5 Key Considerations for Buying or Building Enterprise Mobility Software

1. Customization Requirements

• Off-the-shelf software may lack flexibility to adapt to your processes
• But heavy customization is expensive and hinders future upgrades
• “Draw a line” around how much customization is feasible long-term
• Too many mods make it tough to integrate future product upgrades. Learn more about Bluefletch products!

2. Time to Market

• Does your initiative need to launch by a regulatory or strategic deadline?
• Buying software is often the fastest route to market
• But building custom allows you to take your time if deadlines permit
• Consider running a pilot with an off-the-shelf solution to start

3. Support and Maintenance

•  Who will handle ongoing support – your team or the vendor?
• Building custom means dedicating resources to stay ahead of all updates
• Off-the-shelf allows the vendor’s team to fully focus on the product
• But their roadmap may not always perfectly align with your needs

4. Intellectual Property Protection

• For some, mobility is core to their competitive differentiation
• In these cases, building proprietary software protects your IP
• For most, it’s about digitizing business processes which are trade secrets
• An off-the-shelf solution can likely meet these process automation needs

5. Total Cost of Ownership

• Initial license costs for off-the-shelf can be high
• But custom build is “9 out of 10 times more expensive”
• However, heavy customization also adds significant ongoing costs
• Consider the 3-5 year TCO, not just upfront pricing

By carefully evaluating these 5 key areas, organizations can confidently make a more informed buy vs. build decision tailored to their mobility needs.

Building a Bulletproof Business Case for Enterprise Mobility

Once you’ve evaluated the key considerations for buying or building your enterprise mobility solution, the next major hurdle is building a convincing business case to secure leadership approval and funding.

An air-tight business case is critical for such a strategic, potentially costly initiative. Here are some tips for constructing a bulletproof proposal:

Define Objectives & Metrics for Success

• What core challenges/problems will this solve for your business?
• How will you measure ROI and determine if it’s successful? (e.g. productivity gains, cost savings, revenue uplift, etc.)
• Build a phase-gate plan with specific milestones and KPIs to hit

Map to Overarching Business Strategy

• Tie the mobility investment directly to high-level company goals and priorities
• For example, improving field service efficiency, optimizing warehouse operations, empowering a mobile workforce
• Demonstrate how it advances digital transformation, innovation mandates

Identify Areas of Impact

• Which teams, departments, regions, processes, etc. will it affect?
• Calculate potential value and efficiency gains in each area
• Think broadly across the business, not just one narrow use case

Get Front-Line User Feedback

• Don’t make assumptions – survey the actual users to uncover their needs
• Hold focus groups with employees who will leverage the mobility solution
• Find examples where they currently struggle with outdated processes

Build Consensus Across Stakeholders

• Don’t let it be just an IT project – evangelize the vision company-wide
• Get stakeholder input and buy-in from other departmental leaders upfront
• Find an influential executive sponsor to be the internal champion

Model out Costs & Projected ROI

• Get realistic budgets and implementation estimates from potential vendors
• Build multi-year operating and maintenance cost forecasts
• Calculate NPV, IRR, payback period based on estimated benefits and savings

By taking a holistic approach that maps enterprise mobility to strategic goals, incorporates user feedback, aligns all stakeholders, and shows quantifiable ROI projections – you’ll have a much stronger business case that leadership can’t ignore.

Ready to mobilize your workforce and digitally transform your business operations? Don’t go it alone – trust the enterprise mobility experts at BlueFletch. Our team has decades of experience building and implementing secure, scalable mobile solutions tailored to your industry and use cases. Let’s talk about how BlueFletch can take your mobility strategy to the next level. Contact us today!