Thursday, 6th November 2008

This year’s People Moving Business Awards recognised a variety of private and public sector companies for their efforts and success in mobile working. Winning companies spanned high maintenance law firms: independently working occupational therapists and public service providers, demonstrating that mobile working can improve the quality of any working lifestyle. The awards, led by Microsoft, in partnership with The Work Foundation and the Chartered Management Institute, are now in their second year.

All of the winners use mobile technology to provide a number of benefits to staff like Keystone Law, winner of the Best Flexible Working Organisation category, which is redefining the traditional image of a law firm. Instead of expensive plush offices equipped with facilities to support an army of on-site solicitors and their clients, the UK’s fastest growing law firm operates a virtual model allowing its 70 lawyers to work when and where they want.

Other winners have used mobile technology and flexible working to improve customer service. Pitney Bowes, winner of Best Implementation of Mobile Technologies category, is the world’s leading provider of mailstream solutions. The company’s comprehensive suite of services manage the flow of physical and digital mail, documents and packages for over two million businesses worldwide. As a result of a mobile working policy at least 90 percent of all service calls are automatically directed to the correct engineer without any manual intervention or delay, leading to a significant increase in the number of customer requests responded to within agreed service level agreements. Similarly, winner of Best Mobile Application, TBS Enterprise Mobility has vastly improved customer service levels by implementing Taskmaster, an enterprise mobility solution for two key business functions, which it predicts will deliver a revolutionary impact on service levels for its own customers and set a new benchmark for the fleet service industry as a whole.

The winner of the award for Contribution to the Environment through use of Mobile Technology and largest water network operator in the UK, eSAY, uses mobile working to reduce carbon emissions. Having been under legislative pressure to fix leaks in its pipes, the company deployed a mobile application. Leaks are now repaired more quickly, repair crews are more productive and the company has eliminated thousands of carbon-building journeys.

Not all the People Moving Business Awards’ winners have been advocates from the outset. Moofer of the Year winner Christine Featherston, an occupational therapist with Hampshire County Council, was reluctant to trial the mobile working lifestyle when it was suggested to her. However, after trying it she has been evangelising the concept to her colleagues. Another winner from Hampshire County Council is Miles Hutchings, winner of the Mobility Champion category. Leading the Council’s occupational therapy team, Miles equipped his team members with mobile phones and secure home access to the Council’s IT systems. The result has been improved customer service, reduced costs and dramatically improved work/life balance for the team.

Drawing from the challenges busy parents face, winner of Most Innovative use of Mobile Technology, My Family Care, launched an Emergency Childcare service in 2006 aimed at allowing parents to book local nannies, nurseries and childminders. By using mobile technology the company can respond immediately to demands, allowing emergency bookings with as little as 30 minutes notice.

Responding to a demand from the 7.5 million inhabitants of London for the most efficient transport system possible, is the challenge faced by the winners of Most Innovative use of Mobile Technology, Cognito with Transport For London. To keep services operating at the highest standards, Transport For London turned to partner Cognito to equip its workforce with hundreds of PDAs running Windows Mobile. The solution provided real-time communication with in-the-field employees, as well as fully up to date interaction with employees responsible for the smooth running of bus routes and the maintenance of bus shelters and bus stops.

This year’s People Moving Business Awards winners are proof that now is exactly the right time for businesses to go mobile. By freeing people to work where they want to, employers not only motivate their staff, they foster new levels of creativity and energy which will help companies prosper and grow, supporting UK industries and the UK economy. A full case study for each winner can be found at the People Moving Business Awards website, www.pmbawards.com