Inspection Services on Handheld PDAs

Inspection services is a very popular category for MobileDataforce. We have hundreds of end users who are using our mobile software solutions to do facilities inspections, asset management inspections, quality assurance inspections, pharmacy inspections, animal inspections and more.

The process of inspecting an asset is quite similar across many verticals. An electronic inspection form on a handheld PDA needs to be created. The questions and data need to be customized to fit the exact requirements of the process. The data needs to be validated to ensure quality data is gathered, and a method for synchronizing and integrating with a back-office database needs to be configured. Both of our mobile software suites can accomplish this, Intercue Mobility Suite and PointSync.

The Intercue Mobility Suite saves the data gathered on the PDA as an XML file, and MobileDataforce's PointSync saves the data to a RDBMS on the handheld PDA that is configured to integrate with a back-office RDBMS.

PDA Based Vehicle Testing Application

This week one of my professional services teams (mobility gurus) are working on a very interesting mobile application for testing Hybrid cars. This application involves a handheld PDA using Windows Mobile connected to the automobile's diagnostics using a plugged in RS232 adapter. All cars manufactured after 1995 have this plug-in. This adapter is connected to an inline device that interprets the codes coming from the engine and feeds them to the handheld PDA. Once the data is fed to the PDA, our mobile software application, Intercue Mobility Suite, displays the data in an electronic form where additional human gathered data can be added. Once the data is gathered it can be uploaded directly to a database or spreadsheet for analysis. We seem to be working on a lot of vehicle inspections, analysis and other automotive solutions lately.

32 GB Flash Disk for Mobile Computers

This announcement may enable handheld Win CE or Windows Mobile devices to have up to 32 gigabytes of storage on each device. Anyone want to load SAP or Oracle on their Pocket PC?

Samsung launches 32 GB Flash disk for mobile computers TG Daily

More on Fleet Management & Handheld PDAs

My PSO (professional services team) is rolling out a fleet management solution next week that will involve up to 1,200 vans using Win CE mobile applications from MobileDataforce. These vans will pick up and deliver rail crews to different locations at the yard, hotels, airports, etc. The handheld PDA solution has the following requirements:

• Integration with a international dispatch system
• Integration with a GPRS and Satellite
• GPS and mapping
• Dome magnetically connected to the van roof and plugged into the handheld computer for dispatch synchronization
• ID of driver, van, rail crew
• Elapsed time from pick-up to delivery
• Driver Status
• Van Maintenance status
• Odometer and fuel status

This is a fun and challenging solution since it involves synchronizing over both GPRS and Satellite depending on the availability of the GPRS networks.

This solution uses our PointSync software, and Psion Teklogix handheld computers mounted on the dashboard, and a Satellite/GPRS dome from Wireless Matrix.

The architecture involves a database driven dispatch system in Canada, that communicates via GPRS or a satellite uplink with the van based handheld computers in the USA using a Win CE mobile software solution for fleet management from MobileDataforce.

PDAs on the Farm

The other day I put on my farm clothes, and headed off to a calf raising farm. Why? I wanted to see handheld computers in action. Farming is not done the same way as it was when I was a young dairyman. Now days as a result of "Mad Cow and Hoof-and-Mouth" diseases large buyers of meat (grocery stores, Japan, Europe many more...) want a meat seller to be able to track exactly where a steak originated, and they want it in 48 hours.

Just last week a cow in Alabama was found to have Mad Cow, and officials were not able to track the cow's origins beyond the auction yard. This is a big problem. There may be other exposed cows, but no one can tell. So healthy cows and clean farms all fall under suspicion. This becomes not just farmer's problem, but an industry's.

We are very involved in developing solutions for the cattle industry here at MobileDataforce. Our software enables a handheld computer with attached RFID readers to immediately and uniquely identify a calf with an RFID ear tag. So any movement of the calf from one pen to another, or from one farm to another can easily be tracked by reading the passing ear tags as the animals are moved or loaded onto a truck.

In addition, any health issues that the calf experiences as it grows can be identified by reading the RFID ear tag, and identifying the health problem and any treatments associated with that animal. This information stays with the calf through life and death.

So in effect - this solution is a "chain-of-custody" for animals. It tracks their movement, any associated farms, health issues and other animals that they have been in contact with them and the data is stored for "track-back" in the event of a disease outbreak.

This is a very interesting application of mobility. It is also an application with global health significance.

RAD Tools for Mobile Applications

My definition of a RAD tool is a Rapid Application Development application that allows a user to rapidly create mobile applications. What is the significance of a RAD tool? It is absolutely required if you are trying to quickly build a mobile business application.

No one wants to spend months or years of expensive time and energy developing synchronization features. No one wants to spend months or years figuring out how to integrate mobile applications with backend databases. No one wants to spend months developing connectivity with Satellites, GPRS, integration with RFID, Bar code, GPS, Digital cameras, etc. No one that is, except a few crazy mobility gurus and developers here at MobileDataforce. We have spent over 24 man years designing and developing a RAD tool for mobile applications called PointSync.

The purpose of this application is to do all the boring, time consuming work on your behalf, so you can spend your time configuring mobile applications to give you the best "return on investment". Our customers often say that over 80% of their mobile application requirements are already available in the RAD tool, PointSync. These users can reserve their time for configuring their mobile business processes, not optimizing C++ code for use on a large variety of different mobile handheld computers.

Cars Featuring Windows Mobile Inside

Today at the 2006 Geneva International Motor Show, Microsoft Corp.'s Automotive Business Unit introduced Windows Mobile for Automotive, a software platform and hardware reference design that helps the automotive industry speed the development of in-car infotainment systems for drivers and passengers worldwide. Concurrently, Microsoft and Fiat Auto Group unveiled Blue&Me, the first in-car infotainment system based on Windows Mobile for Automotive.

Blue&Me allows motorists to use voice commands and a push-to-talk button to operate their mobile phones, digital music players and other devices in a safer, more convenient manner in the car. The system supports hands-free communication for more than 140 types of mobile phones via a Bluetooth connection, and through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port it can connect with a wide variety of personal music players and other devices. The software is upgradeable, so it can be refreshed to accommodate consumers' changing needs supporting future devices and new industry standards. The system supports nine languages and is available to drivers and passengers throughout Europe in the company's Fiat Grande Punto, Alfa Romeo 159, Alfa Romeo Spider and Alfa Romeo Brera models.

"The digital lifestyle is about staying connected with people and information, and enjoying digital entertainment, wherever you are — even in the car. Working with Fiat we have delivered automotive-grade systems that extend the digital lifestyle into the car at a price that is affordable to most car buyers," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Windows Mobile for Automotive provides performance, reliability and flexibility for a new generation of in-car communication and infotainment solutions." "By partnering with Microsoft, we've been able to design, test and deliver a new in-car infotainment system to market in less than two years," said Giuseppe Bonollo, vice president of Product Portfolio Management at Fiat Auto. "We look forward to offering similar Microsoft-powered systems to our customers in every new Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo model over the next few years." Microsoft Windows Mobile for Automotive provides the industry with an open, standardized platform for in-car infotainment system development. Automakers developing in-car infotainment systems using the platform can tailor functionality for specific models or desired price points. For example, a navigation system in an economy car might only provide voice prompts and a heads-up display, while a luxury model may offer a full-color LCD display featuring maps and real-time traffic information. As a result, Windows Mobile for Automotive helps the industry achieve the following: — Fast time to market. Manufacturers can move quickly to market with a standards-based, ready-to-install electronics gateway that gives consumers hands-free digital access to cell phones, music and information in their cars. — Low development costs. Windows Mobile for Automotive frees OEMs from the need to develop proprietary software - with its associated high development costs. This entry-level solution is based on a familiar Microsoft programming model and supports industry standards for reliability, power consumption and temperature variations. — Flexible implementation. Available in two versions, Windows Mobile for Automotive can easily be tailored to meet automakers' needs across a variety of models, vehicle types and price points. Because the software is upgradeable, support for new devices, applications and industry standards can be added to increase functionality for drivers and passengers over the life of the car. Software upgrades can be easily deployed by the dealer via the wireless connection or USB port.

Meter Maintenance Applications on Tablet PCs

My team is completing an application for a company that contracts to electrical utilities on the East coast. They are involved in meter maintenance and repair. The unique part of this application is that they asked for both a PDA version of their mobile application, and a Tablet PC version. I have included a screen shot of their Tablet PC version. We developed and configured this application using PointSync software. They also required us to integrate their mobile application with GPS and their backend database.

PointSync allowed us to build one application, and publish it to 2 different formats, 1) Pocket PC and 2) Tablet PC. The application did not change, just the way we layed out the screens. Since the Tablet PC has bigger screens, we could display more information on it.

Safety Inspections at Power Generation Plants

We have recently completed a project for a very large fossil fuel power generation plant in the SE. It involved safety inspections to conform to OSHA requirements. A sample of the Pocket PC application is displayed here.

This project involved labeling equipment and breaker boxes with bar code labels, so inspectors could quickly scan then to determine the date of last inspection and maintenance cycles. This data was then synchronized with a central safety compliance database for storage and auditing purposes.

This safety and maintenance inspection application was customized and configured using MobileDataforce's PointSync and used Dell Axim Pocket PCs using bluetooth Socket Scanners for reading the bar codes.

PDA Based Work Order Management System

Our professional serivces team has recently completed a very successful project with Kane Furniture that involved mobilizing their work order management system. Tim Cerami, our PSO Manager has written up the details for your reference.

The Challenge:
Since 1948, Kane’s Furniture has become one of Florida’s fasting growing furniture retailers. Along with this growth came the challenges of managing an efficient service order organization. Kane’s knew their existing paper-based service order system was costing them valuable time everyday due to costly data reentry.

By introducing mobile technology in the field, Kane’s and MobileDataforce engineered a custom solution that allows technicians to completely eliminate paper, respond to customers with more complete information and eliminate costly data reentry entirely.

The Solution:
MobileDataforce developers and engineers worked with Kane’s management and technical team to build a custom mobile application (similar to the one seen in the picture above) and data transfer process that streamlined the process of getting data from the field to their backend database.

Kane’s chose standard Dell Axim handheld devices for its mobile service technicians. Devices are brought back to the office where they synchronize to the PointSync Server using standard USB cradles. At the heart of the mobile solution is the MobileDataforce PointSync mobility tool. To build a simple, easy to use mobile application, PointSync Developer was used to quickly build the user interface and business logic. To facilitate device connectivity and synchronization logic, PointSync Server and Manager where deployed. To seamlessly integrate with Kane’s existing backend database design, customized file exports were also integrated into the PointSync configuration.

The Results/Benefits:
With PointSync mobile technology being used in each service technician’s hands, Kane’s saves over two (2) hours per day for each of their store locations. With this glowing success in their services organization, Kane’s is looking to mobilize other aspects of their business, including a large furniture delivery organization.