Read the executive summary and see the table of contents of our new report, produced by Ark Group, that provides the foundations for understanding the opportunity to create a next generation mobile workplace. To order your copy, goto http://www.arkgroupaustralia.com.au/report-mobileapps.htm

1. Designing Mobile Apps:
A Roadmap for Businesses
JAMES DELLOW
PUBLISHED BY

2. Designing Mobile Apps: A Roadmap for Businesses
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3. Designing Mobile Apps:
A Roadmap for Businesses
JAMES DELLOW
PUBLISHED BY

5. Contents
Executive summary ............................................................................................................. V
About the author...............................................................................................................VII
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................IX
Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
Background .......................................................................................................................... 1
Key drivers............................................................................................................................ 3
Technology trends ................................................................................................................. 3
Overview of planning and implementation .............................................................................. 4
Chapter 2: Key concepts .................................................................................................... 7
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7
What is a mobile app? .......................................................................................................... 7
Mobile capabilities ................................................................................................................ 8
Smartphones and tablet computers ...................................................................................... 10
Major mobile operating systems ........................................................................................... 11
Other devices ..................................................................................................................... 13
Mobile app and device management ................................................................................... 14
Consumerisation of IT ......................................................................................................... 15
Future trends ...................................................................................................................... 16
Next steps .......................................................................................................................... 18
Chapter 3: The business context for mobile apps .............................................................. 21
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 21
Strategic context ................................................................................................................. 22
Making the business case for mobile .................................................................................... 22
Focus on the relationship to intranets ................................................................................... 25
Focus on training and learning ............................................................................................ 26
Focus on social business ..................................................................................................... 26
Build or buy? ...................................................................................................................... 27
Other issues for employers to consider ................................................................................. 30
Summary ............................................................................................................................ 32
III

6. Contents
Chapter 4: Understanding user requirements ................................................................... 35
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 35
Why is understanding the user important?............................................................................. 35
What does a good app experience look like? ....................................................................... 37
Understanding the user’s needs ........................................................................................... 39
Understanding the user’s context .......................................................................................... 44
Other design considerations ................................................................................................ 47
Next steps .......................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 5: Developing use cases ..................................................................................... 49
Use case development framework ........................................................................................ 49
Developing mobile app use cases ........................................................................................ 53
Types and styles of mobile apps ........................................................................................... 56
Next steps .......................................................................................................................... 59
Chapter 6: Smart enterprise mobile app roadmap ............................................................ 61
Roadmap options ............................................................................................................... 61
Supporting mobile IT architecture ......................................................................................... 64
Examples of getting benefits quickly...................................................................................... 65
Governance ....................................................................................................................... 67
Designing, developing and deploying mobile apps ................................................................ 70
Prototyping and in the field testing........................................................................................ 72
Summary ............................................................................................................................ 74
Chapter 7: Case studies ................................................................................................... 77
Case study 1: King & Wood Mallesons ................................................................................. 77
Case study 2: Zurich Financial Services Australia ................................................................... 81
Case study 3: Woods Bagot ................................................................................................ 85
Index ............................................................................................................................... 89
IV

7. Executive summary
THE DATA on the adoption of smartphones Furthermore, the apps they use could be
and tablets and the growth in mobile data corporate tools or simply off-the-shelf apps
usage all bear out what many of us can downloaded free of charge or purchased
see for ourselves in our everyday lives. Even for about the same price as their daily
more pervasive than the personal computer coffee. Against a backdrop of a broader
(PC) revolution, which spawned the creation consumerisation of IT, user expectations are
of a whole new industry and made the rising and the user experience is now critical
fortune of companies like Microsoft, this to maximising the value of mobile in the
new mobile computing revolution is evolving workplace. This in turn creates the need for
and growing even more quickly. Powerful new, more agile and iterative approaches to
mobile devices are now in the hands of implementing mobile apps.
everyday users and the workplace is one of This report provides the foundations
the most obvious places to see this in action. for understanding the opportunity to
While the value of mobile applications design mobile solutions that provide
(‘apps’) targeted at consumers is already real value from a strategic and business
well recognised, many organisations are perspective by optimising around the user
also looking to utilise similar apps for experience. It also includes a background
commercial gain by deploying them to their of key mobile concepts, a roadmap for
own staff or their business partners. From the developing mobile apps and case studies
boardroom to the shop floor, you are likely from early adopters.
to see all types of different users making use The report equips readers with the
of a variety of mobile devices and mobile necessary tools to not only understand mobile
apps – for example, the CEO using her iPad applications in an organisational context,
to browse board papers on the company but also identify the real value of mobile
extranet while sitting in the airport lounge, applications from their own organisation’s
the manager approving time sheets on his strategic and business perspectives.
Windows smartphone while he lines up for Chapter 1 provides the contextual
coffee and the sales associate using her overview for the report, identifying the key
Android tablet to show customers rich media drivers which support the demand for the use
content about the company’s products. of mobile apps in the business environment.
But this mobile revolution is Chapter 2 describes the technical
different: while in some cases employers are attributes of mobile software and mobile
providing mobile devices to their workforce, devices. Understanding these attributes is a
in many cases employees are following critical step to designing workforce mobile
the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend apps that leverage these unique capabilities
and supplying the equipment themselves. and planning what kind of enterprise
V

8. Executive summary
information technology infrastructure might
be required to support them.
Chapter 3 focuses on the strategic
context and building a business case
for mobile apps, including a review of
options such as buy or build, and BYOD or
employer provided mobiles.
Chapter 4 examines the design and
deployment of mobile apps by understanding
users’ requirements and applying a user-
experience centred design approach.
Examples are provided to demonstrate the
value of the concepts presented.
Chapter 5 extends the concepts from
Chapter 4 and provides guidelines for
the use case development framework. It
also discusses styles and types of mobile
apps, including mobile app interface
design considerations.
Chapter 6 brings together all the
concepts and outlines a roadmap for
implementation, including consideration of
issues such as architecture, governance,
and prototyping and testing.
Chapter 7 features detailed case studies
from three organisations: leading Asian law
firm, King & Wood Mallesons; international
financial services company, Zurich; and
global architectural design studio, Woods
Bagot. The case studies outline the design
approach, the benefits and outcomes, and
learning and opportunities reported from
the implementation.
This report provides essential information
to help with decision making that will set
your organisation on the road with the
right approach and methods for designing
successful mobile apps.
VI