Mobile Offers Employees the Learning Experience They Want

It's now a well-established fact that employees want to perform tasks and get information on the go. They don’t want to be tethered to the desk or—gasp—the landline. Just as mobile devices have lightened students' backpacks and changed our ability to read on the move, they're also changing how employees learn and get things done.

You can make powerful improvements to your customer experience when you offer your employees mobile training. If employees can access learning materials on the go—in between customer interactions—you maximize the time they have to pick up new skills that will help them build relationships and sell your products. At Unboxed, we're always looking for opportunities to bring the best of UI (user interface) design into our learning products. We offer just-in-time training on mobile platforms, ensure its real-life relevance to the front line, and provide content that entertains as it instructs. In the July 2012 issue of Training + Development magazine, UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney shares that UPS routinely sends training materials to the handheld devices its 90,000 drivers use daily. This is a big time-saver because employees don’t need to travel to a workstation to input information. Their training portal travels with them. UPS Chief Learning Officer Anne Schwartz discusses her desire to leverage the benefits of both newer technologies and proven, tried-and-true methods such as classroom training. She explains, "Our new model offers a more flexible and customized approach to individual development...[and] capitalizes on more cost-effective and progressive methods of training delivery." Just as the right mobile app, paired with seamless analytics, offers vast improvements for the customer experience, smart mobile learning complements your employee training program. But a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. Look for a tailored, cost-effective app that meets the specific needs of your organization.

• By 2015, the US market for mobile learning products and services will reach $1.82 billion.1
• By 2016, the installed base of mobile PCs and smartphones will exceed that of desktop PCs.2
• "Mobile devices are going to be the majority of the way people get information." Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google3

1Ambient Insight: The US Market for Mobile Learning Products and Services: 2010-2015 Forecast and Analysis 2Jacada: Mobile as the New Engagement Channel 3TrainingIndustry.com: Mobile Learning: Starting a Training Revolution