Apps on the shopping floor · Kega

The staff can also use the app as a source of information. The app puts all their colleagues' expert knowledge within reach. In short, the possibilities are unprecedented. But deploying an app alone is not enough. It's also about what you do with it. And, of course, about how actively you use it.

Which app content works now and what does not? Kega has researched the effects of the Intouch app in the shop. We compared the engagement of staff who do and do not use the app. We also investigated which type of content has the greatest effect. The five most important conclusions are described in this article.

1. App users have more engagement
Employees who use the app more, clearly have more engagement. Their engagement score is 14.5% higher than non-users. The app is least often used by temporary staff. Almost 30% of temporary staff never use the app. So this is where the most benefits can be achieved.

2. Regular app users are better informed
Nearly 80% of the app users said that they are better informed about what is going on within the organization and 64% have become more curious about their work. Two-thirds said that they are better able to carry out their work and 73% said they have become even better in their work. In short, actively sharing information certainly has a positive effect.

3. News reports are widely read, but do not always have an effect
More than 55% check the news reports more than twice a week. 21% even do this daily. So news reports have a positive effect on employee engagement. News about merchandise, anniversaries, purchasing and training contributes to this in particular. Competitions and news from customer service are very positively regarded by employees, but do not immediately provide more engaged staff. However, these messages ensure that the app is regularly used. In short, provide a varied mix of news items. Also make sure that there is something new to read every day, because there are many regular readers.

4. Video content contributes twice as much to engagement
Videos are viewed less often than news reports. Only 17% of employees do this more than twice a week (5% daily). Videos are posted less often than news, but are twice as effective in increasing engagement. Funny videos can inspire employees at exactly the right time. 

5. Active branch managers provide more users
It is important that store managers actively use the app themselves. If a branch manager does not use the app himself, an average of only 53% of employees will use the app (compared to 85% in total). For that matter, 30% do not use the app at all because it's unfamiliar. So make sure that the app has a clear place in the onboarding process for new staff and bring it to their attention regularly.