In an effort to bring legacy solutions and business software into the mobile environment, some enterprises are serving up inflexible interfaces that do not work well on various screen sizes or on multiple types of devices like smart phones and tablets. Other companies are taking the time to employ responsive web design (RWD) and adaptive web design techniques (AWD) to bring their solutions to the mobile user community. This is a positive development, but there is more to the mobile experience than flexing to multiple screen sizes.
In order to improve the user experience, the design and developer community must employ cutting-edge UX design and improvement techniques, and involve business users in the design process to achieve an understanding of user philosophy and expectations for interface flow, elements and objectives.
Today, applications are rolled out to a larger user base, and everyone from individual contributors to top-level executives expects to use critical business applications with minimal training and with the ability to see and use information in a way that supports their work process. No one wants to read bulky user manuals or online help sites to find out how to make the best use of their applications. The average enterprise does not have the money or the time to customize applications to suit a user, but business users today are used to having information at their fingertips in an intuitive interface. That expectation comes from their consumer and social media experience and it carries over into the business environment. Businesses are faced with the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demands and all of the screen size and device disparity that is inherent in that demand.
If a business application is not designed to suit the mobile environment and accommodate every device; if the solution does not satisfy current user expectations for ease-of-use, intuitive workflows and other needs, the business is not likely to achieve swift, complete user adoption. If the software product is designed for sale, the vendor will certainly not achieve a competitive advantage, or attract or retain customers.
There are many factors to consider when designing and developing a software solution for mobile business use or when a business wishes to upgrade or migrate from an existing solution to the mobile business environment. The enterprise that fails to acknowledge the importance of the business application user experience will face many obstacles in user adoption and software usage, and user enthusiasm. In addition, the business will experience a decrease in productivity and ROI. In short, the issue of Ux improvement in business applications is crucial and it is in the best interest of every organization to review and address these issues.
