 "One is expense. Small businesses, especially those still recovering from the
worst recession in modern history, can't always afford to provide their
employees with GPS-equipped smartphones," notes location-based services
specialist George Karonis, founder and CEO of LiveViewGPS Inc., provider of
Mobile Phone Locate tracking
service..
"The second issue is privacy. People generally don't want their employer to
be a 'big brother' boss who can track their every move. It's not because they're
doing something they shouldn't, but because it invades their space, and the
information could be misinterpreted or misused."
But employee tracking has plenty of obvious benefits to owners of small
businesses:
Employee tracking gives businesses solid data to analyze for initiatives
such as improving efficiency. Businesses with lots of workers in the field
making deliveries or service calls can optimize routes and schedules.
Improves customer service and
satisfaction. Tracking helps a business tell people waiting somewhere
for a delivery or service exactly where their package or service person is
and how long the wait will be.
Improves response times.
On-site coordinators can reroute workers in the field to respond to
unscheduled calls in the most efficient way possible.
Reduces costs. The greater efficiency provided
by tracking helps lower costs by reducing both downtime and overtime.
So how can businesses circumvent affordability and employee privacy concerns?
One way to accomplish both is to use a service that doesn't involve extra
equipment, including software, or a contract, Karonis says.
"If you're not loading apps or software onto someone's personal phone, it's
less intrusive for the employee, and he or she will be more willing to allow use
of their own phone. There's also no added drain on the battery, because there's
no app constantly running in the background, and no hitchhiking on their data
plan or incurring a data charge," he says.
"If you make it non-intrusive, employees won't tend to feel that you're
invading their privacy."
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Using a service that charges per location, with no requirement for a
time-specific contract, is also more cost-efficient for the
business, Karonis says.
"For the small business that's merely seeking to improve
efficiency and customer service, constant tracking isn't necessary.
That's more appropriate in a situation where employers have (a)
large number of people constantly in the field -- for instance, UPS.
Or, employers who feel the need to monitor unproductive employees,"
he says.
There's a growing backlash as the public is subjected to more and
more stalking -- from cameras mounted at traffic lights to social
networking sites recording shopping habits and topics of
conversation, Karonis notes.
"We've reached a crossroads where we need to find a balance
between surveillance that provides legitimate business advantages
and surveillance that invades people's privacy," he says.
"It really is possible to strike that balance, and in a small
business that thrives on trust, mutual respect and fully invested
employees, it's essential."
___
George Karonis has a background in security and surveillance and
has specialized in location services since 2005. A self-professed
computer geek, one of his chief concerns is balancing the usefulness
of tracking with the protection of individuals' privacy. He is
founder and CEO of LiveViewGPS
Inc.
[Text from file received from
News and Experts]
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