--- title: "Why Your Enterprise Mobile Apps Shouldn't Suck - ArcTouch" description: "Studies show that companies have a huge opportunity and an even bigger need to offer consumer-level experiences with their enterprise mobile apps.  " url: "https://arctouch.com/blog/enterprise-mobile-apps-should-not-suck" date_modified: "2025-10-27T20:46:10.084Z" --- # Why Your Enterprise Mobile Apps Shouldn’t Suck Studies show that companies have a huge opportunity and an even bigger need to offer consumer-level experiences with their enterprise mobile apps. 5 min. read - February 23, 2016 By Adam Fingerman [](mailto:?subject=Interesting%20blog%20post&body=I%20thought%20you%20might%20like%20this%20blog%20post%20from%20ArcTouch%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Farctouch.com%2Fblog%2Fenterprise-mobile-apps-should-not-suck) ![Enterprise Mobile Apps ArcTouch](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fefnbmai9c55m%2FNHl57uwMEZAyNxtmHfSgk%2F6a067d950c1b23db22a8d696706140bf%2Fbusiness-statistics&w=3840&q=75) Do you, or anyone you know, suffer from _nomophobia_ (no-mobile-phone phobia)? Think we made that word up? It’s an actual condition that University of Missouri researchers [discovered](http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2015/01/13/iphone-separation-anxiety/), although U.K. based research organization YouGov coined [the term](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomophobia) in a study it conducted that found that 53 percent of mobile phone users in Britain become anxious without their devices in reach. We can all agree our mobile devices have become so essential that being without them can be problematic. But it’s not the devices we depend on—it’s the connectivity and access to data, functionality, and ways to communicate. It’s the _apps_ and the rich experience they provide to us, and enterprise mobile apps shouldn’t be any different. ## Enterprise Mobile Apps = Enterprise Experiences The trouble is, enterprise mobile apps (the apps that our employers create and require us to use at work) often don’t provide the same type of consumer-level quality and experiences that we’ve come to expect from those we use in our personal lives. In many cases, the apps we use from work just plain suck. Enterprises that don’t start to address this user experience disparity are overlooking a massive opportunity. Despite some data security and infrastructure challenges, [Accenture found that](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-growing-digital-business.aspx) more than 80 percent of executives agreed that enterprise mobile apps: * Are “necessary” to realize the benefits of digital within the organization * Are “integral” to their organization’s growth and profitability * Will be the “dominant” interface to internal systems in the future, especially for the growing workforce of millennials ## Consumerization of enterprise mobile apps “Users now demand consumer-type friendliness and ease of use in the applications they use at work,” writes Adrian Bridgwater in [Forbes](http://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianbridgwater/2015/10/11/enterprise-apps-are-now-consumer-apps-and-vice-versa/#3a5183c459df). Bridgwater is describing the consumerization of mobile applications in the enterprise. In other words, just building an app for your employees isn’t good enough—your apps have to be easy and enjoyable to use, like the ones we get from the public app store and use on our own time. Unfortunately, most organizations are not successful in meeting the expectations of their employees when it comes to their mobile apps. They follow the same internal process for their internal mobile apps as they’ve previously done when creating things like Intranets and other internal software — assuming that because an app is _just_ for employees it doesn’t require the same care as it would for external customers. This thought process has to change for enterprise mobile apps to be successful. Companies need to treat their internal facing mobile apps no different than their external facing ones. They need to treat employees like any customers, and follow the same best practices to deliver delightful consumer-grade experiences. If they fail to deliver this kind of experience, the apps simply won’t get used — and the investment in mobile app projects will be a failure. ## 3 Intersecting trends: A growing opportunity The expectations of the workforce are raising the stakes for the enterprise when it comes to mobile apps. Fortunately, there are three intersecting trends that make it easier than ever for enterprises to create great mobile apps: 1. The rise of BYOD and BYOA: Employees are bringing their own devices and apps to the workplace. 2. The emergence of mobile development platforms: New platforms, like [Xamarin](/xamarin-developers), are making it much easier and [efficient](/blog/xamarin-development-saves-time-and-money) to build apps. 3. The evolution of the way enterprise IT teams perceive the mobile application opportunity: No longer focused on just “locking down” BYOD, IT is now embracing opportunities to mobilize their enterprise workforce. At a time when employees and business partners demand one-tap access to all the tools and information necessary to get more done faster and make the best possible decisions, it’s time for IT to seize the opportunity to become a key driver of mobility in the enterprise, rather than just being pulled along at the the behest of the business units. Learn more in our latest ebook, [Making Good on the Promise of Enterprise Mobile Apps](/resources/making-good-on-enterprise-mobile-apps). ## Article Author: [AF | Adam Fingerman | Chief Experience Officer](/blog/author/adam-fingerman) ## Tags: [Agile Development](/tag/agile-development) [App Business](/tag/app-business) [Developer Tips](/tag/developer-tips) [Enterprise Applications](/tag/enterprise-applications) [Mobile Strategy](/tag/mobile-strategy) [Sales Enablement](/tag/sales-enablement) ## Subscribe for more insights Get our newsletter in your inbox. ## Related posts [Building meaningful connections: a key to successful project teams | Seven key values that help successful project teams at ArcTouch collaborate, solve problems, and innovate for our clients. | 4 min. read - April 30, 2024](/blog/meaningful-connections-project-teams) [How product managers can use AI as a research assistant for app strategy | ArcTouch shows how app developers can use generative AI as a research tool to prepare for app strategy workshops. | 5 min. read - April 23, 2024](/blog/ai-app-strategy) ## Contact us. ### Let's build something lovable. 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