What will the mobile boom mean for your office? Here’s one way to find out

We all love a good orderly queue. But the truth is, when it comes to citizen services, no one can be bothered to wait around to be helped anymore. Now that everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, most people can’t be asked to go down to the local branch office to fill out a form. They expect public services on demand via every conceivable digital channel, including mobile. Now ask yourself: Is that trend a challenge? Or is it an opportunity?

Derek Hobbs, head of digital at the Department for Work and Pensions, chose to see it as an opportunity to improve citizen services while lowering their cost. The department is responsible for distributing billions in government benefits each year -- a big enough figure without overpaying on transaction costs. Under Hobbs’ leadership, the DWP encouraged 20 million people to opt for inexpensive self-service transactions online, even on their smartphones. That’s 20 million people who would otherwise have to phone a call centre or fill in a form or waste the day in a queue, much to their displeasure and the tax-payer’s expense.

Hobbs’ story is just a tiny sliver of all the ways mobile devices are changing how the government works. Mobile devices are also allowing government workers to perform their duties more flexibly, more collaboratively and more efficiently than ever before. Mobile devices let workers use the productivity tools their employers already pay for to the fullest. They provide for continuity of operations and unparalleled flexibility.

Want to learn more? In a half-day event in London on 25 March you can listen to Hobbs share the DWP story. You’ll also get to see some of the latest mobile devices in action and learn best practices for using mobile tools to improve collaboration and productivity. And did I mention it’s free?

This is small event for public sector thought leaders – and only a few spots remain. Sign up now to avoid disappointment and get ready to learn how mobile is transforming government services, inside and out.