Managing the Mobile Workforce: The Best Software Solutions for Seamless Operations

“In the world of remote work, the key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey.

A mobile workforce combines the power of remote work and technology to achieve high productivity that is defined less by schedule and more by the impact it produces for the company.

The mobile workforce grew from 78.5 million in 2022 to 93.5 million in 2024. This shows how mobile workforces are now the paragon of modern work culture, as employees are not mandated to work from a central location.

They can work and connect and the company resources using intranets, mobile devices, and other secure technologies and services to get work done.

Let’s take a look at how you can leverage mobile workforce management software to facilitate seamless operations at your company.

Understanding Mobility in the Workforce

Did you know that according to the IDC, the US workforce will have nearly 60% mobile workers?

Workforce mobility defines the ease with which your workforce can change locations or work from different locations effectively and efficiently. This does not necessarily involve work-from-home arrangements; think of mobility as a work-from-anywhere concept.

Your employees are free to choose their work location as long as they can freely access company resources using computers, smartphones, intranets, or other mobile devices.

Advances in technology have empowered organizations to leverage mobile workforce management software to simplify management. These solutions allow organizations to monitor their distributed workforce, delegate work, share resources, and connect virtually for meetings as and when required.

That said, a mobile workforce is inherently different from a remote workforce. Mobile employees typically divide their time between their office and other locations depending on the demands of their tasks. They may work from the office, from home, or from any other location full-time or part-time.

The nature of their work may require high movement throughout the day, so they may not come to their desks at all. However, using mobile work management solutions, they still get work done efficiently.

The use of portable technology and solutions has helped organizations become more versatile, flexible, and agile. It fits the shifting landscape of work and helps employees make better use of their time.

Key Features to Look for in Mobile Workforce Management Software

A reliable mobile workforce management software provides you with the following five key features for simplicity:

1. Customizable Workflows

The software should allow you to create digitized job sheets that show the process order for every job that is created for the mobile workforce. These sheets also record evidence of job completion and provide all the required resources to the workforce to complete that job.

2. Job Creation

The software should empower the managerial staff to create jobs for their team members and delegate them effectively. It should also be flexible enough to let the workers modify the jobs to some extent depending on the ground requirements.

3. Reports

Reports are a key feature that enables you to see how your mobile team worked through the day. You should also be able to see their output, productivity metrics, and job parameters, like deliverable quality, etc., in the reports.

4. Integrations

You need multiple solutions to power your mobile workforce. As such, it is crucial to look for a solution that connects well with third-party solutions, existing software, and plugins to simplify tasking for your workforce.

5. GPS Tracking

If your company handles location-specific jobs (like construction), it helps to have GPS-enabled software that lets the management see where their workforce is situated. It helps with allocating work to the nearest available employee.

Top 10 Mobile Workforce Management Software to Use in 2024

Let’s take a look at the leading ten mobile workforce management software of 2024, their features, and G2 ratings. Use this list to shortlist a solution that works best for you:

1. Workstatus

G2 rating: 4.6/5

Workstatus is a solution that enhances the productivity of your workforce, wherever it may be. Use it for time tracking, project and task management, and more.

Key Features

• Attendance: Real-time insights for employee attendance, web-based time tracking, and tamper-proof timesheets.
• Workforce allocation: Allocate the workforce using employee scheduling, user activity monitoring, data loss prevention, etc.
• Project and task management: Gantt charts, project timelines, workflow streamlining, and optimization.
• Productivity analytics: Download and share reports, location analysis, website use, overtime work, and more.

2. DeskTime

G2 Rating: 4.5/5

DeskTime powers you up to enhance the visibility of your mobile time by clearly recording each employee’s work progress. Use it to automate time tracking for your mobile workforce.

Key Features

• Time tracking: Track work hours, clock-in, clock-out times, breaks, and more manually and automatically.
• Performance: Monitor your employees’ working hours, including the projects and tasks they were working on. Track URLs and apps, productivity, time spent on projects, document titles, and more.
• Reports: Track details of time spent on projects, compare timelines, teams, or employees, and more. Export data for further analysis.

3. Gomocha

G2 Rating: N/A

Gomocha is a specialized platform designed for field service companies, helping them better match skills with demand and deliver exceptional customer service on the field.

Key Features

• Dispatch scheduling: You can assign orders to field service techs, access job information on a simple dashboard, and clearly see all work order statuses.
• Reporting: Real-time analytics, digital form designer, service reports for credibility, service performance indicators, and more.
• Technician enablement: Mobile app, smart alerts, customer alerts, subcontracting support, etc.

4. Deputy

G2 Rating: 4.6/5

Deputy is a workforce management solution that simplifies time records, scheduling, and HR activities. It allows you to centralize your workforce activities in one place.

Key Features

• Scheduling: Quickly build new schedules, share with the team, get real-time data on wages vs. sales, and more.
• Time tracking: You can easily collect and verify timesheets, automate pay calculations, view real-time attendance, and connect timesheets with payroll.
• Labor compliance: Streamline compliance with a fair workweek, meal and rest breaks, overtime, premium pay, etc.
• Leave management: Flexible PTOs, automated accruals, central dashboards for leave types, balances, requests, etc.

5. Clockify

G2 Rating: 4.5/5

Clockify is a dedicated, free app for time tracking for mobile teams. It is free for life and can be used by unlimited users.

Key Features

• Timer: One-click timer to measure time spent on a task; time categorization by project, task, tag, add and edit time, etc.
• Timesheet: Add details like notes, tags, custom information, etc., to the timesheet. Use popular templates, copy weeks, team timesheets, and more.
• Calendar: View days in time blocks, see total time tracked across a week, view up to 60-minute time blocks, etc.
• Auto tracker: See when you started and stopped work, record activities, convert time entries from records, etc.

6. ExakTime

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G2 Rating: 4.2/5

Exaktime is a dedicated time-tracking and payroll reporting app for the construction and contracting industries. Use it to track your professionals’ site attendance.

Key Features

• GPS time tracking: Combine time tracking with employee location using the GPS on their device.
• Payroll sync: Export employee timesheet data to payroll systems seamlessly using direct database integration with QuickBooks.
• Reporting: Simplify reporting with cost codes that employees can clock in and clock out of to track their activity.
• Photo ID capture: Biometric attendance ensures you know who is clocking in and clocking out.

7. Zoho People

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

Zoho People is an HR and employee experience tool that can effectively manage your mobile workforce and help employees adapt to changes.

Key Features

• Time and attendance: Track attendance, schedule shifts, track off-days, and convert time to timesheets easily.
• Core HR: Scalable employee database, smart HR workflows, analytics, and case management.
• Performance: Goal setting, 360-degree feedback, performance analytics, continuous reviews, and more.
• L&D: Blended learning, centralized course management, quizzes, and assessments, etc.

8. RescueTime

G2 Rating: 4.1/5

RescueTime is a fully automated time tracker for mobile workforces. This mobile workforce management software can automate your time-tracking activities across a distributed workforce.

Key Features

• Automatic time tracking: No manual entry is required to track time spent across apps, websites, and even documents.
• Reports: Get reports on working habits, time sinks, trends, and insightful analytics to set smart goals.
• Offline time tracking: Automatic prompts to add offline time to get the full picture of your day.

9. Harvest

G2 Rating: 4.3/5

Harvest is a well-rounded software for tracking time and invoices for a mobile workforce. It can also connect payments with timesheets.

Key Features

• Time tracking: One-click time tracking with subtle reminders every day. Works with MAC and PC, iOS, and Android.
• Invoice and payments: 2-click invoicing for tracked time. Get payments directly from clients on your invoices.
• Budget: Set fixed-fee budgets for each project. Track and monitor the project as it progresses.
• Cost tracking: Track expenses for each client and project. Track billable and non-billable hours, materials, expenses, supplies, etc.

10. TheEMPLOYEEapp

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

TheEMPLOYEEapp is a one-stop communication and collaboration solution for your deskless workforce. Use it to establish seamless connectivity between your scattered employees.

Key Features

• Employee app: Use the app for internal communication, employee engagement and experience, news feeds, and more.
• Mobile Intranet: Gain real-time insights into employee activity, leverage directory, calendar, and integrations to enhance employee experience, and information hub for easy resource access.
• CMS: Manage multiple communication tools from one CMS, streamline workflows, and organize content easily.
• Analytics: Quick insights on content performance, app, and end-user activity analytics, user intent insights, and more.

TheEMPLOYEEapp is a holistic employee experience platform for a mobile workforce. Use it to deliver exemplary company experiences to your employees while gaining insights on how your content and platforms are impacting work.

Benefits of Leveraging Technology to Create a Mobile Workforce

Did you know that the market for mobile workforce management is growing at a CAGR of 13.2% (2024-33)

Mobile workforce management software provides several key benefits to businesses and empowers them to manage their distributed workforce more effectively:

1. Better Communication

Mobile workforce management software helps employees stay connected with other team members and the organization even when they are away from a central location. It enhances communication between team members and facilitates collaboration on projects.

2. Increased Productivity

Even while working away from their desks, employees have ready access to company resources to finish their jobs. They can use company software and access their training regardless of where they are or what time it is. This helps enhance productivity.

3. Empowered Decision-Making

The reporting and real-time data analytics features of mobile workforce management software empower senior management to monitor their team members closely. It helps them make the right decisions about how to delegate work for the best results.

4. Cost Saving

Mobile workforce management solutions help with scheduling tasks and resource allocation based on real-time employee data. It works to reduce operational costs by enhancing the visibility of employees and their work.

5. Resilience

Companies gain more resilience by facilitating solutions that empower a mobile workforce. It is crucial to remain ready for any challenges that the market may present. Having a well-managed mobile workforce helps companies respond to challenges well.

Promote Productivity in Mobile Work

Did you know that in the modern work culture, only 33% of workers are actually limited to a single workplace? A majority of workers are already mobile, and it is important for organizations to facilitate robust management solutions to make operations more seamless.

Mobile workforce management software like theEMPLOYEEapp helps you activate your deskless workforce in simple yet effective ways. Use its dedicated employee app, mobile intranet, company intranet, microlearning platform, product integrations, Content Management System, and metrics to manage your mobile workforce efficiently.

Visit the website to know more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is a mobile workforce different than remote work and work-from-home?

A mobile workforce combines a little bit of everything. Employees can work from home, the office, outdoor locations, or any other location that is convenient for them.

2. How does technology help create a mobile workforce?

Using technological solutions, managing a mobile workforce becomes easier. For example, cloud-based software deployment helps make resources available to employees where they are. Mobile workforce management software helps team leaders easily keep track of their team members.

3. Is it necessary to have a mobile workforce?

No, but it helps enhance the productivity of your employees. For example, your employees can continue working even while they commute on trains to get to work, utilizing that time towards creating more impact on work.

4. Is it necessary to use software to manage mobile workforces?

It is not necessary, but it simplifies how you delegate work, monitor, and orchestrate projects when working with a mobile workforce. The features in mobile workforce management software help you maintain high visibility.