Author Kevin Benedict
Independent Mobile Strategy, Sales and Marketing Consultant
www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbenedict
http://mobileenterprisestrategies.blogspot.com/
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Kevin Benedict is a TCS futurist and lecturer focused on the signals and foresight that emerge as society, geopolitics, economies, science, technology, environment, and philosophy converge.
If the answer is NO to any of the above, then you are into a custom development environment that is difficult to support in a hosted model. Companies that host applications need volume and reusability. Custom projects may be uploaded to a hosted data center, but there is no business case for the software vendor/developer to pursue this as a business model. However, if the mobile software application is custom, but the database application that it synchronizes with is sold as an off-the-shelf application, then there may be a business case.
Here is a real life scenario. SAP ERP does not handle work orders or service tickets well if they are not associated with a pre-approved purchase order. This is a problem in the oil fields as contractors and service technicians are often called to perform unanticipated work to fix or repair items. Since SAP does not like to receive unexpected invoices, Field Service software vendors have responded to this need by developing applications that convert these unexpected invoices into acceptable SAP formats that are integrated with SAP using standard integrations. These same vendors have created mobile work order applications that synchronize with their work order management systems. They have a standardized model that can be sold in a hosted environment.
Since the work order management application was an off-the-shelf software package, with a standardized integration to SAP, it could be offered in a hosted environment with a good business model.
If the work order management system was custom, and the back-office application or ERP was custom, then the mobile software application would need to be custom and there is no efficiencies in this scenario for a hosted solution.
***********************************************These 12 business motivations become increasingly important during slow economic times when times are tough, and every penny must be saved and maximized. In rapid growth periods inefficiencies are often overlooked in a rush to keep up with the market and business growth, and hidden under the onslaught of new sales and revenues. However, when the economy slows down, it is time for companies to re-evaluate business processes in order to eliminate the inefficiencies and bad habits that have developed. Let’s now review some common and costly inefficiencies:
What does an automated and "mobilized" work order system or service request dispatch and management system look like? Let's walk through a scenario -
These business processes are all criticial to the success of a field services business. These processes are sometimes complicated, and with the service technician remote and without direct supervisor management can often be done wrong or incomplete if paper based. The ability to standardize and automate these processes allow service based businesses to accomplish more business with less resources and with better quality.
SAP users are often large companies. Their field service operations can involve hundreds and even thousands of mobile workers. The possible savings from improving mobile operations can be enormous. If you would like to brainstorm about some or all of these mobile business applications for field services companies send an email.
***********************************************All of these actions can be programmed to take place based upon the data you enter into a handheld computer. At MobileDataforce we work with customers on these kinds of issues daily.
All of these customized mobile software applications were developed using the same mobile software development platform called the PointSync Mobility Platform by MobileDataforce for use on handheld PDAs and Smartphones.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could push a button at your laptop was instantly on? It is reported that this technology is only a few months away. The laptops would boot from flash memory, not a hard drive. Time is money!
A company out of the UK just raised $100 million in funding to lauch their flexible screen technology. Ponder this...a screen could be rolled up into a small tube that fits in your pocket or brief case. When needed, you could unroll your screen, lay in on the table, or hold it in your hands and plug it into your Smart phone, PDA or rugged handheld and look at full sized CAD drawings, maps, blueprints, or newspapers.
We have many customers in the construction, facilities management and engineering industries that need to look at maps and CAD drawings daily. They love the utility and convenience of a ruggedized handheld computer, but need the larger screen size of a laptop to effectively view maps and drawings. These flat and flexible screens just might be the answer.