The 5 insider secrets to mobile productivity in 2016

Creating a mobile workforce with a high level of supportive technology is one of the best things an organization can do to engage its employees. Specifically, a recent study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit showed that companies with high rates of mobile enablement experienced a 16 percent increase in productivity as compared to those with low rates.

That’s because busy professionals are constantly on the go—whether traveling to yet another meeting or juggling work and home lives. But just because employees aren’t in the office tied to their computers doesn’t mean they can’t use their time wisely. It’s not uncommon to have lots of “dead time”—waiting in line for coffee, commuting on the subway, waiting for 15 minutes in the school pick-up line—that could be used differently, if only they had the tools to do so.

But if employees have a smartphone or tablet, they already possess the most important tool in their business tool belt. In fact, according to Wrike’s 2016 Mobile Productivity Report that surveyed 850 professionals, 43 percent said their mobile device was “very critical” for work. And 44 percent of respondents use their device for work-related business more than 20 times each day.

Most of us make great use of our phones and tablets to respond to business-related emails, texts and calls when we’re on the go. But there’s so much more you can do with your mobile device—even if your organization doesn’t provide top-notch mobile technology.

Increase your mobile productivity in 2016 by following these five insider tips:

1. Take advantage of recent app updates that allow for a more immersive mobile experience. App developers are constantly changing their creations, fixing bugs, adding new features and improving functionality and security. Just because an app hasn’t met all of your mobile workforce needs before doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. Keep your apps updated so you’ll always have access to the latest bells and whistles—and greater work-from-home productivity.

2. Discover how to multitask on mobile devices. When you’re on a computer, it’s easy to switch between tasks and run several applications at once. For example, you can watch a video and check the weather without the video stopping. It’s also possible to peruse your favorite social media site, read an email that just came in and return to your social media site without skipping a beat. For a long time, that wasn’t possible on mobile devices—but now, some offer limited multitasking. Explore options like app switching, split screen viewing and more on your mobile device.

3. Discover how to work offline on mobile apps. As we all know, internet connectivity isn’t available everywhere we go. And when you’re working on business-critical applications, losing your connectivity isn’t an option—or is it? There are actually several apps that will work offline. Some allow for short network loss or intermittent connectivity and use a “store-n-forward” method to store user data temporarily while connectivity is down. Others are designed to be used during an extended network loss—days, in some cases. Explore your options and increase your mobile productivity enormously.

4. Expand your phone storage in creative ways to carry more data for offline work. Your mobile productivity is limited by how much storage your device can handle. But there are plenty of simple ways to accomplish this. The most obvious is to purchase a micro-SD card or an adapter to add an SD card in case your device doesn’t take one. In addition, you can clear your app cache and delete apps you no longer use, since each one takes up storage space on your device. But one of the best ways to gain more storage is to use the cloud. A cloud storage app will automatically back up your mobile device’s data (including files, photos and more), giving you the freedom to free up additional storage space on your device.

5. Use devices like small Bluetooth keyboards or a mouse with your mobile phones. Sometimes it’s the simplest solutions that can impact our mobile productivity the most. Make your mobile device as convenient to use as your computer and you’ll see an instant shift toward increased work-from-home productivity.

Mobile devices have become part of our very core. And with productivity apps continuing on an upward swing, with 125 percent sessions growth in 2015, more and more people are using their mobile devices as a primary way to access email, apps like the Microsoft productivity suite and more. With that trend on the rise, businesses and developers are constantly looking for ways to make our experiences more seamless—inspiring us to make smartphones the smart way to complete tasks easily while on the go.