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Picture messaging in the construction sector has a variety of uses; surveyors use it as a visual record, it is accessed for quoting purposes, used to illustrate actual progress on site and can also provide evidence of any particular problems being encountered. One HR manager interviewed said, 'We use SMS to text our employees who work on night shifts, and MMS is used by supervisors when they don't have their cameras'. An operations manager commented, ‘We send pictures of building sites so we can quote quickly’.
Attitudes towards using mobile messaging for business were found to be extremely positive within the sample. 45% of respondents claimed that the technology offered considerable cost and time saving benefits for their own particular organisations.
Companies actively making the most use of business related mobile messaging tended to have between 11 and 50 employees. Wider usage also appeared to be directly related to mobile phone provision for employees – 62% of respondents all had company owned mobile phones and were active mobile messaging users.
Types of Message Sent
100% of respondents to the market research study actively send text messages and 14% send picture messages for clarification, greater accuracy and to generally enhance communication. Greatest picture messaging use was found in the Construction industry closely followed by Manufacturing and Engineering.
Conclusion
The MDA’s research in the SME sector clearly indicates that mobile messaging has a raised profile and is being widely used for informal and brief business communication internally, as part of an organisation’s operation and for liaison with suppliers and customers.
Motivated by making potential savings and generating income, SME organisations now have the opportunity to improve their efficiency and profitability, and can adopt more creative and innovative ways of communicating. Organisations should be aware of the full potential mobile messaging has to offer and to retain the technical knowledge and capability for successful implementation of the wide variety of business related mobile applications currently available. |
