What is contextual relevance and how do you improve this key metric?

Contextual relevance is a new concept in geo-management that is fundamental to making the best use of resources. 

To talk about geo-productivity is to talk about contextual relevance, though that second factor also appears in other branches of management

What is contextual relevance?

Contextual relevance is a worker's ability to deliver the greatest value across changing contexts. 

In other words, it is their ability to adjust to a dynamic environment.

So we say a worker has high contextual relevance when their capacity to create value stays intact even as their surroundings change. Conversely, a worker lacks contextual relevance if the slightest change in their surroundings costs them their ability to act and therefore to deliver value.

As technology advances — smart mobile devices in particular — it takes on a fundamental role in every value-creating process. As a result,  end users' expectations rise too.

Clients know the endless possibilities technology offers and expect the people serving them to handle those possibilities as well as they can be handled.

That rising client expectation means workers have to be ready for every situation an increasingly dynamic world throws at them.

In that sense, mobile devices can be a great ally in creating value regardless of where the worker happens to be.

But be careful: badly used, they can be a serious problem. That is why working on contextual relevance is an inescapable duty for organizations that want to operate across ever wider areas.

How do you improve staff contextual relevance?

The main way to raise a workforce's contextual relevance is to bring in technology.

Through intelligent systems we can anticipate the various scenarios a worker will face and give them tools for each, as well as building fast information channels for all the unforeseen cases that tend to come up in dynamic environments.

The main technology to bring in when you want to give a team contextual relevance is a GMS (Geo-Management Software).

What is a GMS?

GMS platforms are technology tools designed specifically to optimize resources and increase value delivery in organizations whose staff work away from head office.

To do that, they use the innovative concept of Mobile Workflow, which is nothing more and nothing less than a dynamic workflow whose main destination is mobile devices.

Through Mobile Workflow, field staff are linked to decision-makers, who can see from the operations center everything happening with the field team. 

As information from mobile devices is gathered, decision-makers can set manual or automated rules that translate into specific tasks for staff, since the system integrates with whatever ERP or CRM the organization uses, such as Hubspot or SAP.

In short, Geo-Management Software gives the field worker the ability to make the most of their work and to gain contextual relevance, since for every situation they will have the answer already prepared, and in unforeseen scenarios they will be able to reach a decision-maker who sees the whole picture immediately.

Contextual relevance is a concept worth keeping in mind if you want a workforce that delivers the same value in every situation, and there is no better way to get there than implementing a good GMS. 

At GoDoWorks our overriding goal is to increase the contextual relevance of every field worker in Latin America. If you think your organization could benefit from this kind of strategy, don't hesitate to get in touch — we are ready to accompany you through the process.