85 percent of adults in the UK have a smart phone. It is, by a long mile, the most used device today. Having breakfast, commuting, on the loo, at the gym. Phones are used everywhere. In fact, mobile working is revolutionising how we work.

But phones are much more than a communication device. They’re a laptop in your pocket, and your employees should be able to work from them. Businesses that fail to enable this will be left behind.

Here are four signs you need to implement mobile working, and how it will change your business for the better.

1. Your employees are ‘on the move’

• 61 percent of workers are now working outside the office at least part of the time.
• Half of the UK’s workforce is expected to be remote working by 2020.
• 74 percent of workers want flexible working schedules.

Work is no longer performed only at the office. If your employees are still chained to their desktops, not only are you demotivating them, you’re limiting deliverables.

72 percent of employees are more productive when mobile working, according to a WorkMobile study. And greater productivity means improved ROI and accelerated growth. As said by Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross:

‘Always be closing.’

2. Company communication has changed

More than 87 percent of employers expect their employees to use personal devices for work. Consequently, Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype for Business are now the go-to tools for business communication.

Businesses leading the pack have taken control of device management, deploying cloud applications like Microsoft 365 to manage devices in one secure location through only one portal.

Instead of cracking down and ‘enforcing rules’ to reduce chatter on unsecure networks, embrace the change and amend your policies. It’s not as scary as you think.

3. FOMO: Fear of missing out

Branson’s Virgin has pioneered time-off policies. He gave his employees unlimited time off from work. How does your time-off policy compare?

Sure, not every business owner is a Branson. But if you’re not moving forward then you’re moving backwards, and your competitors will pass you by.

If you offer flexible time away from the office, make sure your staff are equipped to securely ‘check in’. Work and life are now two sides of the same coin. We’re taking phone calls late at night and we’re responding to emails while watching Netflix.

The nine to five is dead. Accept it, embrace it, and give your employees the tools they need to make it work.

4. Your business is built on deliverables

Millennials will make up three quarters of the workplace by 2025. Their biggest incentive? Control. Money only goes so far, and intrinsic motivations all take precedent.

Your Bring Your Own Device, time-off and flexible-working policies reflect trust. And in this data-driven life, it’s no longer about who can last the longest in the office, it’s about who can deliver the best results. Mobile working is enablement, and enabling employees will lead to faster growth.

Wherever, whenever, we’re meant to be together

Placing trust in employees is tough. But mobile working can only lead to greater productivity. The challenge, then, is to maintain active collaboration and communication. Anytime, anywhere.

‘But what about security?’ we hear you cry. Azure’s mobile working services like Enterprise Mobility, Active Directory and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure revolutionise the world of secure mobile work. Employees can log in to their ‘virtual office’ on any device. And because it’s all managed at the source, you retain full control of your company’s data.

Our advice? Let the line out a little. Your employees will work smarter, and you’ll still have both hands on the rod.