Mobile Handheld PDAs and Inspection Software

It is very important to select the appropriate and relevant handheld PDAs, Smartphones or Tablet PCs/Laptops when preparing for an inspection project. I have collected many of the most important considerations and published them in a document called, "Selecting Appropriate Handheld Computers".

Inspection software developed for handheld PDAs is unique and requires specialized attributes. It must work in disconnected environments, in rugged and remote locations and support the functionality built into your mobile handheld PDA.

I hope you find this helpful!

Mobile Inspections on Handheld PDAs and the Web

Inspections are of little value if the data is not shared, analyzed and provides relevant information necessary for making solid business decisions. We have worked with several customers who have reported that historic data from field inspections simply got placed in paper file folders and stored. The data was not accessed or viewed by any decision makers!!!

Most if not all of the field inspection software applications that MobileDataforce have worked on synchronize data from mobile handheld PDAs to a database back at the office. Often we are asked to create web interfaces to this data so project participants and management can quickly login and review the collected inspection data from anywhere in the world via a web browser. We customize a series of reports that display the data in relevant and helpful formats for quick and efficient viewing and understanding.

Mobile Inspection Software on Handheld PDAs

Mobile inspection software solutions are the topic of the week. Why? Many of MobileDataforce's largest global customers are in the inspection services business. In addition, rarely are inspections done in an office cubicle. They are most often completed somewhere away from the office and often out-of-doors. My engineering team has been developing and enhancing the PointSync Mobility Platform for many years specifically for companies that have a need to use a wide variety of different inspection applications and other mobile applications in the field.



The image in the upper right corner of this blog - is a screen shot of the PointSync Developer. This is the application companies use to develop each customized inspection. Once the mobile application is designed, developed and deployed the work can begin.

Because the inspection services industry covers such a wide variety of inspections, MobileDataforce created a mobile inspection platform to support the requirements for quickly changing them. Here is a list of a few of the common inspection applications:

• Building Inspections
• Power Pole Inspections
• Substation Inspections
• Stray Voltage Inspections
• Power Generation Plant Inspections
• Pipeline Inspections
• Health & Safety Inspections
• Scaffold Inspections
• Mold Inspections
• Fire Safety Inspections
• Conditional Assessment Inspections
• Auto Inspections
• End of lease vehicle inspections
• Quality Assurance Inspections
• etc...

The list is endless. No one would buy a separate mobile application for each of the thousands of different possible inspections. Companies want an mobile inspection platform that can support all of these possible scenarios. That solution is the PointSync Mobility Platform for Inspections.

Off the Shelf Mobile Applications vs Customized for Handheld PDAs

Often my sales team gets asked the following question, "Should I buy an "Off-the-Shelf" mobile software application, or customize a mobile software application to fit my specific business?" The answer depends on if your business is set-up as an "off-the-shelf" business. Do you conduct your business in the exact same manner as many others in your market? Do you use the same business processes and the same accounting package as the others? Is your product or service business managed in the same manner as others in your market. If the answers are yes, then buying an off-the shelf mobile application is a reasonable option. However, if you conduct your business in a unique manner that offers you a competitive advantage over others in your market, then you may want to customize your mobile software applications and automate the business processes that provide you with these advantages. Let me give some examples:

In this recent blog article I write about companies that want to add asset and inventory tracking functionality to the common service request process. Others may want to add time tracking, mileage, GPS, bar code, digital images and other features to their mobile software application. Some companies like to have a mobile job estimation application on their handheld computer. Once the estimate is accepted, it can be dispatched to the service technicians to begin work.

Our customers tend to have a wide variety of business software applications in their offices. These software applications and accounting packages use a wide variety of databases. Our customers like to select their own mobile handheld computers and software applications. Our customers are often implementing changes to their business processes to provide higher levels of customer service that provide greater competitive advantages. These kinds of dynamic business environments demand and require the ability to rapidly edit and customize mobile business applications to support the growing and changing business.

What company wants to restrict their ability to grow their business, implement "best practices" and business process improvements because of the limitation of an off-the-shelf business application? Not MobileDataforce customers!

MobileDataforce provides a rapid application development environment for mobile software solutions. Our mobile software solutions for handheld PDAs enable you to cost effectively customize your mobile applications to support your ever-changing business needs.

Mobile Inspection Software for Handheld PDAs

MobileDataforce works with many inspection services companies. Our PointSync Mobility Platform enables companies that provide a wide variety of inspection services the ability to rapidly develop new and cost effective mobile inspection applications for use on handheld PDAs and rugged handhelds. The "rapid" part is very important since many inspections are project based, and you can't spend 6 months developing a mobile solution for a handheld.

Some of our customers use the same mobile inspection application routinely, while others do contract work for electrical companies and other large organizations that require customized inspection services based upon the needs of the project. The PointSync Mobility Platform works well for both kinds of project environments.

Mobile Software Solutions for Handheld PDAs and Integration

Mobile software solutions for handheld PDAs have limited value, unless they are synchronized and integrated with business applications back at the office. To that end, MobileDataforce's mobile software applications are integrated with many of the world's most popular database applications including:

• Sybase & iAnywhere


• Quickbooks


• Microsoft SQL


• Microsoft Navision


• Microsoft's Great Plains


• Microsoft Dynamic


• Microsoft Access


• Oracle


• AS 400/DB2


• MRO Maximo


• Many more...

The integration with these database applications enable bi-directional database synchronization between the mobile handheld PDAs and the office business software applications. This empowers the mobile handheld user to have the same kinds of visibility to enterprise data as someone sitting in a cubicle in the office. In addition, the office can receive near real-time data from work being done in the field. The efficiencies that are available through mobilization can be enormous.

Hawaii & Mobile Software for PDAs, Smartphones and Handhelds

Greetings Folks,

I am back from a wonderful and relaxing family vacation/holiday on the Island of Maui, Hawaii. I tried to forget about mobile software, PDAs, handhelds and smartphones for a few days, but alas, there are people carrying mobile handheld computers everywhere I go!

Let me give you an update on some of the mobile software solutions my team has been working on over the last few weeks:

• Paintless Dent Removal - mobile auto/vehicle inspections, services and repair business solutions
• Bridge inspections
• Mobile work order management applications for ATM service technicians
• Electric Utility - mobile inspection & work order applications
• Building inspection applications for a county government
• Clinical trials - mobile applications for healthcare service providers
• Asset management/conditional assessments and preventative work orders
• Much more...

The key value propositions for many of these solutions are the following:

1. Accountability of work and workers in the field
2. Accountability of company assets and inventory in the field
3. Efficient use and dispatch of field service technicians
4. Documentation of work completed in the field
5. Efficient and timely synchronization of field data to the enterprise database
6. Fast processing and invoicing of work completed
7. Inspections and documentation of inspections - for just about everything
8. Faster and better customer service leading to happier customers and greater profits

Toilets and Mobile Handheld PDAs

This is a first - MobileDataforce is developing an inspection software solution for inspecting toilets using handheld PDAs. Our team in Newcastle, England is working on a project called WaterSmart. This application is for Water Utility companies to use to help homeowners conserve water and save money.

This is how it works:

1. Inspectors swarm into a homeowner's bathrooms and start flushing their toilets, using their showers and filling their bath tubs.
2. They measure outputs, water pressure, and the overall water use of a house.
3. They use handheld PDA applications to collect all of this data and synchronize it back to headquarters
4. The data collected results in recommendations for the installation of water conservation equipment in the home, which kicks-off a work order process
5. The work order is dispatched to a service technician that travels out to the home and installs things like; balloons in the toilet to reduce the water in the tank, shower heads that reduce water volume to a dribble and many other clever things...

These mobile software applications are used for mobile inspections, data collection, work order dispatch and synchronization. These are very interesting projects and they allow us to play with cool new handheld PDAs and other mobile gadgets.

Auto Appraisals Using Handheld PDAs and Mobile Software

Reporting from the UK - Our team in Newcastle has developed a number of very interesting and compelling mobile handheld PDA solutions for the automotive industry. An application I previewed today enables service companies to complete many mobile services and use their mobile handheld computers to register and invoice the work. The solution was designed to mobilize the following three business processes:

1. Mobile dent repair and minor autobody work
2. Mobile Auto Detailing/Valet
3. End-of-Lease Inspections

All of these business processes are completed on the mobile handheld PDA and synchronized with a web enabled database.

Reporting from the UK - Mobile Automotive Solutions for PDAs, Handhelds and Smartphones

I am in Newcastle, UK this week on assignment. Our team here in Newcastle are experts in the automotive industry. They have many years experience working with mobile PDAs, handhelds and Smartphone solutions for vehicle auctions, automobile dealerships, automobile lease return applications and more. Today they demonstrated their mobile PDA solutions to a large automobile dealership with locations across Ireland.

The mobile solution they were demonstrating included a valuation component. A person could scan a VIN code and the description of the car would pop-up and auto fill the the electronic inspection form on the handheld PDA. The dealership would then inspect the car for damage and the final value of the car would be computed from the valuation database and the inspection.

This solution is used for automotive auctions, auto dealers, insurance and automotive lease return companies.

First the Dell Axim PDA Dies & Now the iPAQ Pocket PC???

Rumor on the street, at least in the mobile handheld industry world, is that HP may be discontinuing their line of stand alone PDAs. The rumor originated from a recent refusal by HP corporate to sell 1,000 current and supported iPAQs to a customer. No company rejects an order for 1,000 devices if they mean to continue them. This same customer was not able to source this iPAQ in any significant quantities from distributors either.

Keep in mind this is a blogged rumor...that means it is many times less reliable than the one from the cubicle next to you.

Even if true, HP may just be consolidating their iPAQs around iPAQ Phones.

LXE Using Animation to Market the HX2 Wearable Computer

LXE is using a cartoon character called the "Scan Man" to market their new wearable, rugged computer called the HX2. The HX2 has a screen made from the same material as a fighter-jet's cockpit windshield and is strapped to your arm.

I haven't spent much time thinking about wearable computers as I focus most of my time on mobile handheld PDAs, smartphones and industrial barcode scanners that run on Windows Mobile OS. Maybe it's time. Here are two interesting descriptions on LXE's website:

1. Breakaway ring scanner improves operator safety by preventing snags. (Snags is another word for ripping your finger off)
2. Voice enabled with ToughTalk technology. (I wonder if this was tested on sailors?)

This computer enables you to point at a distant object and voice order it to be scanned. The voice enabled computer is strapped to your arm and connected to a scanner ring that fits on your finger. Very clever! I wonder if there are any restrictions on which finger you can use to point?

Inside and Outside the 4 Walls with Mobile Software and Handheld PDAs

I have spoken to a number of handheld computer manufacturers and distributors this month and they have all emphasized that 2007 is the year to go out-of-doors with their handheld PDAs and handheld barcode scanners. The market inside the 4 walls is flat (no growth). The industry's growth is in mobility, the great rugged outdoors.

Symbol/Motorola has the MC70, MC50 and MC35 handheld PDAs and barcode scanners that are meant to be used in mobile out-of-doors environments. Psion Teklogix, Socket, Hand Held Products, Intermec and most others are dedicating sales teams and marketing campaigns to this mobile handheld and mobile software market segment.

From a software perspective, MobileDataforce started in this rugged environment. Our mobile software platforms were designed from the beginning to work equally well whether connected or disconnected indoors or outdoors.

Ryzex Buys, Sells & Recycles Mobile Handheld PDAs and Computers

If you don't know about Ryzex, you probably should. They buy old handheld barcode scanners as well as sell new mobile handheld PDAs. Why is that interesting? Many companies have a closet full of old and broken handheld computers and barcode scanners. Ryzex will buy, repair, refurbish or recycle them.

Ryzex has a very interesting business model. They focus on managing the lifecycle of handheld barcode scanners for their customers. They can sell, lease or rent new handheld barcode scanners, or sell, lease or rent old ones. Some jobs are just not sexy enough to justify new barcode scanners. Some companies, like engineering firms, do a lot of project work and only need a handheld data collector for 3 months so may want to rent it.

Casio Enterprise Handheld PDA

It looks like the term "Enterprise PDA" is catching on, at least within the marketing organizations of both Casio and Motorola. Casio has the new IT-10 (the name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it?) Pocket PC. You can use it in the shower and drop it from 3 feet to the soap covered tile floor. It is also shock resistant. Now that is thinking ahead! No one likes getting shocked in the shower, dropping their handheld Pocket PC and having it break all in the same morning. Now that is a unique marketing angle! If you don't take showers, the IT-10 is also dust resistant and doesn't have a nose.

Casio describes the IT-10 as a "new rugged PDA designed and built to be used for vertical applications in severe business environments." If I read that right, it is not intended for horizontal applications in good business environments. Hummm...Seems like you could make more sales if you sold products to companies in good business environments.

The Juno Rugged Handheld Pocket PC

Trimble has just released, or at least I have just found out about, a new not-rugged Pocket PC (now Windows Mobile) called Juno, pronounced like but not to be confused with Juneau, Alaska. It looks rugged, but Trimble seems to want everyone to know it is not - The Juno™ ST handheld is a highly productive yet affordable, non-rugged GPS receiver for field data collection and mobile GIS. The Juno ST handheld is Trimble's most compact, lightweight, fully-integrated field computer, providing 2 to 5 meter GPS positioning in real time or after postprocessing.

The Juno ST handheld is ideal for utility companies, government organizations, and agencies that are managing large deployments and tight budgets....but don't mind breaking their handhelds and buying replacements that cost more than buying a rugged one in the first place (sorry I added that).

Garmin and Navman have long had PDAs with integrated GPS, but this seems to be Trimbles first efforts to provide low end, field data collection devices. I like the idea, but Trimble's marketers seem almost apologetic.

Another Plane Another Victim - Evangelizing Mobile Handheld PDA Applications

I was on another plane today and a senior engineer was unfortunate enough to be seated next to me. The engineer manages the building of highways and bridges. Hummm.... We do a considerable amount of work for companies involved in highway construction and bridge building by helping them implement mobile PDA solutions on rugged handhelds. In fact the largest engineering and construction firm in Australia has asked us to work with them on a number of interesting projects.

I love working with engineers. They have to collect data on everything and they often work on very strange projects.

Trimble is a ruggedized handheld vendor that develops a lot of solutions for this industry.

MobileDataforce provides a data collection software platform for rugged mobile handheld computers that allows engineering companies to quickly develop field data collection applications that are specific to the requirements of their customer's projects.

Clinical Trials & Handheld PDAs and Mobile Software

Clinical research is a very interesting industry to work. MobileDataforce is currently developing mobile software solutions (ePRO and eDiaries)for use on handheld PDAs for a number of different clinical research programs around the country. Let's identify some of the common terms you hear in this industry:

• Clinical trials - controlled and monitored research following specific research standards


• ePRO - electronic patient reported outcome (how did the medicine or treatement effect them?)


• eDiary - electronic patient diary (how did you feel throughout the day?)


• Real-time patient monitoring (near real time communication with mobile patients)


• Patient self-reports (a patient reporting on themselves)


• Clinical trial sponsors - the entity paying for the study?


• Capturing clinical trial data

Capturing clinical trial data is where MobileDataforce excels. We have a number of different mobile handheld and Tablet PC solutions that are customized to fit specific clinical trial requirements.


The following list of links direct you to previous blog articles on clinical research and healthcare related mobile applications we have deployed:

• Mobile solutions for phamaceutical companies
• Mobile Clinical Research applications
• Mobile solutions for the Department of Health and Welfare.
• Mobile solutions for the Idaho Board of Pharmacy
  

Handheld Computer Considerations

There are a lot of good handheld computers available and some bad ones. I will leave the bad ones for a future discussion and focus on some of the points to consider when selecting good handheld hardware.

1. What environment will you be using the handheld computer in - is it hot, cold, wet, dusty or filled with explosive vapors? Is it a clean office environment, or a rugged out-of-doors environment?
2. Is your software application focused exclusively on bar code scanning, RFID reading, GPS, or do you need a multi-purpose device?
3. Will the hardware configuration ever need to be changed? Some handhelds can be configured at will, others are locked and can only be used with the original configuration.
4. What hardware does your selected software require?
5. Will the battery last long enough to accomplish your work? Do you need back-up batteries? Can you use batteries purchased at the local market, or are they vendor specific?
6. What is your budget? What does the value of using a handheld computer justify spending? Do you have enough budget to purchase the software and hardware you need? Does your budget only allow for low cost consumer devices? How many replacements cover the cost of a ruggedized handheld?
7. How do you replace broken devices? Can you get a replacement in 24 hours, or must you wait on the slow-boat-from-China?
8. What kind of support contracts and warranties are available?
9. How long will you new handheld computer be supported, serviced and manufactured by the vendor. Is it near end of life and being discounted for a reason?
10. Can you upgrade the operating system when Microsoft releases a new version of their mobile operating system?
11. Can you use standard laptop data cards in the handheld, or do you need to pay for high priced vendor specific cards?
12. Can you view the screen effectively in the sunlight?
13. Does the bar code scanner work effectively in real-world environment? Some scanners can not scan effectively through glass or plastic.
14. Is the size and weight of the handheld appropriate for the user and environment?
15. Can your handheld computer support all the add-ons you require at the same time? Some devices can only support a specific number of add-on components so you are forced to choose. Some can not support both a GPS and a data card at the same time. Some devices can not support both a bar code scanner and a GPS add-on. This is an important consideration.
16. Do you need only a touch screen and navigation pad, or a number pad or a full QWERTY keyboard? This is very important for user acceptance.
17. Is the handheld device also going to be used as a phone? Is a 2 pound industrial grade handheld really a usable phone?
18. Does your low cost consumer grade PDA need a rugged case like the ones Otterbox sells?
19. If you only have a budget for a low cost device, does it support the battery life and add-on components you require?
20. How will the device be transported around a job site? Will it strap to a belt, swing from a shoulder strap, sit in a holster or be mounted to the dashboard of your truck? Does your device support your chosen method?
21. Where is the closest inventory of the handheld computers? Where is the closest repair depot?
22. Will your vendor loan you a device on trial?
23. How will your handheld computer send data back to the office - cradle sync, WiFi, bluetooth, GPRS/GSM, CDMA?
24. What size screen do you need? Some devices like the Jett-Eye have a "landscape view" others a "portrait view" many have different sized screens. What do you require?
25. Do you need an integrated digital camera? Do you need a low or high resolution camera and does your device support it?
26. Does a refurbished device from Ryzex make better sense that a new device?
27. Where is your vendor's office? Are they in the neighborhood or on the other side of the planet? Does their location offer you the support and attention you deserve?
28. Does your handheld computer run on the same operating system that your software solutions require?
29. Does your handheld computer come with a pistol grip or other straps that help you avoid dropping it?
30. Can you comfortably hold the device in your handheld and complete the required job? Some devices have scanners on the side, on the end or underneath.
31. Can you effectively view the data you need? Some jobs simply require a full keyboard and a full screen for viewing large CAD files or Maps. Does your screen size match your requirements?

RAM Mounts for Mobile and Handheld PDAs

Many of you will be using your rugged mobile handheld PDA solutions in your vehicles. RAM Mounts has a large selection of different equipment for mounting handheld PDAs, laptops and Tablet PCs inside of your vehicle.

Some of the mounts are designed to enable your mobile devices to be charged while cradled. MobileDataforce has a large deployment that includes software licenses of our PointSync Mobile, Psion Teklogix WorkAbout Pros and RAM Mounts all connected to a GPRS/Satellite system for an always connected environment.