The world of work is changing and UK businesses are at the forefront of the flexible working revolution.
Gone are the days when every business professional did all of their work in the office, at their own desk with a dedicated PC. UK businesses have already introduced more flexible working policies than any other country and a survey of 1,000 CIOs has revealed that the growth isn’t over yet
- By the end of 2013, the use of personal devices at work will have increased by 249%.
- 89% of businesses want employees to be able to work from home.
- 84% of businesses are implementing a workshifting policy to support workers who travel on a regular basis.
- 61% see workshifting as a means to help improve customer service.
The Cloud Generation
Flexibility around working patterns and locations is becoming a prerequisite for professionals. If businesses want to be able to employ the best talent, they need to fulfil these needs. To do so, they are relying on Cloud-based applications to give their staff access to the vital tools they need no matter where they are. Those without the right Cloud solutions will see productivity suffer and their companies become less attractive to the talent they need to keep them successful.
Research from the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) carried out with 250 UK businesses found that 61% are currently using cloud-based services with a 92% satisfaction level. CRM is one of the fastest growing sectors within the SaaS space and the adoption issues that it has traditionally been plagued by are being overcome by business professionals needing to access information when out of the office and finding that the CRM system is how they can do it.
The CRM Revolution
It’s not just the way that people work that has undergone a revolution in recent years, either. As CRM systems have moved to the Cloud, they’ve grown up. No longer just a management reporting tool, today’s CRMs can be used to manage all business processes, from marketing through sales to finance and customer service. These systems provide a whole customer picture alongside the tools needed to service them.
With the right CRM, businesses can now enable all of their departments to work flexibly and reap the benefits in so many ways:
- Increased productivity, as staff can work on the road and at home.
- Increased team effectiveness, as leads can be passed to sales reps on the road.
- Cost efficiencies through the use of personal devices and staggered working hours – meaning less desk space is required.
- A decrease in sickness absence.
- The ability to attract and keep the best staff.
Going Mobile
As smartphones and tablets continue to rise in popularity, CRM has to adapt again to deliver all of that functionality safely and securely for whatever operating systems today’s busy professionals want to use. The right CRM partner can now provide tailored solutions to deliver the mobile CRM app your business needs. So if you haven’t gone to the Cloud yet – the right time really is now!