Working with a Budget, Part 4

In segments 1-3 we discussed the various parts of a mobility project, and the different options within these parts. Now let's bring all these together and discuss how they impact the price of a mobility project and our strategy.

1. Someone needs to develop the "mobile client" software that synchronizes with your Work Order Management software in the office. Is this going to be your cousin Bob, or a professional IT developer or consultant? If you are going to use a professional, get a quote on the project costs.
2. Are you going to develop your own mobile software from scratch, or purchase a "software development kit" for mobile solutions from a company like MobileDataforce, http://www.mobiledataforce.com? Get a quote from the software vendor.
3. Are you going to buy a $300 consumer grade PDA that can be easily broken when dropped, or are you going to spend $1,500 on a water resistant and dust resistant handheld that can be dropped to concrete from 6 feet. Search on ruggedized handhelds or call MobileDataforce for referrals.
4. Do you want to call your field service technicians on their mobile phones and read them their next work order, or do you want to have it synchronized out to their handheld device in the field? Contact your wireless service provider for data connection quotes using PDAs or handheld computers with data cards.

Once you have made up your mind about these various issues and received quotes, it is time to set project schedules, implementation and test plans.