Navigant Research Predicts that by 2020 We Will See Twice as Many Global Utility Mobile Workers

A new report entitled “Utility Mobile Workforce Management” comes to us from Navigant Research. The report analyzes the global market for mobile workforce management solutions in the utility sector. The study provides an analysis of key drivers, workforce challenges and barriers to utility adoption of mobile workforce management solutions.

The report takes a look at the next six years. It forecasts the mobile utility workforce employees and mobile workforce management expenditures by region for the global market. The report also examines the applications commonly used by utility field forces and home office personnel.

Some of the key questions that Navigant Research’s report addresses are as follows:

• What are the key benefits of mobile workforce management for utilities?
• Which types of activities are being mobilized, from both the field force and home office perspectives?
• What are the benefits utilities see when they deploy mobile workforce management solutions?
• How are new devices and technologies affecting mobile workforce deployments?
• What are the drivers and challenges that utilities face as they deploy mobile workforce management solutions?
• What is the current state of utility mobile workforce management deployment around the world?
• How is large is the market for utility mobile workforce management solutions?

Bob Lockhart, who is research director with Navigant Research, states “Utilities realize that mobile workforce solutions can help them overcome some of the largest challenges they face, including efficiency gains needed to cope with an aging workforce and enhanced preparedness for emergency situations. Along with increased capabilities and technological advances, the spread of smartphones and tablet computers is also causing utilities to reevaluate their investment in this space.”

Most of the utility companies are beginning to invest in, as well as upgrade their mobile workforce management deployments. Field workers who are responsible for taking care of issues such as maintenance, installations and repairs are driving these enhancements. This is due to the increasing number of mobile employees.

Currently, as of the end of 2013, the utility mobile workforce stands somewhere around 1.2 million strong. The prediction from this report shows that by 2020 we could see that number more than double. That puts the global utility mobile workforce at more than 2.4 million.

The study provides an analysis of some of the key drivers, workforce challenges and barriers to utility adoption of mobile workforce management solutions. It looks at global market forecasts of mobile utility workforce employees and mobile workforce management expenditures by region. The report also examines the applications commonly used by the field force and home office personnel and profiles select industry players.

Utilities that already exist in developed regions have implemented workforce management solutions. They are now evaluating strategic upgrades. Those in developing regions are planning ahead and budgeting for initial deployments that will lead to greater efficiencies and cost savings. The report predicts that global utility spending on mobile workforce devices and applications will reach $421 million annually by 2020.