Why The Time For Mobile Workforce Technology Is Now

By Shelley Copsey, CEO at FYLD

40% of deskless workers feel unsupported, undervalued, and are considering their next career move. We are seeing businesses sprinting to change their systems and processes to give their distributed teams the tools they need to maximize their skills and potential and feel fulfilled in their jobs. Some businesses have proven themselves to be agile and adaptable, but others require support.

We are in the throes of a generational shift across several field-based industries. In construction, utilities, and energy, the way teams work has changed. Remote, hybrid, and deskless working were far less common only a few short years ago. They are now commonplace, with recent statistics from Boston Consulting Group revealing that 70-80% of the world’s labor force are deskless workers.

At FYLD, we work with more than 100 organisations with distributed fieldworker teams. Since 2019, these sectors and companies have experienced an accelerated transition. Undoubtedly, the pandemic was a trigger event; almost overnight, workforces had to contend with restrictive regulations that meant on-site teams had to be smaller – often lone working became the norm. At the same time, previously niche communication platforms came to the mainstream. These helped businesses to keep the lines of communication open and are now part of the standard organizational toolkit – but are rarely right fit for a fieldworker… imagine using zoom while digging up a leaking water pipe needing urgent repair to communicate information about your job plan.