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.
Asset Management and Mobile Software for Handheld PDAs
We are currently working on a project that includes the delivery of fences and environmental barriers. These barriers are delivered to construction sites to prevent water runoff and erosion issues. Sometimes these barriers are temporary and are rented by the construction company. The company providing these "assets" must deliver them, monitor them, track their location, record how long they have been in place, and inspect them for damage once they are retrieved. Many of these tasks are conducted remotely in the field. This is a perfect environment for a ruggedized handheld PDA and a mobile software application wirelessly synchronized with the main office database system.
Handheld PDAs and RFID in the Hospital
Dave was testing this RFID software solution developed, using the PointSync Mobility Platform, on behalf of a company that monitors hospital equipment. Seems often it is hard to find various high priced pieces of equipment when it is needed in the hospital. This can cause delays in treating or diagnosing patients - this is not a good thing. The solution being tested would allow a technician to monitor and track the locations of a large variety of hospital equipment. We have already been involved in a similar project to track expensive tools on construction sites in a similar manner.
In a blog article last year I expressed the opinion that RFID was not yet ready for prime time, or at least for small to medium sized businesses, however, already this year I have seen numerous inexpensive and practical applications for small to medium sized businesses primarily in the asset management arena that want to deploy RFID on mobile handheld PDAs.
MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform supports a large variety customized RFID solutions.
Inspection Software for Handheld PDAs and the City of Los Angeles
- Police Stations
- Fire Stations
- Libraries
- Waste water operations
- Communication Centers
- Municipal Buildings of all kinds
- etc.
Their 6 inspectors collect data and complete inspections for their CMMS application (computer managed maintenance system). These 6 inspectors are experts in the following areas:
- Carpentry
- HVAC
- Roofing
- Elevators
- Plumbing
- Electrical
The Building Maintenance Division selected MobileDataforce's Mobile Inspection Software for handheld PDAs and Symbol MC 9000k handheld devices.
The inspectors collect the data and complete the inspections and synchronize their devices to a central data repository.
The Building Maintenance Division selected software from MobileDataforce that would enable them to create, customize and configure their own handheld inspection forms and applications. By selecting a software solution that lets them create their own mobile applications, they can edit and customize whenever necessary without the need and expense of paying a third party.
Canyon County Selects MobileDataforce® for Mobile Automated Building Inspection System
County seeks to control costs related to building inspections and to improve efficiency of field inspectors
Boise, Idaho—January 25, 2007 – MobileDataforce® a leading provider of business critical mobile software applications today announced they were selected by Canyon County, Idaho to provide a Mobile Automated Building Inspection system. The purpose of this mobile solution is to help control costs related to inspections by improving the efficiency of the County’s building staff and the administrative staff they work with on a daily basis. This will be accomplished by replacing the paper based system for conducting and reporting inspections with an automated and mobilized system. The mobilized system will synchronize and integrate with the existing permitting and inspection request system used today.
The Mobile Automated Building Inspection system, using MobileDataforce’s PointSync Mobility Platform, will dispatch to the inspectors’ mobile devices a list of inspections to be conducted each day. While still on the construction site, inspectors will be able to file their reports and synchronize with the central office database.
Expected cost savings will come from reduced fuel consumption, reduced mobile phone usage, minimized overtime pay and reduced administrative work. Additional benefits will come from improved contractor communications, more accurate and timely reports and near-real time information.
About the PointSync Mobility Platform
PointSync Mobility Platform is an enterprise class solution used to rapidly design, develop and deploy field inspection applications. It is architected to provide database centric mobile inspection applications with bi-directional synchronization, GPS, barcode scanning, connectivity, security and enterprise database integration all within one solution.
About MobileDataforce
MobileDataforce is a global leader in the development of enterprise class and business critical field inspection applications for use on mobile handheld computers including Smart Phones, Tablet PCs and laptops. MobileDataforce has offices in Europe, North America and in Australia to support their expanding customer base and sales channels. Privately held, MobileDataforce has been mobilizing inspection processes since 2000. For more information, please visit our website at www.mobiledataforce.com.
Mobile Software Platforms for Handheld PDAs and Smartphones for Enterprise Mobile Software Solutions
A single purpose mobile software application is designed for only one business process -for example, an electrical substation inspection. It has no value beyond that one inspection process. A mobile software platform in contrast, would enable an infinite number of different mobile software applications and inspection software programs to be designed, developed and deployed on the same platform.
Last year I was working with a large electrical utility company. They had 7 different enterprise applications that all had their own mobile handheld PDA applications. The IT department had no interest in learning and supporting 7 different mobile client applications, design environments, security architectures, help desk organizations, vendors, etc. They wanted one mobile software platform that could provide mobile handheld clients for all of their enterprise applications. This would reduce costs, headaches and enable their IT team to learn one environment that could support all of their mobile client needs. MobileDataforce's PointSync Mobility Platform is designed specifically for this purpose.
A mobile software platform should provide the following components:
- Mobile application development environment (easy to learn visual development)
- Mobile synchronization middleware
- Mobile application, device and user manager
- Mobile databases and database server(s)
- Integration and adaptor tools
A mobile software platform enables a business to mobilize all of their field operational processes, not just a single process.
Interviews with Kevin Benedict
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Futurist David Espindola’s new book has just been released, "Soulful: You in the Future of Artificial Intelligence." Alex Whittin...
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I had a great time participating in the filming and development of a 10 minute film on digital twins recently. Last week was its premier at...
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In this deep dive with Munich Re (Groups) cybersecurity expert Bob Parisi, we learn how the insurance and reinsurance industry develops poli...