Why the Context of Your Mobile Device Matters to Productivity

March 31, 2022
Knowing where your workforce’s mobile devices are affects both safety and productivity.

When manufacturers adopt mobile tech into their workflows, their workforce tends to perform better, improving productivity and efficiency. At the same time, if companies have distributed workforces, they have additional requirements for working safely and at full capacity, said Joe Boyle, CEO of Truce Software, a provider of contextually aware mobile device management solutions.

Consider that the context of being in transit or making deliveries is a very different experience than being in a highly secure facility. That is why a mobile device ought to have the capacity to recognize where an individual is and adapt sensitive functions on their mobile devices to match the situation, said Boyle.

In this screencast, Boyle makes the case that deskless workers use technology in remarkably different ways than those who use a desktop or a laptop PC. The use of mobile devices, he said, is today integral to the productivity of this segment of the workforce, and manufacturers would be wise to understand the environments they operate in.

“Contextual mobility management is recognizing when you are using mobile computing, you are generally using it in different ways than when you would have traditionally used it,”  said Boyle. “You’re more likely to be on the go and you’re more likely to be multitasking. It is the recognition that what’s going on around you needs to influence what can be going on in your device.”

About the Author

Rehana Begg | Editor-in-Chief, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s content lead, Rehana Begg is tasked with elevating the voice of the design and multi-disciplinary engineer in the face of digital transformation and engineering innovation. Begg has more than 24 years of editorial experience and has spent the past decade in the trenches of industrial manufacturing, focusing on new technologies, manufacturing innovation and business. Her B2B career has taken her from corporate boardrooms to plant floors and underground mining stopes, covering everything from automation & IIoT, robotics, mechanical design and additive manufacturing to plant operations, maintenance, reliability and continuous improvement. Begg holds an MBA, a Master of Journalism degree, and a BA (Hons.) in Political Science. She is committed to lifelong learning and feeds her passion for innovation in publishing, transparent science and clear communication by attending relevant conferences and seminars/workshops. 

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