Enlightened company managers now allow their employees to bring their own mobile devices to be used for work. It’s a policy called BYOD or Bring Your Own Device. A study has revealed that employees can be more productive when they use their own gadgets rather than the company issued equipment. Businesses meanwhile do not have to purchase equipments anymore and would rather use their money on other significant investments like advertising and production.
Although this policy can be beneficial to both the employees and the management, BYOD can be a nightmare unless a well-made policy is implemented. Things like security, personal use and control are highly considered in order to make a BYOD workplace successful for both parties. Read about some of the crucial information about BYOD and know more about the challenges that go with it and how you can overcome them.
BYOD Challenges for Small Business
Control
With more businesses now depending on technology to run their business, having a BYOD is going to make it harder to control your IT environment. With more devices, it will be very hard for you to manage making sure everything is working as effortlessly as possible. With different devices, different operating browsers and mobile applications, the complexity increases manifold.
Personal versus Work
If a person is using his device for both personal and business matters, the ability to separate their work can be very tricky. You can be tempted to check on Facebook when you have a report that needs editing. How do you manage your personal emails separate from work email in a way that employees don’t begrudge, and that secures both the company and the employee?
Mobility Security
Aside from the devices being used in the office, add the number of devices also being used by your remote workers or those who are out on a field and more challenges are posed. Be able to protect these devices with applications that will ensure your security. You better take proper security measures in case a device was stolen or lost outside the office.
BYOD Solutions for these Challenges
Require Notice
For every device that will be brought into the office, you have to make sure that all are “registered” to your IT department. The purpose is to provide these gadgets with related software like online calendar, business VoIP, and other collaborative tools needed for productivity. They also have to be registered so as to properly control all the information that passes through these devices and make sure they are properly secured and encrypted. BYOD gives you greater freedom for your employees but not necessarily in all aspects.
Instruct Employees
Craft policy about all things related with BYOD. Discuss with employees what it entails so that they are all informed and must therefore comply. Educate your employees about the challenges and risks. Continually update this policy since technology is always progressing and new devices with more functionalities are continually being introduced. This policy could be written down in your employee handbook, or in the company intranet and bulletin boards.
Adopt Security Measures
Before you implement BYOD, choose if you’ll be willing to adopt all or specific devices. Choose what apps to be installed, how you’ll make certain they will have updated versions and ensure security levels. Make sure all devices have a program or application that allows all data to be remotely wiped off when a device gets stolen or lost. When the device is not in use, enable a password protect screen lock. Back up all information using cloud based servers so that you can easily retrieve any data that may have been lost.