How Coca-Cola Bottling CIO Manages Mobile Strategy
Start by walking a mile in your worker's shoes -- or driving a mile in his truck, says CIO Onyeka Nchege.
Our romance with mobile devices isn't all that hot anymore. That torrid period when we fell in love with the iPhone and dumped our loyal but frumpy BlackBerry is far in the past. We again take our gadgets for granted.
iPhones and Android devices are now company-issue, and BYOD policies abound. We no longer hoard tablets like rare gems. The conversation has shifted from "I can't live without my new iPhone 3" to "how soon can we add a mobile app for sales pipeline updates?"
But in some ways, this calmer, more rational approach to mobile makes life only worse for CIOs and their IT teams. Mobile is taken for granted, the demand is soaring, and everything's possible, right?
Onyeka Nchege has lived through this whirlwind of demand for mobile tools as CIO of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the U.S.'s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler. Nchege and I spoke recently about CCBCC's mobile strategy, including how his teams dig for new ideas and how the company vets and prioritizes them. Here are some takeaways.
Evaluate Mobile Needs 'On Their Turf, On Their Time
Every six months, CCBCC IT leaders are expected to spend a day riding a truck with a driver, and another day accompanying an account manager out meeting with customers such as restaurant and store managers.
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