United Airlines Replaces Pilot Logbooks with iPad Tablets
Recently, United Airlines officials announced that the company is replacing all manuals, charts and logbooks for over 11,000 pilots with new iPad tablet computers. The company began the replacement process early in August and will complete the iPad distribution later this year. Expected ROIs are:
- Replacing logbooks, charts and manuals with iPads will relieve pilots of 38 pounds of required documents and paperwork.
- iPads will store 12,000 pages of required documentation on a 1.5 pound, compact device that allows pilots to travel lightly.
- 326,000 gallons of jet fuel will be saved each year through the reduction of 38 pounds of paperwork per pilot. This equates to 3,208 fewer metric tons of carbon emissions being released each year.
Companies Benefit By Allowing Employees to Bring Their Own Devices to Work
Lately there has been an increased push both by employers and employees to allow the use of personal handheld devices in work environments for work related tasks. Many companies are seeing the benefits of personal devices at work not only to include savings on company IT expenses but other ROIs as well:
- By allowing employees to bring personal smartphones and tablets to work, companies save money that would have been spent purchasing company owned devices.
- Worker moral is improved when employees can bring familiar devices to work. Employees feel more comfortable using a device for work purposes, which they also use personally.
- Companies see an increase in productivity when they allow employees to use personal devices for work purposes. Employees will often complete work related tasks at home when company information and applications are on their personal devices.
- Personal smartphones are also maintained, repaired or replaced by the owner, which saves the company money.
Supermarket Chain Secures Storage Rooms with RFID
Two German supermarket chains ALDI and Lidl have both established RFID tracking systems throughout their warehouses and grocery stores to increase security and monitor access into freezer rooms and storerooms. The system allows the RFID badge on an employee to trigger a door or gate into automatically opening when within range (3 meters). The reported ROIs are:
- Reduces theft by restricting access to employees with RFID badges only.
- Reduces employee theft by tracking any access to storerooms after business hours.
- Hands free door or gate opening enables employees to enter while driving a vehicle or carrying a load, which saves time and improves efficiency.
- Hands free access also enables a much faster entry than a manual code or swiping system.
- The RFID system also records how long an individual has been in a room or freezer and can send an alert to a manager to check on the health and/or status of the individual.
Lamb Ranchers Increase Production Through Radio-Frequency Tracking
Alberta lamb producers are working on a radio frequency tracking system to create a remotely manageable herd system and to increase awareness and tracking capabilities. The potential ROIs are:
- Cost-savings through lowered labor expenses
- Allows for expanded production through increased oversight of larger herd populations.
Maryland School Board Approves GPS Enabled Bus Fleet
A school board in Prince County, Maryland has approved a GPS vehicle-management system for the school district’s fleet of 100 buses. The expected ROIs are:
- An average of 8.6% reduction in fuel.
- 15% reduction in overtime claims by bus drivers.
- 13.3% reduction in communication overhead - locating buses, communicating with parents, etc.
- Provides quick guidance for lost drivers to keep them on schedule.
- Monitors bus driving patterns to help supervisors train more efficient driving skills.
- Reports diagnostic data to mechanics for improved maintenance reduced downtime.
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Kevin Benedict, Independent Mobile and M2M Industry Analyst, SAP Mentor Volunteer
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Full Disclosure: I am an independent mobility analyst, consultant and blogger. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.
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