Last updated on Aug 7, 2024

You're swamped with urgent mobile device issues. How do you decide which one to tackle first?

When your mobile device starts acting up, it can feel like a crisis, especially when there's a pile-up of issues demanding your attention. You might be dealing with a frozen screen, a battery that won't charge, unexpected shutdowns, or an app that refuses to open. It's crucial to have a strategy to prioritize these problems, so you can get back to using your device efficiently. Your approach should be systematic and calm, ensuring that the most critical issues are addressed first to minimize disruption to your daily routine.

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1 Assess Impact

Consider the impact of each issue on your daily life. If your phone's battery drains too quickly, it could leave you unreachable in emergencies, which is a significant problem. On the other hand, a glitchy app might be inconvenient but not critical if it's not essential for your daily tasks. Prioritize problems that compromise your ability to communicate, work, or stay safe. Once you've evaluated the impact, you'll have a clearer picture of what needs immediate attention and what can wait.

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Tony Glinski

Leading, Landing and Expanding Nonstop Mobility with  in Enterprise Business, Higher Education and Public Sector
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More and more “mobile-first” is becoming mobile only and the most innovative companies are investing to get ahead of their computation, leveraging more data and analytics to inform their processes across dispersed work forces.

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2 Urgency Levels

Next, determine the urgency of each issue. A mobile device that overheats could be a safety hazard and needs immediate attention. If your device is essential for work and it's malfunctioning, this disrupts your productivity and becomes urgent. However, if you have a secondary device that can tide you over, some issues might be less pressing. Assessing urgency involves considering potential risks and the necessity of the device for your immediate tasks.

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3 User Dependency

Reflect on how dependent you are on the affected functionalities of your mobile device. If you rely on your device for navigation and you're about to embark on a trip, resolving GPS issues would take precedence. Conversely, if the problem lies with a feature you seldom use, like a rarely used app, it could be placed lower on the priority list. Your dependency on specific functions should guide the order in which you tackle device issues.

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Tony Glinski

Leading, Landing and Expanding Nonstop Mobility with  in Enterprise Business, Higher Education and Public Sector
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Often times we find that an iPhone or iPad has at least 3-5 critical apps that are essential to workflows and impact to the apps directly correlate to the bottom line for companies.

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4 Fix Complexity

Consider the complexity of the fix. Some issues can be resolved with a simple restart or update, while others might require professional help. If you can quickly fix an issue yourself, it makes sense to address it immediately. For more complex problems requiring technical support, start the process early as it may take time to get an appointment or for the issue to be resolved.

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Tony Glinski

Leading, Landing and Expanding Nonstop Mobility with  in Enterprise Business, Higher Education and Public Sector
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Having a help desk for a dispersed and diverse workforce of line-of-business workers is often critical for uptime and its impact to the bottom line. If a device is not working for reasons of user error or a true RMA need, that device can otherwise end up in a drawer and bottle neck the critical functionality and data capturing for the company in which it was intended.

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5 Resource Availability

Take stock of the resources available to you. If you have access to technical support or a knowledgeable friend who can help, tackle issues that require expertise first. For problems that you can solve with online resources or troubleshooting guides, allocate time to address these as well. Your resource availability can significantly influence the order in which you handle mobile device issues.

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6 Prioritization Strategy

Finally, develop a prioritization strategy that combines impact, urgency, dependency, fix complexity, and resource availability. This strategy should be flexible enough to adapt to new issues as they arise but structured enough to guide you through resolving current problems. With a solid strategy in place, you can efficiently manage and resolve mobile device issues as they come up, ensuring minimal disruption to your daily activities.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're swamped with urgent mobile device issues. How do you decide which one to tackle first?

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1 Assess Impact

2 Urgency Levels

3 User Dependency

4 Fix Complexity

5 Resource Availability

6 Prioritization Strategy

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mobile Devices

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