Businesses such as logistics companies, retail stores, construction companies, and more have a large chunk of employees working from remote places according to business requirements. Thus, to make sure that all the field agents complete their daily tasks efficiently and accurately, companies need to provide them smart devices such as smartphones, tablets, mPOS, rugged devices.
While these devices increase convenience and empower employees to enhance productivity, they also pose a security threat to the confidential enterprise information contained in these devices. Therefore, organizations need to keep constant track of these devices to ensure they are only used for business purposes. This is where a mobile device management solution plays a crucial role. Location tracking feature provided by MDM software enables businesses to track real time device location and keep a constant check on enrolled devices. It gives enterprises complete control over mobile assets and enables them to take security actions in case of a data breach.
Some key takeaways of location tracking feature
Geofencing
Geofencing takes location tracking feature to the next level. It allows to define a virtual perimeter around a physical geographical location and limits device usage if an employee moves out of the defined fence. Geofence can be set up for each individual registered device and helps organizations to monitor user’s presence on the work site.
Geofencing assists in keeping a constant track of enrolled devices to ensure that employees do not visit restricted areas. It allows admin to ensure that the device is used only for work purposes.
Find Your Device Using Real Time Device Tracking
Enrolled devices carry a huge amount of corporate data which is worth millions. Thus, tracking real time device location helps organizations to keep a constant check on IT assets, delivery items, enterprise machineries, etc. Logistics companies can use location tracking functionality to monitor routes followed by dispatch teams, time taken for each delivery, kilometers travelled and other related data.
Apart from location, MDM software also enables admin to track real time device status such as battery and connectivity status, APN, app updates, data limit and more.
Unified Map View
Along with real time location, admin can view all the active devices over a map and retrieve GPS coordinates, connected date/time and accuracy. All the managed devices can be tracked from a unified dashboard. In case, a field agent gets deviated from the assigned path, the admin can get instantly notified. This helps organizations to increase transparency and optimize operational processes.
Location History Reports
The admin can retrieve location history report of all the managed devices to get details of all the locations traversed by a user over a period of time. It offers insights to enterprises about employees who reach late on their job site or unnecessarily wasting time on their way.
The reports also help organizations to calculate location distance covered in a day by field agents and provides them flexibility to manage travel expenses.
Real Time Alerts
Based on applied settings, location tracking feature along with geofencing can send real time alerts to the admin when an employee enters or exits a location. The admin can get real time alerts in case of unauthorized access of devices, geofence breach, rooting or jail breaking attempts, data consumption level and more.
How does location tracking feature of MDM help enterprises?
Process and Reimbursement Efficiency
The devices enabled with location tracking feature provide details of exact distance travelled by field agents in a day. It shows all the locations visited by employees and the correct fuel charges for organizations to reimburse. Consequently, the employees will not be able to falsify any information regarding their visits.
Also, mobile device management solution provides enterprises all the notifications regarding geofence breach, unauthorized access of devices in the form of reports.
Corporate Data Security
Finding real time location of devices helps enterprises to monitor the actual position of endpoints and see if they are used for work purposes only. The admin can identify any suspicious activity and make informed decisions to secure data. It enables to track location of stolen, misplaced or unattended devices and lock/wipe them remotely to prevent confidential data from falling into wrong hands. Using location tracking feature, admin can tighten security by disabling specific apps in sensitive locations.
Improve Reporting
Maintaining manual reports do not only result in productivity leakages but also causes employees to commit unethical practices. By helping to collect all the exact details of areas visited by frontline workers, location tracking feature eliminates the need to keep manual reports and optimizes the reporting process. The admin can get instantly notified in case any field agent makes any unplanned visits during office timings.
Increase Workforce Productivity
Tracking real time location of your field agents at all times and keeping a constant check on them helps to increase workforce productivity. It empowers employees to use right login as well as log out time and complete their daily tasks on time. Moreover, setting up geofence helps in enhanced device tracking and streamlines field operations.
Asset Management
Location tracking feature enables businesses to track their assets and monitor the frequency of a specific asset to find if it is at the right location. Alerts can be sent to the admin instantly if an asset moves out of the defined boundary. Thus, enterprises can secure data by immediately locking down the device to prevent misuse.
Compliance Management
The admin can schedule compliance checks to know if all the managed devices comply with company security policies. In case of any security breach, a device can be locked or wiped remotely to protect confidential data from falling into wrong hands.
Enterprises can get access to historic logs related to SOP adherence, routes followed by field force agents, and time taken for delivery.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, location tracking feature can help organizations in better remote workforce management. It adds an additional security layer to enrolled devices and offers complete control over mobile assets.