BYOD

Bring Your Own Device...Wave Bye Bye to Your Old Desk

Cost savings are anticipated in HR as Hong Kong looks set to decrease desks by 11% by the year 2020 as workers increasing utilise remote devices. Terms like ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) and ‘flexible working practices’ have become the latest additions to the list for a quick round of HR Buzzword Bingo.

Citrix’s latest research into mobile working demonstrates the reality of these phenomena and points to significant cost savings for Hong Kong companies. Among those that have implemented ‘workshifting’ and BYOD, 85% have already seen cost-related benefits as a direct result. This is likely, in no small measure, due to the reduced cost of office space in a region where demand for property surges at an ever- escalating premium.

According to the study, organisations in Hong Kong will have reduced employee space by over a tenth by the year 2020; offices will house just over seven desks for every ten office workers, down from just under eight at present.

Mobile workstyle
The study polled opinions from 1,900 senior IT decision-makers over 19 countries, to provide an authoritative picture of the likely changes over the next eight years. Globally, the findings show that 83% of organisations will have embraced mobile workstyles by mid-2014. Meanwhile, 76% of Hong Kong businesses have already adopted, or are planning to adopt, mobile workstyles in the next 12 months for at least some of their employees. This is higher than either the European or APAC average, but is lower than the 95% take-up rate in the US.

Devices up per head
Mobile workstyles are enabled when employees have access to the technology and policies that allow them to be equally productive when they are outside the office—connected remotely through the use of a mobile device to the company network. The research reveals that over the next eight years there will be a marked increase in the use of mobile devices for work. Hong Kong workers already connect an average of just over four computing devices to their corporate network each day and local business leaders expect that figure to increase by 18% to almost five devices per person.

BYOD initiatives
The majority of organisations will use BYOD initiatives to manage this growing number of devices. By definition employees will generally choose and purchase their own computing devices, with 85% of Hong Kong organisations reimbursing the employee to some extent. To securely manage data across a mobile workforce that accesses corporate resources from multiple locations using a range of devices, organisations need to apply policy and choose their technology solution carefully.

Most critically, organisations have to ensure that sensitive data is managed correctly. In order for an organisation to provide funding for BYOD it must retain a degree of legal and technical control over the device and the management of its data. Furthermore, it can reap savings by shifting the associated procurement and maintenance costs to employees and contractors.

Stress reduction
Workshifting—the practice of moving work to times and locations that suit people best—assists in the reduction of stress, which undoubtedly, has a detrimental effect on productivity, according to recent research from Regus. Over half of workers surveyed in Hong Kong said that their stress levels had increased in the last 12 months and cited flexible working as a way to combat this stress. Robin Bishop, COO of Community Business commented, “We’ve long believed that companies cannot ignore the impact of poor work- life balance on their bottom lines...Many companies are wary of flexible working as they fear it could lead to reduced productivity. In fact, this is a myth.”

Victor Tsao, Area Vice-President and General Manager, Greater China, Citrix concluded, "Organisations are encouraging people to operate outside of the traditional workplace on their own personal devices. This makes the organisation more responsive, boosts productivity and reduces the cost of real estate and device management. All of this benefits their bottom lines.”

Employee benefits

• Increased worker flexibility
• Increased personal productivity
• Less time spent commuting
• Improved work-life balance
• More time with customers
• Reduced stress

Employer benefits

• Reduced employee-related costs
• Easier attraction and retention of top talent
• Reduced real estate costs