Out of Control: First-of-its-kind Survey Reveals Four Out of Five Enterprises Have No Clue About Managing Workforce Mobile Device Batteries

VDC Research Uncovers Critical Flaw in Mobile Workforce Productivity and Battery Management


FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new research study and survey conducted by VDC Research reveals that only 20 percent of enterprises have visibility into the performance of mobile solutions used by their mobile workforce. The first-of-its-kind survey uncovers a critical flaw in mobile workforce productivity: a lack of battery management. Sponsored by Global Technology Systems (GTS), VDC fielded the survey among 200 enterprise mobility decision makers, both business and IT leaders, within retail organizations representing a total of 71,000 stores.

With mid-shift battery failure, which occurs at least 30 percent of the time according to the survey, workers lose 50 minutes of productivity. Enterprises in retail and logistics with 500 or more mobile workers can suffer resulting productivity and service losses in the millions of dollars.

“With more than 50 percent of the workforce mobile – representing 1.7 billion workers – mobile solutions are no longer a luxury but rather a necessity,” said David Krebs, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Mobility & Connected Devices at VDC Research. “The interconnection between mobile solutions and workflow is what we refer to as business-critical mobility, which depends on reliable access to provide real-time critical information at points of interaction with customers and employees. All of this relies on batteries.”

Additional key research findings include:

  • Eighty percent of mobile device total cost of ownership comes after the initial purchase and replacement batteries are a significant portion of this cost.
  • Since battery performance is a good indicator of other problems, 89 percent of survey respondents would consider a battery subscription plan that provides testing, removal, replacement and recycling of bad batteries.
  • Forty percent of decision-makers consider battery life to be a leading mobile device selection criterion, third on the list after price and quality/reliability. (See Exhibit 2)

“More and more companies are adopting digital and mobile technologies to improve retail services and optimize customer experiences in order to increase share of wallet and greater profitability,” said GTS CEO Larry Murray. “But what they fail to consider is how to maintain their business-critical mobile devices. GTS has developed a Batteries-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution – the first-ever mobile-power managed-service offering – to minimize costly worker downtime and workflow disruption. Without proper battery management, enterprises just can’t fully capitalize on their significant investments in enterprise mobility solutions.”

BaaS allows customers to gain control over these mismanaged mobile assets and save millions of dollars per year. GTS’ battery management services – Test & Replace™, Battery Color Coding™, and Free Lithium Battery Recycling – include GTS’ batteries, on-site battery inventory analysis and removal of dangerous bad batteries, for as little as $0.05 per battery per shift. It also changes the economics of battery acquisition from a CapEx to an OpEx. GTS offers a broad range of 100 percent compatible batteries and chargers to power the widest range of portable and mobile devices. A variety of BaaS and battery purchase plans are available, providing customers with maximum procurement flexibility and industry-leading warranty support.

The full survey, “Boosting Business Critical Mobility ROI Through Effective Battery Management,” is available here and includes highlights and an overview of the survey, respondents and VDC Research.

About GTS
Global Technology Systems (GTS) is an innovator of mobile device batteries, chargers and power management solutions and services that lower cost of ownership and increase productivity. With outstanding performance and unmatched quality, the company’s batteries and power management solutions are trusted by leading retail organizations, logistics companies, government agencies, and public safety officials around the globe. GTS is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts and operates design, manufacturing, and distribution centers across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. To learn more, visit http://www.gtspower.com, and follow on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube

Media Contacts:
Jenna Beaucage, cell: 508-340-6851
Michelle Allard McMahon, cell: 781-718-3248
gts@rainierco.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9dcd0964-649b-4184-8424-f1cbf3d54d53

Exhibit 2: Leading Mobile Device Selection Criteria