The 2012 Mobile Working Report published by software provider NDL shows that mobile working is now a mainstream technology for most housing providers and local authorities. Of the 150 IT executives who were interviewed for the report, 70 per cent said that they either had mobile working projects already underway or they were in the planning stages to do so.
Declan Grogan, managing director, NDL, said, “Housing providers are keen to capitalise on the efficiency and cost savings that mobile working offers. As housing providers typically have a narrower area of focus and fewer conflicting calls from competing departments than, say, local authorities, it might be expected that the decision-making process is more streamlined, particularly given that decisions are typically made on a purely commercial basis.”
The majority of the projects cited had been implemented in connection with housing repairs, including stock ordering, scheduling and general repairs applications. The average size of mobile working projects has grown, with the number of schemes involving 100-250 users doubling from eight per cent to 17 per cent since NDL’s 2011 report.
Grogan said, “The trend towards larger mobile working projects shows that housing associations and local authorities are moving from pilots to full-scale roll-outs. It also indicates that IT staff understand the benefits of mobile working and illustrates their ambitious plans to implement large-scale projects.
