Mobility has been the watchword in the world of customer relationship management since the days of the Palm Pilot. The device landscape has changed somewhat since the 1990s, opening up exciting new opportunities for organisations looking to improve efficiencies and the customer experience.
Having a PIN and password are the first layers of security to have in place, so that even if the device is lost or stolen, the data cannot simply be accessed.
Sean van der Westhuizen, business development lead, Mint Management Technologies
Sean van der Westhuizen, business development lead at Mint Management Technologies, says that FMCG-focused organisations are able to realise an efficiency improvement of 10% to 15% almost overnight from enabling mobile CRM systems.
"We have seen a lot of interest from companies in these types of solutions. But it's actually not about the device, but rather about the process and work you need to do," says Van der Westhuizen. "A lot of companies are eager, although with a sense of concern about their data."
This concern is justified if the necessary controls are not in place, he says, with one of the most effective mitigation strategies being to introduce role-based security that limits the type and volume of data contained on mobile devices.
The rapid adoption of mobile devices has been met by mobile device management solutions that enable functions such as remote wiping, which Van der Westhuizen says is moot if organisations are not aware a device has been compromised.
A basic checklist
"Having a PIN and password are the first layers of security to have in place, so that even if the device is lost or stolen, the data cannot simply be accessed," he says.
A basic checklist that can help reduce the risks involved in mobilising a workforce would include being clear about how the data is captured on the device and how it is transmitted, and whether it is transmitted to a hosted or on-premises backend.
"CIOs are advised to look at each step in the process and see whether they are satisfied with the level of security in each step," Van der Westhuizen suggests. "They need to look at all the touch-points and how comfortable they are with how the data is stored or transmitted. And in the case of a breach, they have to be clear about how they identify it and what they can do to mitigate it."
First published in the February 2014 issue of ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.
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