Easy to use, hard to break

Rugged devices have been servicing many industries for decades, allowing workers on the front lines to operate even in the harshest conditions. But even during these times, they’ve rarely attempted to break out of those niches and have developed a reputation of being tools for specific needs with durability and security coming at the cost of limited functionality, really bulky design and a hefty price tag. Businesses have in turn relied on using consumer devices, choosing performance, ranges of features and evolution at the expense of becoming damaged or even failing in the field.

Whether you’ve worked with rugged for a period of time or have so far steered clear, now is the time to introduce you to a new age of business mobility. Throughout this article we’ll take a look at how a new generation of rugged devices are merging with the functionality, power and price you’ve come to expect from consumer devices with the durability and security you need from rugged handsets. You’ll see how this combination is more than just the sum of its parts—it is in fact ushering in a front line revolution as workers become empowered to achieve more than ever before.

Why Rugged?

Front line workers are making up an estimated 80% of the global workforce (1) however, surprisingly, the majority of digital transformation initiatives have so far left these workers behind. Despite the emergence of a host of technologies revolutionising how these workers operate, organisations are failing to empower this essential segment of their workforce. Numerous studies have shown that front line organisations that have equipped front line employees with the right technology and unlocked their dormant potential have seen real transformation. Not only have these workers been left behind but employees no longer expect to be disconnected from the office, in fact front line employees report that they don’t have adequate access to the information they need. 73% of front line workers report they need to pause or completely stop work regularly to find information they don’t have at their immediate disposal. (2)

Fortunately, the tools that can remedy these types of situations are now readily available from Samsung and those who are properly equipping employees are witnessing the benefits and returns in multiple ways.

Productivity, efficiency, communication and satisfaction.

The use of connected smart devices on the front line sees productivity skyrocket, whether this is giving employees great access to information they need at their fingertips, speeding up the decision making process with better communication on the device or simply being able to access the correct tools designed to do the job in a digital manner. Employees using smart phones to complete work say they gain 58 minutes on average each day. (3) With productivity comes satisfaction as well – with new digital tools, over 40% of front line employees agree that it would be easier to complete on a computer or mobile device rather than using paper. (4) By equipping them with the tools you’re going to improve the experience in the workplace which in turn could see lower employee turnover. (5)

Regardless if your employees operate on a construction site, warehouse or on the shop floor, one thing every business needs in a working environment is reliability. Consumer devices aren’t designed to handle the punishment in this type of setting, they are likely to become damaged quicker from either a knock, spill, dirt or notoriously a drop! Rugged devices were designed and built specifically for this type of industry and have been tried, tested and certified to withstand the most hostile environments, the heat, the wet, the dirt, the dust, the cold and of course the endless times it could be dropped. With an international standard rating of IP68 and the highest military standard for survivability MIL-STD-810G (6) means it can withstand anything you can throw at them including 1.5 meters of submersion up to 30 minutes. (7)

Revolutionising design, traditionally the rugged/tough device ranges have been well known to be chunky, lumpy, barely able to fit into your pocket and only come in 50 shades of beige! This is no longer the case. Samsung’s latest generation of devices have seriously strayed away from this stereotype, there’s no better example of this than Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro – sleek in design and giving you the ease of use that you’d come to expect from a consumer alternative with a host of features that will come as benefit to any front line worker. With superior battery life and interchangeable batteries, glove and wet touch responses screen help workers keep going without the need to remove personal protective equipment to carry out tasks.

Samsung ad

Reducing the price gap is key for any business watching the bottom line whilst maintaining innovation and efficiencies. Where rugged devices were once far more expensive in comparison to consumer devices the gap is now closing quickly. Couple this with longer life and replaceable battery and they are now far more cost effective to run in the long term.(8)

As a business, you have an unprecedented opportunity to empower your front line workforce with the right mobile technology. Fortunately now you no longer need to make the choice between reliability and functionality. By investing in the new generation of Samsung rugged devices, you can combine both these worlds, unshackle front line employees and open yourself to a world of new possibilities.

Samsung ad

For further information on Samsung rugged devices please reach out to your Aerial Direct account manager alternatively visit https://www.aerial-direct.co.uk/samsung/