The Millennial age group is the most likely to complain, and healthcare and hospitality workers struggle with in-building cellular, a Zinwave report finds
At this point, it’s well-established that modern enterprise workforces need access to cellular connectivity inside office buildings, whether that’s a high-rise in Manhattan or a corporate campus in Dallas. But, while the larger trend is relatively clear-cut, it is a little more difficult to quantify the situation.
But, in a recent research report titled “Cellular in in the Workplace Survey, 2017–Connectivity issues are widespread,” in-building cellular vendor Zinwave puts numbers to the need. Here we examine the results of that study, which polled 1,000, U.S.-based office workers regarding their views on in-building connectivity.
Here are a few of the key takeaways:
- 33% of respondents report they “frequently have bad experiences with cellular coverage,” while another 41% said they “sometimes have bad experiences with cellular coverage.”
- Broken down by age groups, survey respondents between 18 and 34 report frequent issues, 40%; 28% of workers age 34 to 54 said they frequently experiences connectivity-related issues; and ,of respondents older than 55, 10% reporte frequent signal problems.
- Broken down by industry, more than 66% of workers in healthcare, hospitality, retail, office and warehouse/distribution sectors all reported being frequently or sometimes frustrated by in-building cellular coverage, with the most acute problems coming from healthcare, 83%, warehouse/distribution, 82%, and retail at 77%.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these animating factors, starting with how millenials react to sub-optimal in-building connectivity. In a Zinwave blog post, company CEO Scott Willis writes: “Millennials are the first wave of digital-native workers. They have grown up in a world of mobility, always online and constantly connected. Smartphones are not simply tools for getting things done, but foundational parts of both their personal and work lives. They are the portals for communicating with others, getting online, accessing applications and cloud services, consuming entertainment, shopping, and generally getting work done.”
And, beyond just the millennial expectation of cellular connectivity, the lack of it can actually cost a company good employees. Willis concludes, “It’s something that businesses need to understand and be ready for, because if spotty coverage hinders their employees’ productivity and drive up workplace frustration, the result can be talented workers leaving and the business not being able to replace them. In the end, ensuring reliable in-building connectivity is a business imperative that executives will ignore at their own peril.”
Zooming in on connectivity for healthcare, there’s two factors at play. First, Zinwave found that healthcare workers have the highest percentage of cellular usage in the workplace. Second, the healthcare industry is poised to reap major benefits from the internet of things, which comprises a wide range of smart devices that largely require in-building cellular connectivity.
In another blog post, Zinwave’s CTO Slavko Djukic examines the role of IoT for healthcare, calling it “critical to connected health, including how it’s provided and consumed, how patients will pay for it and the costs involved in its delivery. In the past, doctors had to wade through paper records, but now, they have that have that information easily accessible on tablets. Patients who had to travel long distances for routine doctor visits can now have many of those visits done over the internet through video conferences. Patients can wear connected devices…that transmit data directly back to healthcare providers, allowing them to easily monitor patients’ conditions.”
When it comes to cellular for healthcare interests, bottomline, Djukic wrote, “The benefit is that it will reduce the amount of time spent on processes and tasks that are done manually. All of this is possible with IoT helping to drive the trend toward connected health.”
For a deeper dive into Zinwave’s view on the importance of in-building enterprise connectivity, and to learn more about the company, click here and consider reading this article here.
