November 25, 2020
Tech companies have revolutionized wearable devices, thus creating a space in the industry for tools that protect and inform users in their day-to-day lives. The adoption of wearables in corporate world is increasing at a significant pace. Wearables have the potential to unlock a new world of technology for both employers as well as employees providing actionable insights to manage the workforce. Wearable technology including smart watches, smart glasses, wearable scanners, etc, are gradually creeping into the workplace to help organizations to increase workforce productivity as well as deliver better employee experiences.
How wearable devices benefits employees at workplace
Better for Employees’ Fitness
A healthy employee is more likely to be productive than an unhealthy one, therefore, wearable technology helps organizations build healthy workplace culture, thus, increasing employee engagement as well as productivity. By syncing wearable devices with digital platforms, both employers as well as employees can evaluate their health, identify health risks, and make healthier diet and lifestyle choices. The wearable based wellness programs keep chronic diseases in check by tracking workers’ activity levels, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. Wearable technology has acquired massive traction as a significant part of any corporate wellness strategy. Particularly for larger enterprises, where wearable technology can help to capture important employee data, impacting healthcare costs as well as redefining engagement costs.
Employee Safety
In the safety world, wearables can act as smart personal protective equipment, glasses with heads-up displays and hard hats with sensors. Wearable devices have been applied to proximity monitoring and detection applications which can help with workplace safety. The devices can also tune into an employee’s health, particularly in the organizations which require high physical activity. Not only can they help to prevent injury before it happens but can also keep workers aware of their health to increase productivity. For instance: a smart watch can help to improve visibility and minimize accidents through custom alerts and real time location tracking.
Increase Employee Satisfaction
Healthy and productive employees are more satisfied employees, therefore, when they are offered more resources to be more efficient at their jobs, their satisfaction rates increase. Employees working in sensitive areas can stay connected with the help of wearable devices and communicate quickly in case any trouble arises. Also, when employees use wearable devices to stay fit as well as in shape and to collaborate with one another, it enhances their productivity and increases satisfaction.
Challenges
Wearables are playing a key role in empowering enterprises to become more flexible and mobile. By deploying wearables, organizations can effectively optimize business operations, strengthen communication as well as increase workforce mobility and productivity. However, the increasing use of wearables at workplace also brings with it data security concerns. Wearable devices have access to a huge amount of company as well as customer data which might fall into wrong hands if not properly managed or secured.
Therefore, to harness the most out of these devices, enterprises need to address the security and privacy challenges posed by wearables. This is where enterprise mobility management solution comes into play. EMM solution for wearables enables to manage possible risks of wearable adoption in enterprises ensuring security of each device.
How does EMM solution help to manage and secure wearable devices?
Quick Enrolment
Enroling each device manually and securing it with corporate policies and configurations can be time consuming, however, with the help of an EMM solution, IT administrator can enrol multiple devices at once without manually deploying each one. It helps to load devices with business approved applications, configurations as well as policies through an automated process and empowers employees to use them right away.
Device Monitoring
EMM solution helps businesses to monitor real time device location and retrieve device details including location coordinates, battery level, memory storage information, app updates, and more. It also provides the list of locations traversed by employees and offers the flexibility to organizations to manage travel expenses.
Lockdown Mode
The admin can lock down wearable devices into one or multiple business approved applications to empower employees to focus on the intended purpose of device and be productive. With lockdown mode, enterprises can control user access to device peripherals as well as settings and restrict employees from exiting the kiosk mode.
Reports and Alerts
EMM solution enables enterprises to set up a notification policy and receive instant alerts regarding unauthorized use of device, battery level, data consumption, location based alerts, etc. EMM platform also offers details about compliance status of all the enrolled wearable devices in the form of comprehensive device reports.
Branding Support
Kiosk mode can be customized with desired wallpapers such as company’s logo, advertisements, values and more. It provides a perfect way to brand business equipment, creates a customized enterprise experience and offers employees a sense of identity.
Summing it up
Enterprise wearable devices consist of a huge amount of corporate data that employees need to access when they are away from office. However, the confidential corporate data might fall into wrong hands in case a device is stolen or lost. Therefore, implementing an enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution is vital for any organization considering the use of wearable devices in the workplace. EMM solution offers multiple security layers to wearable devices as well as corporate apps and data contained in these devices so that sensitive company information is not put at risk even if the device is stolen or lost.