell apart these behaviors and values at face value.

Yet we can easily identify the organizations that have a good company culture, and here’s how? We look out for companies with good customer service, high employee retention rates, solid financial results, and boast a culture of innovation.

Another way to identify good company culture is by surveying the staff of an organization. And we’d ask them the following: How well do they communicate with each other? What is the decision-making process like within the organization? Does the organization acknowledge and fairly reward staff contributions? And how are employees hired, promoted, and laid off? 

Surveying an organization’s customers makes sense too. And we’d want to know the following: How well does the company respond to customer complaints and feedback? Do the products and services of the company meet or surpass expectations? And does the company delight and surprise customers with innovative products and services?

Think of how customers and employees perceive a company such as Apple. We’re willing to bet that it’s mostly positive, even though it isn’t perfect. But more likely than not, expect Apple to improve company culture constantly to stay ahead of the curve.

Now, you may be wondering what all this means for your organization. Actually, it means far more than you’d think, especially if you bring mobile apps into the equation. We look into how mobile apps can improve company culture in more detail below!

Improve Company Culture With Powerful Communication And Collaborative Tools

Your employees may have multiple email accounts and use several communications tools to get work done. But that’s an administrative and security nightmare, especially if you have staff coming into the office and working remotely. Furthermore, they may use desktop PCs and various mobile devices to complete daily tasks, increasing the complexity of your systems. 

Relying on third-party vendors to provide essential productivity software makes sense if you’re a startup. But you’ll eventually reach a roadblock since you’ll likely find this software doesn’t scale with your needs or lacks features essential to a growing company. Then, there’s the case that not all your productivity software integrates well with your existing or upcoming systems. 

That’s why you’re better off working with an experienced developer such as NS804 to create a custom solution for your needs. Together, you can build a mobile app that provides staff with a tightly integrated mobile app for communications and collaborative purposes. And you can allow them to log in with a secure two-factor authentication (2FA) or even passwordless authentication.

Your staff will become more productive, as they will no longer rely on disparate pieces of software to get work done. They can work within a singular all-in-one solution with a cohesive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Furthermore, they won’t have to wait for a third-party vendor to release features and updates when they’re most needed. And there’s a risk that new features may take months or years to arrive, and sometimes — never!

But with a custom mobile app, this isn’t a problem. You can add new features on short notice and have these implemented to your specifications. And staff will feel confident knowing they have access to the most productive tools tailor-made for them.

A Mobile-First Approach Enhances Company Culture

We mentioned earlier that you could be using desktop PCs and mobile devices. There’s also the possibility that you could be relying on web apps for some of your mission-critical business processes. If that’s the case, it’s a messy approach that will make your systems and staff workflows more inefficient than they should be.

But the good news is that you can streamline all this with a mobile-first approach. The latest smartphones and tablets are powerful enough for most business tasks. And if you opt for native app development, your mobile app will boast high performance and speed on these devices. Thus, it’s no longer necessary to have most, if not all, of your staff using desktop PCs or laptops. 

And if you have staff that works outside the office or remotely, they’ll appreciate using lightweight devices with small form factors. Also, consider those employees that don’t feel comfortable or like using desktop PCs or laptops at home. Either because they feel intimidated by these or need a break from the computer screen and desk when not in the office.

But a smartphone or tablet feels more accessible, especially to non-tech-savvy employees. And with an intuitive mobile app, they can get work done while sitting on their couch, back porch, or while waiting for an order at their favorite restaurant. Knowing that they can quickly complete tasks on the go and in any environment helps improve company culture and staff satisfaction.

Staying Connected With Customers

While it’s a wise choice to develop a custom app to improve staff efficiency, you should also consider your customers. And think of how you will build an effective and sustainable communications pipeline to connect with them. Now we know what you may be thinking, “Why not use Facebook or Twitter to stay in touch with customers?” 

While social media platforms do a reasonably good job at connecting businesses and customers, they have several shortcomings: 

  • Firstly, you don’t have ownership of these platforms and are subject to their terms and policies, which means you could lose access to your account for reasons within or beyond your control.
  • Secondly, you’re only a business in a sea of businesses on these platforms, so it’s challenging to stand out or prevent your customers from discovering competitors with a few clicks. 
  • Thirdly, you can’t create your own UI/UX and messaging functionality and are strictly reliant on what each social media platform provides, which may not meet your expectations and requirements. 
  • And finally, you can’t directly contact users that engage with your business unless they specifically provide you with their contact details and email addresses.

From a business standpoint, relying exclusively on social media to stay in touch with customers isn’t a good move. You’re better off building an email list via your website, especially if you want to build long-term relationships with customers. But a website isn’t the only avenue to help you accomplish this goal, as you can also utilize a mobile app. 

Furthermore, a custom-built mobile app allows you to present your products and services exactly how you want. And you can keep your UI/UX and identity on-brand and tailor your messaging features so that they’re satisfactory to you and your customers.

The Bottom Line

As a business leader, one of your key goals is to improve company culture. While this isn’t easy, you can accomplish much by utilizing the methodologies and tools that will impact customers and employees positively. And the good news is that one or more custom-built mobile apps can bring about changes that can radically transform your organization for the better. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create mobile apps that mean business!

What Makes a Good UI Design

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The user experience is the most common front-end, interactive feature in any app, website, or dashboard. The user interface supports all human-computer interactions.

The user interface provides a navigational platform to control software. Think of a user interface as an application programming interface that links users and a computing system, the back-end.

Although a user interface can take many forms, it accomplishes two fundamental purposes:

  • conveying information from users to machines
  • conveying data from machines to users.

The most important features of a great user interface design are:

1. Simplicity

Simplicity is the centerpiece of any navigation. Easy navigation depends on a highly simplistic user interface. So, the user interface design must be succinct: it must communicate the most with the least. The designer must ensure less navigation and fewer mouse clicks to accomplish any app or website task. It’s important to add new features only if they’re essential and bring substantial value to the application.

2. Consistency

Your user interface must deliver consistent browsing and search results. Consistency achieves stability and eliminates ambiguity and information chaos. Designers should apply size, typeface, and style conventions to screen components to improve readability and learning.

3. Intuitiveness

Intuitiveness is the most important detail of a great UI design. Intuitiveness means that users can easily learn your interface and quickly pick it up. Intuitiveness implies the ability to get accustomed to your app’s interface, element spacing, and overall layout. Intuitiveness means something that can be understood easily and applied with ease.

4. Familiarity

Familiarity is a critical feature of a great UI design. While many designers aim to create intuitive designs, few stop to ask themselves what does an intuitive design mean? Well, intuitiveness means making things understandable and easy to remember. Creating a great user interface concerns familiarity. Designers must aim to create apps that deliver personalized user experiences. Aiming for familiarity will reinforce your app design.

5. Responsiveness

A great user experience must be responsive to users’ needs. Today, most website visits come from mobile endpoints, which is surprising given that it’s convenient to leverage an Android or an iPhone. You encourage users to visit your website frequently and stay longer by having a mobile-responsive interface. Responsiveness is about reducing the latency time and offering a rewarding experience.

6. Clarity

Clarity is an important element in the user interface design process. Clarity signifies that you know what you’re doing and that the interface or platform your users leverage is trustworthy. Achieving clarity in user interface design involves consistency, truth, and simplicity in your messaging. If you aim for consistency, it’ll be simple for users. In addition, if you eliminate ambiguity and incorporate only relevant elements, your interface will be rewarding.

7. Attractiveness

Attraction is about aesthetic appeal. Attraction concerns making elements and layout appealing for prospective and existing users. Attractiveness aims to make the site enjoyable and thrilling to navigate. You can make your site or app efficient, simple, easy to use, and concise – but it will only do well by making it attractive. Your clients or prospective users will not only use a stirring interface; they will look forward to using it once again.

Contact NS804 to achieve a great UI design.

5 Myths About Mobile Apps for Business, Debunked

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Mobile apps are marking a new frontier in the digital mobile revolution. The penetration of smartphone devices alongside internet infiltration extends limitless opportunities for mobile users.

Already, the mobile app uptake is on the rise accounting for over six billion mobile app users globally. Because of the rising popularity of mobile apps, organizations are gradually upscaling their uptake and streamlining their operations through mobile apps.

Below we debunk five myths surrounding mobile apps for business:

1. Mobile apps fall way cheaper than web

There’s a popular myth that mobile apps are cheaper to develop and maintain than web applications. This myth is because mobile phones are physically smaller devices and have less computing power than computers. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that mobile app development is as complex as software development. Indeed, software developers collaborate with many professionals – designers, analysts, programmers, and data architects – to develop mobile apps.

2. Cross-platform app conversion is faster and nominal

Most clients assume that converting an app from iOS to Android and vice versa is a simple process. Unfortunately, they fail to understand that cross-platform app conversion is a complex, time-consuming, and strenuous process involving code rewrites and re-programming. Cross-platform app conversion is not an automated process; the programmer has to code from scratch.

3. I don’t need an app

Most users presume that their phones contain all information and applications they need. Unfortunately, this is not true. Today, we live in a world that’s interconnected and where everything is digital. For instance, things like communication, shopping, social interactions, entertainment, news, and education are being conveyed via the web. That automatically means that users must adopt applications that support these diverse functions.

4. Apps crash or slow down your device

Software crashes are caused by many things, including bugs, hardware issues, and viruses. However, things like outdated codes, malicious attacks, and hardware failures can cause delays and crash your device. . Regardless of the cause, poor app performance isn’t always a result of a poorly-designed app. Sometimes, crashes and slowdowns can happen because you installed a malicious app. It’s advisable to be vigilant for malicious apps disguised as add-ons.

5. Mobile apps don’t need promotion

Individuals and organizations do the hard work of investing in a mobile app but fail to promote it. Like any other product – a shoe, an electronic, a commercial building, an entertainment hotspot, or a new brand – an app needs to be marketed and promoted vigorously.

Proper planning and promotion are a must-have because of the stiff competition. It’s not enough to invest in your app and post it on a platform like AppStore or PlayStore. It takes an intensive investment to promote your app to the relevant markets.

For instance, an app like TikTok leveraged digital marketing strategies and worked with brand activation agencies to promote itself. Influencer marketing and public campaigns like FightTheDarkness, GarBaithoIndia, and Chipotle: Boorito Challenge are some of the earlier promotion campaigns by TikTok. Your app also needs rigorous campaigns and promotion to reach the right audience.

You can contact NS804 for mobile app development and promotion solutions.

Do You Need A Custom App? Here Are 5 Signs That You Do

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Deciding if your company needs a custom app may seem like a no-brainer. Then you come across online articles that sing the praises of off-the-shelf solutions. And these articles may convince you that the cost savings and ease of implementation of these turnkey solutions will have you covered. 

But that’s not entirely true, especially if you need a solution that must address specific business processes unique to your organization. That doesn’t mean that you should never use turnkey solutions, but keep in mind that these have a one-size-fits-all approach. 

So, they may be good at addressing problems experienced by businesses in general. Yet they seldom solve problems exactly the way you want, as they pertain to your organization’s needs. Thus, there are many ways your business will benefit by going with a custom app, which we’ll cover in more detail below. 

1. A Custom App Will Address Unique Business Needs

Every organization is different, so why rely on generalist solutions? And that’s also a question you should be asking if you need to solve complex problems. 

Let’s assume for a minute that you need to develop a mobile app that must collect a lot of data. Not only that, you want the data made available in JSON, XML, and your in-house encrypted and proprietary file format. And you want to retrieve, store, and transmit these files seamlessly across all your existing systems. Systems that may be outdated but still serve your needs perfectly. 

Now that’s a cumbersome problem — but will you find turnkey solutions that will solve it? If you look hard enough, you may find several off-the-shelf solutions that may work. And you’ll likely need programmers to make these diverse solutions function correctly. 

But things will get messy, and you’d better hope your in-house programmers or outsourced team are up for the task. If competent, they’ll likely cobble together a workable solution, but one that’s a Frankenstein of a creation. But if that’s not the case, you’ll have sunk time and money into a failed project. 

However, you can avoid such an outcome by working with professional custom app developers, such as NS804. You can discuss and outline your needs and the specifications that the custom solution must meet. And you can rest assured that the finished app will have all the features you need while meeting and even surpassing your quality standards.

2. Scale Your Custom App Only When Necessary 

Developing a custom app gives you total freedom to decide its future. Perhaps, you’re happy with your app and have no plans to scale up for the foreseeable future. But if you go with an off-the-shelf solution, you may not have this luxury. And the reason being is that many turnkey vendors like to lock in customers to the way they do business. 

Many operate as a Software as a Service (SaaS) and rely on subscriptions with a tiered pricing model. So, you may miss out on features or receive additional features that you don’t need based on your tier. Worse still, vendors may remove mission-critical features or enforce version upgrades at the most inopportune times while offering no tangible benefits. 

And then, there’s no guarantee that these vendors will be around for the long haul. You may want to scale up your app two years down the line but find out that the turnkey vendor has gone out of business. Or they may abandon specific APIs and toolsets essential to the continuous development of your app. In some cases, they may break compatibility with earlier versions of their own solutions or even operating systems, such as Android and iOS.

In a nutshell, relying on off-the-shelf solutions presents many risks. And if you’re a startup, you shouldn’t be wasting money on solutions that bring too much or too little to the table. It’s better to work with a custom app developer to scale up your app only when necessary, as this will free up funds that can go into other areas of your business.

3. Enhanced Security That Surpasses That Of Turnkey Solutions

As a business leader, you want your mobile app to have the tightest security possible. That’s especially true if you need to pass around valuable company data or handle payments. But that’s only possible if you have a clear understanding of the underlying technologies and security protocols. 

That’s the beauty of custom app development, as you’ll know exactly what technologies power your app. And there won’t be any hidden surprises if the custom app developer and your in-house security team work closely. Furthermore, they can further tighten security immediately after encountering a vulnerability. Something that’s not always possible if you were to rely on turnkey solutions.

Apart from the additional control over your security, you’ll also enjoy the benefits of improved integration. There’s no guarantee that off-the-shelf solutions will integrate with your existing systems. And even if they do, it’s unlikely that this will result in an elegant and optimally secure process.

4. Unlock A Plethora Of Marketing Opportunities 

Your mobile app won’t only help promote your brand but also give you a direct marketing link to your users. And you may decide to initiate your marketing campaigns via well-planned push notification strategies. After all, push notifications are powerful at delivering value, driving sales, and enhancing brand loyalty.

But if you take the custom app route, you can optimize your direct marketing endeavors. And you can increase or widen your marketing pipeline according to your needs and do this at any time. Furthermore, you won’t deal with any limitations imposed by turnkey vendors or wait for them to introduce the marketing features that you need. 

Another reason why you want to have complete freedom over your direct marketing channels is that you want to build long-term relationships with your users. Thus, you don’t want a third-party vendor to become an intermediary that gains access to your users and their data. There’s always the risk that they turn out to be a bad actor or suffer from security vulnerabilities down the line. And it’s not just their reputation that will suffer, but yours too.

5. Deliver A Superior User Experience

Nobody knows your users better than you do, so you’re in a position to create an app they’ll find appealing. So the most sensible choice is to develop a custom app that will meet or surpass your users’ expectations.

You want to create an app that allows users to complete tasks with as few taps as possible. A quality app with a well-designed user interface (UI) will reflect positively on your brand. Moreover, this will build brand loyalty and help with retention, so getting repeat business will be much easier.

And you can also improve the perception of your organization by allowing users to connect via the app. Thus, allowing them to communicate, give feedback, and lodge complaints, directly and quickly. If users see that they can resolve issues inside the app without being inconvenienced, they’ll likely keep it installed on their phones and recommend it to others.

The Bottom Line

Developing a custom app is usually the right choice for most organizations. And that’s because the end product will be far superior to that made with turnkey solutions. It will be more secure, run smoother, have better custom marketing pipelines, offer scalability when necessary, and deliver a better user experience. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create cutting-edge custom apps that will engage your users!