Putting the frontline first
Check out the original post on our blog
There is a huge digital divide in the world of work.
80% of the global workforce is ‘deskless’, yet just 1% of all enterprise software funding is dedicated to serving this demographic of 2.7 billion people.
There was a time when this could be justified - only desk-based workers had access to the computing power and connectivity needed to run company software. Before the widespread adoption of smartphones, putting it in the hands of the frontline was prohibitively expensive.
So frontline workers have ended up at the back of the queue when companies are investing in technology. Almost every organisation buys software to manage their frontline workforce. But there are hardly any tools out there designed for, and to be used by, frontline workers.
Sona is here to change all that.
The unique experiences of our whole founding team give us a different perspective. Everyone at Sona looks at work life exclusively through the eyes of frontline workers. We want every non-desk based worker to feel appreciated, included, and empowered at work.
We had built our own technology to stop us being overwhelmed by manual processes as we grew and ran ‘gig economy’ workforces (predominantly made up of shift-based staff). Over time we discovered that many of the companies we worked with did not have their own equivalent.
Then one of our candidates - who'd previously worked for a major UK retailer - showed us a WhatsApp group filled with photos of annotated paper schedules. And at that moment we realised there was an incredible opportunity to create something far better.
We couldn’t imagine running our own business without the technology we’d built. the same for many industries experiencing similar challenges in keeping their distributed teams organised and connected. No skilled manager should be spending 60% of their time on admin at the expense of being with their teams or focusing on mission critical tasks.
Frontline workers have been at the back of the queue when it comes to technology for too long. Many systems enable head offices to manage their frontline workforces, but very few have been designed to be used by the frontline.
Most employees don’t suddenly decide to quit. Lots of small frustrations build up, leaving them feeling disengaged, disempowered and demotivated:
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“I have no autonomy at work”
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“I don’t feel supported by management”
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“I spend too much time on paperwork and admin”
The vast majority of these frustrations can be minimised, if not prevented entirely. In fact it’s likely that there are existing systems and policies in place that should help. The problem is they aren't universally visible or accessible.
The time has come for an employee empowerment revolution.
By empowering their people with the technology they need to take greater control of their work lives, and feel valued and included, organisations can elevate the employee experience.
Sona’s mission is to raise the bar for smart and user-friendly software, putting powerful tools in the pocket of every deskless worker. We will strive to be known for our relentless focus on end user experience and passion for solving the specific challenges of deskless work.
If we get this combination right, we know our customers will see transformational improvements in efficiency, engagement and their bottom lines and their teams will be happier and stick around longer.
We couldn’t be more proud of the product and team we have put in place to ensure we make this ambition a reality every single day.
If you are already part of the Sona story, we’re delighted to have you on board. And if not, we hope we have the opportunity to work with you.
Ben, Oli & Steffen
Co-founders