With smartphones and tablets becoming pervasive consumer devices, businesses, particularly in retail, hospitality and similar sectors, have a number of new service and marketing tools at their disposal. Taking full advantage of these opportunities is dependent on organizations being able to not only gather the data made available through smartphone and tablet use, but also analyze it effectively. Business process management software can play a critical role in this process, enabling companies to make the most of the potential created by consumer mobile device use.
To understand the full capabilities presented by BPM software when dealing with mobile consumers, consider some of the emerging social capabilities enabled by smartphones and tablets.
Geographic check-in apps
A variety of social media applications that allow individuals to "check in" at various locations have become popular. These technologies not only exist from the consumer side, they can also be used by organizations. With customer permission, a phone GPS can notify companies when an individual has entered within a certain distance of one of the company's stores or branches. This will allow a marketing or sales representative to send a social media messaging details any sales or promotions that the individual may be interested in.
For a retail store in a metropolitan area or in a shopping mall, this could mean hundreds, possibly thousands, of potential customers sending their geographical data every day, whether through an automated program or a social media site. Gathering this information and using it effectively is much easier when BPM solutions are in place, automating the process of sending out sale information and allowing workers to focus on more nuanced ways to reach customers.
QR codes
Businesses can embed video, web, application and social content into QR codes, allowing consumers with smartphones and tablets to scan the codes and interact with the company. This can lead to an overwhelming amount of information inundating corporate databases, as customer activities can be tracked to cater the specific experience to what is known about the client who scanned the code. Having BPM systems in place can ensure employees interacting with customers are able to use this information effectively, not get bogged down by the data.
As consumers continue to expand their use of smartphones and tablets, BPM tools are emerging as ideal solutions to enable companies to make the most of the trend.
