The Rise of the Mobile Worker in the Digital Age

Driven by cloud computing, real-time connectivity and changing employee expectations, mobile working has accelerated rapidly in the UK. More organisations are now reliant on staff who can work productively from almost anywhere, using digital tools to stay connected.

For social housing providers, maintenance and repairs operatives fit this model, spending the vast majority of their time visiting properties on jobs rather than attending the office or even the depot.

In this article, we explore how mobile workers keep homes safe and well-maintained while discussing the main considerations for building a successful mobile workforce. 

What is a mobile worker?

A mobile worker is an employee who isn’t based in a physical office. Instead, they perform their duties across multiple locations, using mobile devices to access information and communicate with colleagues in real time. 

Common examples include sales representatives, healthcare professionals, care workers and logistics drivers, all of whom are constantly on the move and not tied down to one location. 

In the social housing sector, mobile workers are typically repairs and maintenance operatives. They are expected to travel between properties, completing responsive repairs work on behalf of housing associations and local authorities.

To do the job successfully, mobile workers must be self-sufficient, strong communicators, excellent with time management, skilled problem-solvers and capable of using mobile workforce management software.

What challenges do mobile workers face?

To understand the role of mobile workers in social housing and how to manage them effectively, it’s important to recognise the distinct set of operational and practical challenges they face. Here are some of the main obstacles:

• • Limited access to real-time information: Operatives often arrive on site without full visibility of property history and previous repairs. Incomplete or outdated information can lead to delays, repeat visits and frustration for residents.
  • Communication and coordination gaps: Staying aligned with schedulers and colleagues can be difficult when teams are dispersed. Miscommunication about appointments, parts availability or follow-on work increases inefficiency.
  • Administrative burden and compliance pressure: Mobile operatives must capture accurate job data, photographs and compliance records while meeting tight schedules. Balancing on-site work with digital paperwork can be time-consuming and, without the right tools, risks errors or incomplete records.
  • Maintaining a work-life balance: Mobile workers can spend long hours travelling between properties, and jobs can often take longer than anticipated. If not managed correctly, this can eat into their personal lives and create an imbalance, affecting job satisfaction. 

How to build a successful mobile workforce

Building a high-performing mobile workforce requires a structured and strategic approach. Here are the key considerations for social housing associations and local authorities who want to manage a resilient team of mobile workers.

1. Clearly define roles and responsibilities

Outline expectations for operatives, supervisors and schedulers to prevent mobile working from becoming chaotic. Everybody has a role to play, so make sure responsibilities are clearly defined. Clarify performance measures, such as first-time fix rates, response times and resident satisfaction, to ensure accountability across teams.

2 . Invest in the right technology

Provide mobile devices and integrated workforce management systems that offer real-time job updates, access to asset data and digital compliance forms. Systems should connect scheduling, asset management and customer service functions. You can find out about how ROCC Attend, our field service mobile solution, can help below.

3. Use data and analytics to optimise performance

Data and analytics close the loop. Track KPIs, travel time, repeat visits and job durations to monitor performance and identify areas of improvement. Analytics can recognise bottlenecks, improve resource allocation and support evidence-based decision-making.

4. Prioritise training and support

Ensure operatives are confident using mobile tools and understand compliance requirements, both during onboarding and as the technology progresses. Ongoing training improves adoption and reduces errors. You must remember that mobile workers don’t necessarily have the same immediate access to support as office-based staff.

5. Foster communication and engagement

Field-based work can be isolating at times. Regular check-ins, team briefings and feedback loops help maintain alignment and morale. Even remote teams need a strong organisational culture, so don’t leave mobile workers behind. 

How ROCC Attend can help

At the end of 2025, we launched ROCC Attend, a fully scalable, customisable app that aims to revolutionise mobile operative management and support housing associations regardless of size and budget.

With this mobile solution, organisations can transform the experience for repairs and maintenance operatives, who can access the right information they need in real-time.

ROCC Attend provides total control for workforces, achieving more First Time Fixes far beyond any previous mobile solution could. It allows social housing providers to:

• Customise every part of the solution
• Build their own screens
• Add their own data forms
• Tailor every element to tackle the particular challenge they face

This ensures the solution works in exactly the way providers want to get the best out of their operatives.

At ROCC, we are a people-focused business that genuinely cares about the end goal of making homes better for all social housing residents. 

For more information about how ROCC Attend can help your organisation manage its mobile workforce, get in touch with our customer success team today.