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Useful Advice on How to Succeed with Mobile Solutions
Mobile solutions have a huge potential to drastically increase the efficiency of field workers and save big money for companies in a range of industries.
However, the implementation of mobile solutions is filled with pitfalls.
Industry veteran Mikael Nilebacke, managing director of Erisma Technologies, gives his best advice on how to succeed.
Mobile solutions, i.e. software for PDAs and smartphones, have an enormous potential to improve efficiency and save big money for companies that today rely on time-consuming paper-based solutions.
Industries such as fire safety, security, electrical, telecom, data, energy, power, construction, logistics, and heating/ventilation/cooling, have much to gain by adapting modern mobile business solutions for their work forces.
However, the transition from paper-based/manual/traditional solutions to advanced mobile solutions is filled with pitfalls.
Many things can go wrong that can leave you with an inadequate, or in worst case, non-functioning solution.
Mobile business solution expert Nilebacke of Erisma Technologies with more than 15 years of industry experience, shares his top ten advice on how to succeed with the implementation of mobile solutions:
1. Conduct a Needs Analysis
Why do you need a mobile system? Do you want to be more effective? Do the clients demand more access to information?
The answers will help you identify the specific functions you require in your mobile solutions.
Prioritize functions that are really useful. Decide who will use the system and how much the system may cost. If you skip this step, there is a risk that the supplier’s sale team gains control over the process and create mneeds that do not really exist.
2. Engage and Involve Your Employees in the Process
Try to engage and involve your staff in the process of implementing a mobile system as early as possible.
Lead your employees through the entire procurement process and utilize the competence, experience and knowledge they possess.
Engaging the staff from an early stage will make them motivated to implement the system/solution and showcase the benefits of a mobile solution.
3. Carefully Choose a System and a Supplier
Usually, the important choice will be between a standard system and a customized system.
I strongly recommend using standardized systems. The development of mobile technology is evolving very rapidly, which makes the standardized system more future-proof and flexible than the customize system.
Choose a supplier that is of “the right size”: not small enough for you to risk ending up with a system that will disappear or cease to be updated, and not too big for the supplier to lose interest in you when you are no longer a key customer.
4. Contact all the References that you can find
When contacting a reference that your supplier has given you – always try to read between the lines. Learn from how they use the system and think about ways your organization can benefit from this knowledge.
Try to find your own references, at least three of them, and do not settle for just one. This will minimize the risk of spending time and money on the wrong system.
5. Keep the Option to Cancel the Order
Not all suppliers have sufficient knowledge and experience to deliver and implement their systems correctly.
Try to negotiate an evaluation period with the option to cancel the order should you discover that the system is not right for you and your organization.
You must be prepared to let go of the system if it does not deliver and solve the problems and/or fulfill the list of demands you created during your earlier needs analysis.
6. Listen to the Supplier
Once a supplier is chosen – stick to your choice. Let them know what you want to achieve and be all ears to any good advice and feedback that the supplier can give you.
Do not try to control the supplier too much – if you are unsure of the plan, ask them to explain.
7. One step at a time
Avoid trying to do everything at once. Running several projects simultaneously will increase the complexity and can lead to devastating consequences.
Instead, create a plan with a chain of smaller activities that you can each finish before starting the next one.
8. Do not cut back on the wrong things
Do not try to cut back on consultation or education – and be generous when setting a deadline.
Be prepared to adjust the deadline along the way if you feel that your needs and demands have changed – this is normal.
Always try to assign the most suitable person to a specific task. It could be you, an employee, or one of the supplier’s consultants.
The question is not whether you are able to do something yourself – but rather if you should.
9. Realize that a mobile system won’t solve all your problems
A mobile system will in most cases help you to gain more control over your organization and save you heaps of time and money.
But remember – a mobile system is not the solution to all of your problems.
Have a reasonable level of ambition and expectation, and accept that you will have to work with other problems.
10. Plan for the future
Invest in a solution that can be developed along with the development of your company.
The world is changing and we cannot predict what the future holds – you might need to change some things within your company, and mobile solutions technologies are developing fast.
This makes it crucial to choose the right system for your company.
A good advice is to avoid customized systems as much and as long as possible.
Mikael Nilebacke is Managing Director and co-founder of Erisma Technologies, a leading mobile business solutions company based in Scandinavia.
The core business of Erisma is Mobigo, a mobile solution for mobile field service management, time tracking, log books, check lists and inspections etc. that makes reporting and other tasks more efficient.
Nilebacke has more than 15 years of experience in the field of mobile solutions.
MTN Nigeria is set to reignite the dreams of creatives with the launch of its Best of the Streets talent competition for the 2025 edition. This initiative aims to discover and nurture Nigeria’s next generation of creative talent.
L-R: Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Lagos State; Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo, Singer and Founder of C.R.E.A.M platform; Dandizzy, Rapper and Singer; A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria and Obi Asika, Nigerian music executive and Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC., at the Best of the Streets press briefing on Wednesday, April 23 held at the MTN Rooftop Events Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Slated to commence on May 1, 2025, the competition offers unsigned artists a transformative platform to compete for life-changing rewards, including a grand money prize, professional music video production, and an EP recording deal.
At the press briefing on Wednesday April 23, A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer of MTN Nigeria, emphasized the initiative’s impact.
“The premise of Best of the Streets is that there’s talent in every street in Nigeria, whether it’s acting, singing, dancing, comedy or other performance arts.
“Best of the Streets seeks to bring out that talent, to show Nigerian youths that there are opportunities everywhere; and at MTN, we are very proud to take part in creating these opportunities.”
Best of the Streets is in collaboration with C.R.E.A.M (Creative Reality Entertainment Art and Music), founded by Nigerian rapper, Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo is a platform which provides talent management, publishing, and funding support to grassroots artists.
“The C.R.E.A.M platform provides solutions and services for talents, creatives and entrepreneurs, by granting them convenient access to showcase their skills and monetize their content. With our newly launched distribution arm, we are not just discovering talent, we are giving them the tools to take them global,” D’banj explained.
Chris Anokute, Nigerian-born LA-based American Executive, known for discovering global superstar Katy Perry, commended the efforts of this initiative in pushing local Nigerian music to the international stage. “Best of the Streets is the greatest artiste discovery platform I’ve seen come out of Africa.
“The music industry is, as of last year, a 30-billion-dollar industry. Afrobeats is the fastest growing genre in the entire world, over 1.1 million hours of music streamed out of Nigeria on Spotify this year alone.”
On the importance of empowering the creative capacities of the youth, Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development in Lagos State. “As a government, we have vowed not to leave anybody behind in Lagos state, irrespective of their background.
“There are about 30 million citizens in Lagos, and 60% of the youth. Not every youth will be able to go to school, but we still have the creatives, digital, fashion icons, among others. This platform is an avenue to encourage them.”
To participate, aspiring contestants can dial *463# on their MTN line, upload original content via the official @creamplatform, and mobilise votes from the public. Over 2584 creatives are set to be showcased and rewarded this year. Entries into this competition continue up until December, with daily, weekly and monthly winners, with a final winner who will secure the grand prize.
The Best of the Streets initiative reinforces MTN’s commitment to youth empowerment and creative innovation, aligning with Nigeria’s growing entertainment industry demands.
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over its data practices.
The penalty follows a 38-month investigation conducted by the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which ran from 2021 to December 2023.
The investigation found evidence of unauthorised data sharing, insufficient user consent mechanisms, and discriminatory practices that treated Nigerian consumers differently from those in other regions.
In July 2024, the FCCPC imposed the $220 million fine on Meta and WhatsApp, citing violations of Nigeria’s data protection and consumer rights laws. Additionally, the ruling mandated corrective actions to ensure that Meta’s business practices comply with Nigerian regulations.
In a decision delivered on Friday, April 25, the tribunal upheld the fine, reaffirming the FCCPC’s authority and investigative processes. The tribunal also ordered Meta to pay an additional $35,000 to cover the costs incurred during the investigation.
However, Meta expressed disagreement with the tribunal’s ruling, stating in a statement on Saturday, April 26, that it would urgently seek to appeal the decision and apply for a stay of execution.
“We are urgently applying to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users,” WhatsApp said.
The company also contested the tribunal’s findings, claiming that the ruling misrepresented how WhatsApp operates and contained inaccuracies regarding its data practices.
Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for data privacy violations in Nigeria.
The Tribunal also awarded $35,000 in investigative costs to the country’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission .
In a statement issued by the FCCPC, the Tribunal delivered its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), affirming the Commission’s authority and ruling in favour of its actions on nearly all contested issues.
According to the statement by the FCCPC, “The Tribunal specifically determined that the Commission adhered to prevailing laws, fulfilled its mandate, and exercised its powers by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings.”
The statement revealed that WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), while the FCCPC was represented by Babatunde Irukera.
It added that both legal teams presented their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
“The FCCPC had on July on July 19, 2024, issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, the investigation started in 2020.
“The case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
“Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission,” FCCPC said.
The Tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s authority and investigative procedures in Meta and WhatsApp’s appeal, resolving most of the contested issues in the Commission’s favour.
It confirmed that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory mandate, particularly regarding fair hearing, data protection, and consumer rights.
While it dismissed the majority of the appellants’ objections, it set aside one specific order (Order 7) for lacking sufficient legal basis.
While expressing satisfaction with the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman/CEO, commended the Commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic expertise in assembling evidence and presenting their case.
He reaffirmed the FCCPC’s unwavering commitment not only to protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers but also to promoting fair business practices in line with the FCCPA (2018) and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Nigerian government.
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