In my previous post, I explained how mobile devices play a crucial role in process monitoring and process modeling as well as in collaboration.

The availability of the right information at the right time at the right place is one of the most powerful sources of competitive advantage for businesses. When business processes are actively managed and information silos are accessible and easily integrated, real business innovation becomes possible.

Mobile devices provide an excellent opportunity for this. Next to that, employees are getting used to these devices and experience they are more productive with these mobile devices compared to laptops. It would make a lot of sense to leverage these mobile tools in the execution of business process management in your organization.

Below, I highlight some mobile features which can contribute to making information more available and optimize process performance.

Receiving alerts
For a lot of people, being able to get work done while on-the-go is crucial. To the extent that work is driven by BPM software, these workers can be alerted of tasks that require their attention. It does not matter via which online channel (social media, mobile apps, etc) the person get alerted, as long as the alerts reach him/her.

Updating records
Mobile devices are ideal for providing quick responses to process events. Workers can easily update records, plan a project or give a quick reply to threaded discussions in social BPM.

Approvals
The smartphone can be used for approvals, for example a high priority process or an order approval. The user interface is optimized for the small form factor and only shows the information relevant to make a quick decision.

Documents

Mobile devices could be used to provide access to documentation related to processes. Think for example of a checklist with contextual information of a process step. Other examples may include documents outlining the details of the checklist step or information to support the decision making that can’t be automated.

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