Study: Associates complain they can’t access necessary info

Despite retailer efforts to deliver information, store employees still struggle to access the information needed to complete tasks.



In fact, 75% of decision makers said their employees frequently ask about procedures that are documented, and 73% indicated that critical information is scattered across many disparate locations.



These details were revealed in “Are Enterprises Failing their DesklessWorkforce?” The report, from Inkling, surveyed 201 business and IT decision makers responsible for workforce documentation and productivity. Overall, it evaluates how U.S.-based organizations currently disseminate key work information.



Results revealed that despite the technology revolution of the past two decades, an entire category of workers has been left behind. And companies that continue to under-serve this significant portion of the workforce will reduce employee productivity and satisfaction, ultimately hindering the business' ability to win, serve, and retain customers, the study said.



"These research results show that we're not yet addressing field employees with modern technology that drives productivity," said Matt MacInnis, founder and CEO of Inkling.



"In the retail segment in particular, employee productivity needs to improve if the cost structure is going to be competitive against online channels. We need to fulfill the promise of mobile technology: front-line and field workers, aligned around common priorities, and executing efficiently,” he said. “It's critical to driving employee engagement, not to mention bottom-line performance."



This shift is critical, especially with employment in general merchandise stores declining by 89,000 since October 2016, according to a recent jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor.



While the majority of retailers continue to grapple with bringing their deskless workforce into the 21st century, those that have successfully deployed modern mobile technology have experienced gains.



Armed with a mobile platform, including Inkling’s workforce enablement platform, retailers can distribute essential work information that frontline workers and managers need to do their jobs, As a result, employees spend time on the most impactful activities, eliminating wasted work and reducing labor spend.



According to Forrester Consulting, companies that invest in this kind of engaging, interactive, real-time content can raise employee experience and productivity levels. Specifically, decision-makers credit digitized, interactive, mobile-friendly content with a 36% increase in paper savings, a 26% increase in employee productivity, and 31% increase in better customer experiences, according to Forrester.