The advent of mobility in the workplace has not only set the scene for the rise of the mobile workforce, it has forced service providers in critical areas like Project Management to reassess their value propositions and work a lot smarter to remain ahead of the curve.

This is the view taken by leadership of FOXit, one of the country’s fastest growing and most successful providers of project and portfolio management services.

Dierdre Strydom, CEO of FOXit, says as the traditional concept of a physical office manned by workers who report for duty continues to evaporate in the midst of mobile-intensive, virtual environments, there is a clear-cut challenge to add innovation to the mix.

“Offices, as we know them, will no longer be relevant in the future.  People want to work anytime, anywhere and this is where the mobile space is part of our DNA.  Just imagine having your project dashboard available on your mobile or tablet without having to go to the office,” says Strydom.

She believes the integration of new and innovative solutions to the Project Management space will help the Company sustain its leadership position.

“These solutions need to address the ever changing mobility of information to enable our clients to have information at a swipe of a finger.  The upside of this is that getting product into the market quickly gives you the advantage of being the leader in the industry, however to every upside there is also a downside.  You have to stay abreast of developments as they happen, if you don’t you will be left behind very quickly,” Strydom adds.

Outsourcing vs insourcing

“Along with the need to keep up with innovation within the Project Management space, another key trend impacting on this business discipline is that of the ability of companies to utilise technology strategically. Having the solutions in place is one thing, using them to the benefit of the business effectively to optimise operations and save on costs is another thing entirely,” adds Strydom.

“In the current economic climate all companies are looking for quicker, faster and more cost effective ways of doing things.  Companies have a strong drive in reducing their costs; how do they do this?  In lots of instances companies are reducing the labour costs and replacing this with smarter technology.  They also want more visibility on their cost that will enable them to manage the costs more effectively,” she says.

“And with the environment being cut-throat, outsource suppliers are willing to bring more and more to the game to garner work,” Strydom explains. “Outsourcing has always been six of the one, half a dozen of the other … in my opinion it does de-risk companies as they don’t carry the liability of overhead costs.”

FOXit has perfected the art of agility and this will serve the Company well – particularly under current market conditions. However, as its leadership acknowledges, the market next year will be dominated by the need to be customer-centric in services, solutions and support.

“Economic conditions are becoming more and more precarious.  However having the right skills delivering value adding benefit to the client, keeping a tight ship and always staying ahead of the curve will enable FOXit to weather the storm,” Strydom concludes.